--- title: "Maria" year: 2024 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/maria" fi1m_id: "maria" imdb_id: "tt22893404" tmdb_id: 1038263 wikidata_id: "Q122203155" fi1m_score: 57 critics_score: 59 critics_reviews: 18 published: "2026-09-09" updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:55.610935+00:00" region: "IS" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Maria (2024) Directed by Pablo Larraín · 2h 03m · History, Drama, Music ## Identity Maria - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/maria - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** maria - **IMDb ID:** tt22893404 - **TMDB ID:** 1038263 - **Wikidata ID:** Q122203155 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt22893404/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1038263, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q122203155 **Fi1m score: 57** · Critics 59 from 18 reviews *In a sentence:* The furniture is moved daily, the pills are taken hourly, and the voice on the record is the only one allowed to feel anything > Pablo Larraín closes his run of films about famous women with the most handsome and the coldest. Angelina Jolie is composed and exact as Callas, Edward Lachman lights her like a painting, and the film keeps her behind glass for two hours. ## Synopsis Paris, September 1977. Maria Callas (Angelina Jolie) has not sung in public for years and lives in a large flat with her butler Ferruccio (Pierfrancesco Favino), her housekeeper Bruna (Alba Rohrwacher) and a supply of pills. She is rehearsing again, in private, with the pianist Jeffrey Tate (Stephen Ashfield), and giving interviews to a young television reporter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who may or may not be there. Between the rehearsals the film goes back through her life: a girlhood in wartime Greece with her sister Yakinthi (Valeria Golino), the years with Aristotle Onassis (Haluk Bilginer), the nights when the voice did what she asked of it. Pablo Larraín directs from a script by Steven Knight. ## Review Pablo Larraín has done this twice before. *Jackie* (2016) gave Natalie Portman a few days after Dallas; *Spencer* (2021) gave Kristen Stewart a Christmas at Sandringham. *Maria* gives Angelina Jolie the last week of Maria Callas’s life, in a Paris flat in September 1977, with a butler, a housekeeper, a piano and a great many pills. It is the best-looking of the three and the least alive. We admired it for two hours and were never once sure it wanted us any closer. The setup is simple. Callas has not sung in public for years. She is trying again, in a rehearsal room with the pianist Jeffrey Tate (Stephen Ashfield), and she is being interviewed at length by a young man with a camera crew (Kodi Smit-McPhee) who introduces himself as Mandrax. Mandrax is also the name on her pill bottles, and Steven Knight’s script makes sure we notice. That is the film’s method throughout: a good idea, then a line of dialogue to explain it. What is on screen is often lovely. Edward Lachman shoots the flat in low autumn light, brown and gold, curtains half drawn, and the streets of Paris in the same colours, so that the whole city seems to be indoors. When Callas walks out and imagines an orchestra playing for her under the trees, or a chorus singing to her in the rain, Lachman shoots the vision as plainly as breakfast, and the plainness is the point. Guy Hendrix Dyas fills the flat with things worth looking at, and Massimo Cantini Parrini dresses Jolie in coats and hats and dark glasses that do half the acting for her. She looks, at every moment, like someone who expects to be photographed. Jolie is careful, controlled and often good. She lowers her voice, slows her walk, and gives the staff instructions in the tone of a woman who has never been refused. The best of her is in the small dry cruelties: the correction of a waiter, the refusal to eat, the piano moved from one room to another because she has decided so. What she does not do, or is not asked to do, is let anything crack. The singing is the voice of Callas herself on record, with Jolie mouthing to it and, in the rehearsal scenes, a weaker sound laid in. The rehearsals work, because the voice is meant to fail. The flashbacks to her prime work less well, because we can see the join. The warmth is downstairs. Pierfrancesco Favino, as Ferruccio, moves the piano, hides the pills and watches her with the patience of a man who has done both for a long time. Alba Rohrwacher’s Bruna cooks meals nobody eats and tells the truth when nobody else will. Every scene with the two of them has more feeling in it than any scene with Onassis (Haluk Bilginer, a charming bully in the flashbacks), and we suspect Larraín knows it, because he keeps going back to them. Caspar Phillipson turns up for one scene as John F. Kennedy, which is the kind of thing that happens in these films. We were moved once, and it was not by anything Knight wrote. About an hour in, a recording of Callas in her prime plays over Jolie’s face as she listens to it, and the gap between the sound and the woman did in forty seconds what the film had been trying to do all along. Then it was gone, and we were back to the rehearsal room, the pills, the interview and the walk, and by the ninetieth minute we had seen that cycle enough times to know it was the structure. Sofía Subercaseaux cuts slowly and lets scenes sit past the point where they have said their piece. We were not bored, exactly. We were waiting for the film to want something. *Jackie* was furious and *Spencer* was frightened, and both films let us feel it. *Maria* is tired, which is fair to its subject, but Larraín treats the tiredness as something to admire rather than something to get inside. The real Callas, on the recordings the film uses so well, could not sing a note without meaning it. The film around her has its meanings written down and read aloud. See it for Lachman and Favino, for the coats, and for the voice, which is the reason any of this exists. Then go and find the records. It runs 123 minutes and carries a 12A. *Fi1m score 57, published 9 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews split widely, from warm four-star notices to outright dismissals, and the argument is nearly always about temperature. Most critics agree that Angelina Jolie is the reason to watch, praising her poise, her diction and the way she keeps Callas’s fragility visible under the grandeur; The Telegraph and Empire go furthest, calling it her best work in many years. Praise also clusters on the look of the film, Ed Lachman’s photography of 1970s Paris, the costumes and production design, and the decision to let Callas’s own recordings carry the music. The reservations cluster just as tightly. A large minority find the film chilly and bloodless, held at a remove, with Larraín so respectful of Callas’s imperious surface that her fury never gets in. The Los Angeles Times and RogerEbert.com are harshest, the latter finding it stiff and self-important with little to say about opera or its subject. Even admirers concede the pace is stately and the shape familiar from Larraín’s earlier biopics. ## Straight answers **Is Maria worth watching?** *Maria* is worth watching mainly for its look and its supporting cast, and we scored it 57. Angelina Jolie is composed and exact as Callas, Edward Lachman lights her Paris flat like a painting, and Pierfrancesco Favino and Alba Rohrwacher supply the warmth downstairs, but the film keeps its subject behind glass for two hours. Admirers of Callas and of Larraín's earlier portraits will get the most from it. **How long is Maria, and what is it rated?** *Maria* runs 2h 03m. It is a history and drama film. **Where can I watch Maria in Iceland?** *Maria* is not on any streaming or rental service in Iceland at the moment. It is available in 34 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily. **How violent or frightening is Maria, and is it suitable for children?** *Maria* carries a 12A in the UK and contains no violence to speak of; its adult material is a woman's decline, a supply of pills taken hourly and the sadness of a voice that no longer obeys her. Nothing in it is frightening, and older children could sit through it, though at 123 slow minutes most would rather not. **How does Maria compare to Sunset Boulevard?** *Maria* and [*Sunset Boulevard*](https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard) are both about a faded star, a grand house and the staff who keep the story going, and Billy Wilder's film is the better of the two by some distance. *Sunset Boulevard* is funny, frightening and merciless; *Maria* is handsome, tired and cold, admiring its subject from a respectful distance. Watch Wilder for the drama and Larraín for the coats, the light and the Callas recordings. **What should I watch after Maria?** After *Maria*, try [*Jackie*](https://film.one/film/jackie) (2016, Fi1m 80): Larraín’s first widow in a big house, and the one with the anger in it. Then [*Sunset Boulevard*](https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard) (1950, Fi1m 91): The great film about a star, a house and the staff who keep the story going; and [*Diva*](https://film.one/film/diva) (1981, Fi1m 80): A stolen recording of an opera singer sets Paris running; the voice matters here too. ### Reviews we read (26) - **Little White Lies**, Hannah Strong (3/4/4): Jolie has never been better, and Larraín and Knight capture Callas’ flighty nature and vulnerability with sensitivity and grace in an elegant biographical drama that is ultimately a love story. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/maria) - **The Independent** (80/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as the softer, more restrained conclusion to Larraín’s trilogy of biopics about 20th-century women, focusing on Maria Callas’s final days and her internal struggles rather than external drama. Angelina Jolie’s performance is singled out as career-defining and deeply empathetic, capturing the character’s humanity, fragility, and command. [Read](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/maria-callas-angelina-jolie-review-venice-b2603032.html) - **The Telegraph**, Robbie Collin (4/5): Jolie gives her finest performance in at least 15 years as Callas in her final week, dazzling with regal glamour while the film focuses on her outliving her career. The biopic doubles down on her star power in a rich biographical role. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/maria-review-angelina-jolie-maria-callas/) - **Time Out**, Kaleem Aftab (4/5): Jolie delivers a strong, talk-of-the-town performance in this classy, enjoyable biopic that offers a loving and affectionate portrait of Callas without airbrushing her foibles. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/maria-review-2024) - **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): Jolie hits the notes as Callas in Larraín’s latest biopic, which is more than a standard biopic yet not a radical retake; expect acting and craft awards attention for its beautifully lit, costume-driven impersonation and performance. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/maria-venice-review/5196606.article) - **Sight and Sound** (60/100, inferred): The biopic is reverential in its portrayal of Callas but Jolie’s regal performance lacks the vibrant personality seen in documentary footage, though the craft, supporting cast and production design are praised. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/maria-pablo-larrains-grand-reverential-biopic-maria-callas) - **The New York Times**, Alissa Wilkinson (45/100, inferred): The film is a bit of a slog even for an opera lover; it shares a cinematic universe with the director’s prior work but fails to fully figure out its subject despite sumptuously staged performances. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/11/movies/maria-review-angelina-jolie.html) - **Vulture** (35/100, inferred): Jolie’s ambitious role does not feel like a comeback and comes across as bloodless and removed, with the film itself a snooze despite striking visuals and fantasy sequences. It singles out the beautiful cinematography of 1970s Paris and the use of Callas’s voice and opera excerpts for praise amid the overall detachment. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/maria-review-this-is-not-an-angelina-jolie-comeback.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Amy Nicholson (25/100, inferred): Larraín respects Callas’s imperious veneer too much, resulting in a chilly, one-note performance from Jolie that lacks the passion and fury of the real singer. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2024-11-27/maria-review-angelina-jolie-callas-pablo-larrain-netflix) - **RogerEbert.com**, Glenn Kenny (20/100, inferred): The critic found the film stiffly self-important with lazy, on-the-nose dialogue and nothing meaningful to impart about opera or Maria Callas. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/festivals/venice-film-festival-2024-separated-maria-kill-the-jockey-one-to-one-john-yoko) - **Empire**, John Nugent: The critic calls Jolie’s portrayal staggeringly good and perhaps her best, highlighting her commanding yet delicate presence, sharp dialogue delivery, and the parallels between the character and the actor’s own career. The film is praised as a muted, autumnal study of fame and performance, with Larraín wisely centering his lead. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/maria-2024/) - **Financial Times**, Raphael Abraham (★★★☆☆): Jolie captures Callas’s glamour, intellect and pathos but the film remains emotionally remote in its focus on her last days. It is a stately but conservative biopic that lacks joy and warmth. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/9949e7a0-91f5-4f9b-b49a-efce47654751) - **Radio Times**, James Mottram (★★★★☆): Jolie gives a sophisticated, nuanced turn that reminds us of what an accomplished actress she can be in this stirring biopic focused on the final week of Callas’s life. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/app/maria-review-a-reminder-of-what-an-accomplished-actor-angelina-jolie-can-be/) - **Slant Magazine**, Kyle Turner: Larraín flattens the icon into a kitschy, self-serious figure, relegating Jolie to a detached and mannered performance that fails to capture spontaneity or fury. The film is worth seeing mainly for the pleasure of hearing Callas’s voice at its heights, but the director’s approach makes it crack. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/maria-review-angelina-jolie-pablo-larrain/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: Larraín homes in on Callas’s final days with a stiffly dignified Angelina Jolie as the lioness in winter. The film is magnificent and declamatory, winning the critic over despite initial reservations about its self-regarding approach to the cult of the artist. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/article/2024/aug/29/maria-review-callas-angelina-jolie-pablo-larrain-paris) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: The film lacks the intimacy of Larraín's prior entries in his women trilogy, presenting Jolie’s Callas at a chilly, distancing remove despite technically precise acting. It praises the sumptuous visuals by Ed Lachman and the power of the opera music while noting the portrait feels glacial and more admiring of the staff than the lead. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/maria-review-angelina-jolie-maria-callas-pablo-larrain-1235986830/) - **The Times** (★★☆☆☆): The film is a wilfully limp biopic marred by dodgy lip-syncing, focusing on Callas’s final week in a drug haze with slow, half-slurred pronouncements. It lacks any emotionally operatic moments and feels wearily flat. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/maria-review-angelina-jolies-callas-is-a-pale-imitation-of-an-opera-star-3x6b7x29n) - **/Film**, Jeremy Mathai (8/10): The critic commends Pablo Larraín's wistful direction and especially Angelina Jolie's transcendent, humanizing performance as the opera singer in her final days, framing it as a fitting close to his trilogy of biopics about famous women. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/1675577/maria-review-angelina-jolie-netflix/) - **Eye for Film**, Andrew Robertson (75/100, inferred): The critic highlights the film's gorgeous visuals and sound along with Angelina Jolie's strong central performance that anchors the story, while noting some false notes and structural issues but overall finding it accessible and worthwhile. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/maria-2024-film-review-by-andrew-robertson) - **The Wrap**, Steve Pond (75/100, inferred): The review calls the film a restrained, dreamlike fantasia that is exquisitely beautiful and controlled, with Jolie ideal as a luminous wreck of a diva who embraces her own craziness. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/maria-review-angelina-jolie-maria-callas-movie/) - **The Playlist**, Rafa Sales Ross (C+): The critic argues the film does Maria Callas a disservice by focusing saccharinely on romantic heartbreak and Onassis rather than her talent or craft, with an expository script and stoic performance from Jolie that fails to fully immerse. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/maria-review-pablo-larrains-saccharine-biopic-starring-angelina-jolie-does-maria-callas-a-disservice-venice-20240829/) - **Film Stories**, Maria Lattila (60/100, inferred): The critic praises Angelina Jolie's magnificent, nuanced performance as Maria Callas but finds the biopic otherwise flawed, lacking insight and failing to commit to its narrative ideas around the singer's final days. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/maria-review-angelina-jolies-finest-hour/) - **NME**, Jordan Bassett (3/5): The critic finds the biopic tonally unsure of itself, both camp and too po-faced, and ultimately failing to match the legend of its subject despite gorgeous sets. It singles out Angelina Jolie's magnetic performance, including her extraordinary singing, for capturing Callas's fragility, self-mythology and stoicism. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/maria-review-angelina-jolie-opera-star-callas-biopic-pablo-larrain-3801944) - **Deadline**, Stephanie Bunbury (55/100, inferred): The review praises Larraín's masterful command of the medium and Jolie's committed performance as Callas, including her singing, but finds the overall portrait curiously bloodless and distant, lacking the rasping edge of the director's other work. [Read](https://deadline.com/2024/08/maria-review-angelina-jolie-maria-callas-biopic-1236072666/) - **Collider**, Martin Tsai (30/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a one-note exploration that repeats Larraín's familiar navel-gazing formula on another tragic public figure, with Jolie only coming alive during singing scenes. [Read](https://collider.com/maria-angelina-jolie-review/) - **Paste**, Luke Hicks (7.5): The critic finds Angelina Jolie transfixing as Maria Callas and praises the film's blend of surreality and historical context, but notes the screenplay follows Larraín's usual formula without much variation. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/angelina-jolie/maria-review-angelina-jolie-pablo-larrain-opera) ## Details - **Director:** Pablo Larraín - **Director:** Pablo Larraín - **Writer:** Steven Knight - **Cinematography:** Edward Lachman - **Editor:** Sofía Subercaseaux - **Production design:** Guy Hendrix Dyas - **Costume design:** Massimo Cantini Parrini - **Producer:** Lorenzo Mieli, Juan de Dios Larraín, Jonas Dornbach - **Cast:** Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas; Pierfrancesco Favino as Ferruccio; Alba Rohrwacher as Bruna; Haluk Bilginer as Aristotle Onassis; Kodi Smit-McPhee as Mandrax; Stephen Ashfield as Jeffrey Tate; Valeria Golino as Yakinthi Callas; Caspar Phillipson as John. F Kennedy - **Runtime:** 2h 03m - **First release (Italy):** 29 August 2024 - **Genres:** History, Drama, Music - **Also in:** [Golden Lion winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-lion.md) (Nominee, 2024) - **Box office:** $504,938 - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5x8DpKkkUno ## Where to watch in Iceland Not streaming, renting or buying in Iceland at the last check. Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, FI, FR, GB, HK, IE, IL, IN, IT, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PL, PT, SE, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Celebration of Cinema and Television 2024: Celebration of Cinema and Television (won) - Venice Film Festival 2024: Golden Lion (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Jackie* (2016), Fi1m 80: Larraín’s first widow in a big house, and the one with the anger in it. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/jackie.md) - *Callas Forever* (2002): Zeffirelli, who knew her, imagines her last comeback; Fanny Ardant is less careful than Jolie. - *Maria by Callas* (2018): The documentary, in her own words and voice, with none of the furniture. - *Sunset Boulevard* (1950), Fi1m 91: The great film about a star, a house and the staff who keep the story going. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/sunset-boulevard.md) - *Diva* (1981), Fi1m 80: A stolen recording of an opera singer sets Paris running; the voice matters here too. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/diva.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. 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