--- title: "Spencer: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/spencer/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/spencer" critics_score: 78 critics_reviews: 30 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." --- # Spencer (2021): what the critics said Critics' score 78 from 30 reviews: 25 positive, 5 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like Spencer, and they like it for the same reason. Of the thirty reviews, twenty-five are positive and none negative, and the praise lands almost without exception on Kristen Stewart, whose Diana is described as precise, fragile and transformative. Many also admire Pablo Larraín’s decision to treat the royal household as a setting for gothic horror rather than a conventional biopic. Claire Mathon’s cinematography and Jonny Greenwood’s score are named repeatedly as the film’s other strengths. The reservations cluster on the script. Several critics find the dialogue too on the nose and the ideas spelled out, and the Anne Boleyn metaphor and dream sequences are called heavy-handed. The New Yorker thinks the film unjust to the royals it invents accusations against, and Slant finds its handling of Diana’s mental health at times exploitative. The spread is narrow; the sharpest dissent comes from The AV Club, almost alone in finding Stewart’s performance a caricature of frazzled nerves. ## Evening Standard — Charlotte O'Sullivan Rating 5/5. 4 November 2021. O’Sullivan finds the film gripping and wrenching, praising its nuanced portrait that lets no one off the hook. She especially singles out Kristen Stewart’s subtle, uncannily precise performance as Diana. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/spencer-film-review-kristen-stewart-princess-diana-b959238.html) ## The Guardian — Xan Brooks Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2021. Festival review. Brooks finds the film magnificent, intoxicating and unreverential in its portrayal of royal life. He particularly praises Kristen Stewart’s compelling performance as Diana, trapped by the monarchy’s dress-up game. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2021/sep/03/spencer-review-princess-diana-kristen-stewart) ## Variety — Owen Gleiberman Rating Critics Pick. 3 September 2021. Festival review. Gleiberman calls the film magnificent and at least as good as *Jackie*, praising Kristen Stewart’s transformative performance as Diana. He singles out the moment Diana stands up to her sons’ hunting as especially moving. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2021/film/reviews/spencer-review-kristen-stewart-1235055104/) ## Vulture — Alison Willmore Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 17 September 2021. Festival review. Willmore finds the film a compelling, sympathetic portrait of Diana and her misery within royal life. She especially praises Kristen Stewart’s ability to capture Diana’s charisma while playing her suffering sincerely. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/article/spencer-kristen-stewarts-princess-diana-is-devastating.html) ## Little White Lies — David Jenkins Rating 3/4/2. 1 November 2021. Jenkins finds the film slow and inert, with a problematic, often witless script. He praises Kristen Stewart’s graceful performance and her expressive portrayal of Diana’s yearning for freedom. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/spencer) ## Radio Times — Helen Daly Rating 4/5. 5 November 2021. The review presents Spencer as a harrowing portrait of a marriage’s collapse and Diana’s troubled mind. It praises Kristen Stewart’s performance but says some aspects of the story need not have been shown. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/spencer-review-harrowing-princess-diana-comment/) ## Time Out — Sophie Monks Kaufman Rating 4/5. 2 September 2021. The review finds the film an elegant gothic fable, powered by Kristen Stewart’s performance. It singles out Stewart as especially compelling in the role of Princess Diana. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/spencer-2021) ## Los Angeles Times — Justin Chang Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2021. Chang finds the film an artful, emotionally extravagant portrait of Diana rather than a conventional biopic. He especially praises Kristen Stewart’s compassionate, transformative performance, while noting that the Anne Boleyn metaphor is too ponderous. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2021-11-04/spencer-review-kristen-stewart-princess-diana) ## RogerEbert.com — Nick Allen Rating 3/4. 4 November 2021. The review finds the film an unusual, sometimes frustrating portrait of Diana. It singles out Kristen Stewart’s performance for praise. [Read the review](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/spencer-movie-review-2021) ## Sight and Sound — BFI Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2021. Festival review. The critic finds the film compelling in parts, though some of its familiar royal-household mechanics do not work. Kristen Stewart’s fragile, intimate portrayal of Diana is singled out as the film’s crowning achievement. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/spencer-portrait-royal-verge-nervous-breakdown-diana-pablo-larrain-kristen-stewart) ## Slant Magazine — Mark Hanson Rating 3/4. 11 September 2021. Hanson finds the film’s claustrophobic, horror-inflected portrayal of Diana compelling but sometimes exploitative of her mental-health struggles. He singles out Kristen Stewart’s empathetic performance as the film’s saving strength. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/spencer-review-kristen-stewart-princess-diana/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — David Rooney Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2021. Festival review. Rooney finds the film a sorrowful, genuinely disturbing portrait that retells a familiar story in a fresh light. He especially praises Kristen Stewart’s magnetic, heartbreakingly fragile performance. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/kristen-stewart-in-princess-diana-biopic-spencer-1235005332/) ## IndieWire — Ben Croll Rating B-. 3 September 2021. Festival review. Croll finds the film an unnerving, formally ambitious portrait whose repetitive fatalism can wear thin. He praises Kristen Stewart’s performance and highlights a beautifully acted scene with Sally Hawkins for bringing warmth and a change of pace. [Read the review](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/spencer-review-kristen-stewart-princess-diana-1234661880/) ## Screen Daily — Jonathan Romney Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2021. Festival review. Romney’s visible standfirst is positive about Stewart’s performance, but the full review is unavailable. He singles out the magnetism Stewart brings to the role of Princess Diana. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/spencer-venice-review/5162991.article) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2021. Freer finds the film bold and compassionate, though its emotional distance keeps it from being as moving as it should be. He singles out Kristen Stewart’s remarkable, humanizing performance as its greatest strength. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/spencer/) ## The New Yorker — Anthony Lane Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2021. Lane finds the film gripping despite calling it unbalanced, unjust, and rife with invented accusations. He praises Pablo Larraín’s immersive focus on Diana’s anxious perspective and Kristen Stewart’s vivid performance. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2021/11/15/in-spencer-kristen-stewarts-princess-diana-is-forever-trying-out-roles) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). The article text is unavailable, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. No specific praise or criticism can be verified. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/04/movies/spencer-review.html) ## The AV Club — A.A. Dowd Rating C+. 4 November 2021. Dowd finds the film airless and unconvincing, arguing that Kristen Stewart’s performance reduces Diana to a caricature of frazzled nerves. He praises the film’s visual textures and Claire Mathon’s gauzy cinematography, while finding its dialogue and ideas overly spelled out. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/the-psychodramatic-spencer-miscasts-kristen-stewart-as-1847993544) ## /Film — Chris Evangelista Rating 9/10. 16 September 2021. Festival review. The review finds the film haunting and heartbreaking, yet warmed by fleeting moments of hope. It especially praises Kristen Stewart’s raw, compelling performance as Diana. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/606671/spencer-review-kristen-stewart-gives-a-raw-brilliant-performance-in-this-haunting-fable-tiff-2021/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2021. Festival review. The headline indicates a strongly positive verdict on the film. It singles out Kristen Stewart’s portrayal of Diana for praise. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/kristen-stewart-is-an-incandescent-diana-in-pablo-larrains-tremendous-spencer-venice-review-20210903/) ## Deadline — Pete Hammond Fi1m's normalised score 88/100 (inferred from the text). 3 September 2021. Festival review. Hammond praises the film as a bracing, moving portrait of Diana and calls Kristen Stewart’s performance stunning. He especially singles out Stewart’s ability to convey Diana’s essence beyond her familiar public image. [Read the review](https://deadline.com/2021/09/spencer-venice-film-festival-review-kristen-stewart-finds-the-private-diana-in-pablo-larrains-superb-royal-breakup-drama-1234825978/) ## Eye for Film — Andrew Robertson Fi1m's normalised score 88/100 (inferred from the text). 5 November 2021. The critic gives the film a strongly positive verdict, calling it good and predicting awards. Kristen Stewart’s performance is the standout, eclipsing the strong supporting cast. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/spencer-2021-film-review-by-andrew-robertson) ## Polygon — Robert Daniels Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2021. Festival review. The critic calls Spencer an inventive, iconoclastic portrait rather than a conventional biopic. They especially praise Kristen Stewart’s immersive, finely detailed performance as Diana. [Read the review](https://www.polygon.com/reviews/22675101/spencer-review-kristen-stewart/) ## Den of Geek — Rosie Fletcher Rating 4/5. 1 November 2021. The review finds the film a terrifying, oppressive portrait of Diana’s gilded-cage life, though its melodrama and fantasy depart from strict biography. It praises Kristen Stewart’s harrowing, finely judged performance and her convincing accent. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/spencer-kristen-stewart-diana-own-hollywood-ghosts/) ## NME — Alex Flood Rating ★★★★. 4 November 2021. The review praises the film as a fresh, psychologically focused portrait of Diana. It particularly singles out Kristen Stewart’s performance and Jonny Greenwood’s magnificent score. [Read the review](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/spencer-review-kristen-stewart-jonny-greenwood-3087305) ## The Skinny — Anahit Behrooz Rating ★★★★. 7 September 2021. Festival review. The review finds the film a feverish, deeply sad anti-royalist spectacle. It praises Larraín’s use of the royal residence as a disturbing horror setting that exposes how power traps Diana. [Read the review](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/new-releases/spencer-kirsten-stewart-pablo-larrain) ## Consequence — Mary Siroky Fi1m's normalised score 75/100 (inferred from the text). 7 October 2021. Festival review. Siroky finds the film a fascinating, tragic portrait that benefits from expert restraint, though some dream sequences feel heavy-handed. She particularly praises Kristen Stewart’s nuanced and authentic portrayal of Diana. [Read the review](https://consequence.net/2021/10/spencer-review-2021-movie/) ## Paste — Aurora Amidon Rating 7.2/10. 3 November 2021. The review finds the film visually beguiling but hollow, arguing that its style and portrayal of Diana flatten a nuanced story. It praises Claire Mathon’s cinematography, the costume design, and Jonny Greenwood’s score. [Read the review](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/pablo-larrain/spencer-review) ## HeyUGuys — Jo-Ann Titmarsh Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). Festival review. The critic finds the film entertaining and intelligent despite its lack of finesse and occasional obviousness. Stewart’s sympathetic, convincing portrayal of Diana is singled out as a particular strength. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/spencer-review/) ## The Wrap — Steve Pond Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 4 November 2021. Festival review. The critic finds the film an ambitious, often compelling drama that also veers into silliness. Kristen Stewart’s layered performance and the film’s striking score and cinematography stand out, while its on-the-nose dialogue draws criticism. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/spencer-film-review-kristen-stewart-princess-diana/) --- © 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/spencer.md