---
title: "Mary Queen of Scots: the reviews"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/mary-queen-of-scots/reviews"
title_page: "https://film.one/film/mary-queen-of-scots"
critics_score: 55
critics_reviews: 23
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."
---

# Mary Queen of Scots (2018): what the critics said

Critics' score 55 from 23 reviews: 6 positive, 11 mixed, 6 negative.

The consensus is mixed: most critics find more to admire in the performances than in the historical drama around them. Saoirse Ronan draws the most consistent praise for a commanding Mary, while many reviews also credit Margot Robbie with giving Elizabeth complexity and restraint. Several find the parallels between the queens emotionally compelling, particularly their struggles with male power. The costumes and visual presentation earn praise too, though handsome surroundings do not settle doubts about the storytelling.

Reservations cluster around blunt exposition, crowded court intrigue and uneven pacing, with secondary motives often left unclear. Robbie’s performance divides opinion more than Ronan’s, as does the strength of the connection between the leads. The spread is wide: The Wrap welcomes a refreshing account of women constrained by men, while Vulture finds the attempt to reshape Mary as a modern underdog awkward and short of compelling ideas.

## Little White Lies — David Jenkins

Rating 3/4/2. 17 January 2019. 

Jenkins finds the film lifeless and overly focused on exposition, leaving its central drama hollow. He praises Saoirse Ronan’s magnetic performance and convincing Scottish accent.

[Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/mary-queen-of-scots)

## Empire — Helen O'Hara

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 January 2019. 

O'Hara finds the film compelling overall, despite moments of historical implausibility and a weakly staged meeting. She praises Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie’s performances and their clash of personalities.

[Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/mary-queen-scots-review/)

## The Guardian — Benjamin Lee

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2018. 

Lee finds the drama darkly compelling and entertaining, though its historical liberties and uneven execution keep it from being fully successful. He praises Saoirse Ronan’s commanding performance while criticizing Margot Robbie’s unconvincing Elizabeth.

[Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/nov/16/mary-queen-of-scots-review-saoirse-ronan-josie-rourke)

## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy

Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 15 November 2018. Festival review. 

McCarthy finds the film a spirited, timely take on a familiar story, though its exposition can feel blunt. He praises Ronan’s fierce performance and the compelling bond between the two queens.

[Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/mary-queen-scots-review-1159819/)

## Screen Daily — Tim Grierson

Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2018. 

The review’s overall verdict is not available in the page text. It singles out Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie for strong performances.

[Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/mary-queen-of-scots-review/5134384.article)

## The AV Club — Jesse Hassenger

Rating C+. 4 December 2018. 

The review finds the film handsome and competent but ultimately lopsided and unsatisfying. It praises the compelling connection between Ronan and Robbie’s characters, especially their rare shared scene and the directness of the final shots.

[Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/like-a-costume-drama-heat-mary-queen-of-scots-keeps-sa-1830833759)

## Los Angeles Times — Kenneth Turan

Fi1m's normalised score 60/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2018. 

Turan finds the film’s promise only partly realized, despite its compelling central performances. He praises Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie’s commanding work, while faulting the pulpy, excessively theatrical direction.

[Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mary-queen-of-scots-review-20181205-story.html)

## Time Out — Joshua Rothkopf

Rating 3/5. 10 January 2019. 

The critic finds the period piece less exciting than it should be. The female rivalry offers an intriguing premise, but the film does not make the most of it.

[Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/mary-queen-of-scots-1)

## Total Film — Kate Stables

Rating 3/5. 19 November 2018. 

The review finds the biopic richly packed but over-ambitious, with its court intrigue sometimes obscuring the plot. It praises Saoirse Ronan’s commanding performance, especially in the rivals’ meeting.

[Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/mary-queen-of-scots-review/)

## Radio Times — Alan Jones

Fi1m's normalised score 55/100 (inferred from the text). 11 January 2019. 

The review finds the film an enjoyable enough journey but otherwise dull. It praises Saoirse Ronan’s performance as Mary over Margot Robbie’s Elizabeth.

[Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/mary-queen-of-scots-review-a-worthy-journey-through-the-usual-monarch-mayhem/)

## Slant Magazine — Derek Smith

Rating 2/4. 5 December 2018. 

Smith finds the film’s feminist framing compelling but says its palace intrigue becomes overly familiar and underdeveloped. He praises the emotionally resonant parallels between Mary and Elizabeth, while faulting the film for leaving secondary characters and their motives murky.

[Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/mary-queen-of-scots/)

## Evening Standard — Matthew Norman

Rating 2/5. 18 January 2019. 

Norman finds the film a tedious, poorly written historical drama that fails to make its central rivalry compelling. He praises Saoirse Ronan’s performance, while faulting the script for leaving her character indistinct.

[Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/mary-queen-of-scots-review-its-queen-vs-queen-but-the-audience-are-the-real-losers-here-a4042431.html)

## Variety — Peter Debruge

Fi1m's normalised score 35/100 (inferred from the text). 16 November 2018. 

Debruge finds the film overloaded and narratively incoherent, despite its strong cast and stylish direction. He praises Robbie’s convincing transformation as Elizabeth, while criticizing the dizzying plot for lacking connective tissue.

[Read the review](https://variety.com/2018/film/festivals/mary-queen-of-scots-review-1203029720/)

## The New Yorker

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 

The critic finds the film lavish but dramatically vague and ultimately bland. They fault it for lacking the psychological acuity and political reflection needed to develop its ideas.

[Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/goings-on-about-town/movies/mary-queen-of-scots)

## The New York Times — Manohla Dargis

Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2018. 

The review is negative about the film. It singles out the lack of chemistry between its two leads as a weakness.

[Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/06/movies/mary-queen-of-scots-review.html)

## Vulture — Emily Yoshida

Fi1m's normalised score 20/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2018. 

Yoshida finds the film painfully old-fashioned and ultimately without compelling ideas. She faults its awkward, ahistorical effort to recast Mary as a modern underdog, especially its fixation on fertility and virginity.

[Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/mary-queen-of-scots-review.html)

## The Wrap

Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 December 2018. 

The critic finds the film an intense, refreshing portrayal of two queens whose lives are shaped by male power. They praise Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie for making both rulers feel complex and compelling.

[Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/mary-queen-of-scots-film-review-saoirse-ronan-margot-robbie/)

## Collider — Perri Nemiroff

Rating B-. 16 November 2018. 

Nemiroff finds the film flawed by a slow, detached beginning but ultimately compelling. She praises Ronan and Robbie’s performances and the chilling convergence of their characters’ struggles for power.

[Read the review](https://collider.com/mary-queen-of-scots-review/)

## /Film — Hoai-Tran Bui

Rating 6.5/10. 7 December 2018. 

Bui finds the film stale and narratively aimless despite its progressive intentions. She praises Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie’s convincing, nuanced performances.

[Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/562831/mary-queen-of-scots-review-saoirse-ronan-and-margot-robbie-rule-in-a-progressive-but-stale-period-drama/)

## The Skinny — Caitlin Quinlan

Rating ★★★. 14 January 2019. 

The review finds the film valiant but hindered by structural and pacing problems. It praises Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie’s bold, sensitive performances, especially in the imagined meeting between the queens.

[Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/mary-queen-of-scots)

## Consequence — Allison Shoemaker

Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 6 December 2018. 

Shoemaker finds the film visually sumptuous and compelling in places, but ultimately frustrating because its screenplay rarely matches its performances and artistry. She particularly praises Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie’s performances and Alexandra Byrne’s richly meaningful costumes.

[Read the review](https://consequence.net/2018/12/film-review-mary-queen-of-scots/)

## Den of Geek — David Crow

Rating 2.5/5. 27 November 2018. 

The review finds the film handsome but unfocused, with its divided attention undermining Mary’s story. It praises the performances of Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie, especially their eventual scenes together.

[Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/mary-queen-of-scots-review-margot-robbie/)

## Eye for Film — Angus Wolfe Murray

Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 10 January 2019. 

The review finds Mary’s story unsatisfying and unresolved. It singles out Margot Robbie’s stern, composed portrayal of Elizabeth as a strength.

[Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/mary-queen-of-scots-2018-film-review-by-angus-wolfe-murray)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/mary-queen-of-scots.md