---
title: "The Queen"
year: 2006
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-queen"
fi1m_id: "the-queen"
imdb_id: "tt0436697"
tmdb_id: 1165
wikidata_id: "Q223367"
fi1m_score: 84
critics_score: 83
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:30.257019+00:00"
region: "US"
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."
---

# The Queen (2006)

Directed by Stephen Frears · 1h 43m · MPA PG-13 · Drama, History

## Identity

The Queen

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-queen
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-queen
- **IMDb ID:** tt0436697
- **TMDB ID:** 1165
- **Wikidata ID:** Q223367
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0436697/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1165, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q223367

**Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 83 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Even a stiff upper lip needs a press officer

> Stephen Frears’s royal drama is funny, humane and worth seeing for Helen Mirren’s tightly controlled performance. Peter Morgan’s script sometimes makes the disagreement too tidy, but the struggle over duty and public feeling has real force.

## Synopsis

Following Diana’s death, the Queen (Helen Mirren) faces a public demand for a response that conflicts with her understanding of royal duty. Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) reads the national mood differently and tries to persuade the monarchy to change its approach. The disagreement plays out through private discussions, domestic tensions and the pressure of news coverage. James Cromwell plays Prince Philip, Alex Jennings plays Prince Charles and Helen McCrory plays Cherie Blair in Stephen Frears’s drama about the royal family and the government confronting a crisis of public feeling.

## Review

*The Queen* is a sharply acted, quietly moving account of the monarchy’s response to Diana’s death, with a script that occasionally makes a complicated disagreement look too easy to settle. Stephen Frears approaches the crisis through the practical problem of what the royal family should say and how it should behave. The Queen believes restraint is part of her duty. Tony Blair understands that the public wants visible sympathy, and Peter Morgan’s screenplay gives their disagreement the pace and humour of people trying to get a difficult job done.

Helen Mirren makes the Queen’s certainty convincing without making it comfortable. Her performance depends on small adjustments of expression and how firmly she keeps her feelings to herself. We felt an unexpected sympathy for her, because Mirren makes emotional restraint seem like a duty she cannot simply put aside. That does not excuse the royal response, and Frears is careful not to demand that it should. It lets us understand why a change of manner might feel to this woman like abandoning a responsibility.

Michael Sheen’s Blair brings a brisk, persuasive energy to their disagreement, and the pairing gives the film much of its pleasure. He catches a politician’s appetite for the right response, including the satisfaction of recognising it before anybody else does. Morgan gives Blair such a secure grasp of the public mood that the contest can feel weighted in his favour. Sheen keeps him engaging, but we wanted the screenplay to question his confidence as closely as it examines the Queen’s.

Affonso Beato’s composed photography suits the royal reluctance to make a spectacle of private feeling. Alan MacDonald’s production design makes the domestic differences between the two households useful to the comedy: these people disagree about how ordinary life should be conducted before they even reach public policy. Frears gets humour from those arrangements without treating every royal habit as a joke. The surroundings help the actors establish behaviour, rather than merely reassure us that the period has been reproduced.

Lucia Zucchetti’s editing cuts between news footage and dramatised discussions, keeping the public’s demands close to the private attempts to answer them. The shifts maintain pressure without making the acted scenes feel like illustrations for a news report. Alexandre Desplat’s score is most welcome when it supports the dry comedy of these negotiations. It is less necessary when the film asks for sympathy, because Mirren has already done the work.

The limitation is Morgan’s fondness for giving the disagreement a neat shape. A well-placed joke can finish an exchange before either side has had to think much harder, and the surrounding characters sometimes seem present to supply a predictable attitude. For a historical drama about a national institution, the film asks surprisingly little about the basis of its authority. Frears has chosen to concentrate on conduct during a crisis, and that narrower subject suits the performances.

At 103 minutes, it gives the central performances room without insisting that every supporting figure needs a separate story. There is pleasure in a film that trusts us to follow a disagreement conducted through manners, hesitation and the careful management of a public face. Watch it with someone whose view of the monarchy differs from yours; there should still be something to discuss when Mirren has finished.

*Fi1m score 84, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to The Queen, with praise centred on Helen Mirren’s restrained performance and its ability to make the monarch recognisably human without softening her reserve. The reviews repeatedly value the humour and compassion in the clash between royal protocol and Tony Blair’s reading of public feeling after Diana’s death. Stephen Frears’s direction and use of news footage also draw approval. Michael Sheen’s Blair receives particular attention in Sight and Sound, which sees the film as a carefully balanced two-hander.

The disagreement concerns how much the film reveals beneath its precise impersonations and amusing exchanges. Slant Magazine supplies the clearest dissent, finding the storytelling pedestrian and emotionally unpersuasive, with jokes taking the place of insight, though it too admires Mirren. The spread is otherwise strongly positive: most critics find the combination of political observation, domestic humour and restrained feeling both thoughtful and moving.

## Straight answers

**Is The Queen worth watching?**

*The Queen* is worth watching for anyone who enjoys a drama conducted through manners and argument rather than events, and we scored it 84. Helen Mirren’s tightly controlled performance and Michael Sheen’s brisk Tony Blair make the disagreement over Diana’s death both funny and moving. Peter Morgan’s script sometimes settles that disagreement too neatly, and it asks little about the monarchy’s authority.

**How long is The Queen, and what is it rated?**

*The Queen* runs 1h 43m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and history film.

**Where can I watch The Queen in the US?**

*The Queen* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $5.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is The Queen, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Queen* is a 12A drama with no violence and nothing frightening in it; its subject is how a family and a government should behave after Diana’s death. Children are unlikely to be upset, but they are also unlikely to be interested, since the film is 103 minutes of private discussion, news footage and disagreement about public duty. Teenagers with some knowledge of the period will get more from it.

**How does The Queen compare to The Remains of the Day?**

*The Queen* is the drier and funnier of the two, while [*The Remains of the Day*](https://film.one/film/the-remains-of-the-day) is the more painful. Both are built on a performance of restraint, but Mirren’s Queen treats her reserve as a duty she cannot set down, whereas Anthony Hopkins’s butler uses his as an excuse not to feel. Choose Frears’s film for comedy and argument, Ivory’s for a quiet romance that hurts.

**What should I watch after The Queen?**

After *The Queen*, try [*The Remains of the Day*](https://film.one/film/the-remains-of-the-day) (1993, Fi1m 88): For another restrained performance about duty becoming an excuse not to feel. Then [*The Leopard*](https://film.one/film/the-leopard) (1963, Fi1m 88): An old order senses that survival will require some uncomfortable adjustments; and [*No*](https://film.one/film/no-country-for-old-men) (2012, Fi1m 91): Public feeling becomes political strategy, with humour and an eye for presentation.

### Reviews we read (18)

- **Radio Times**, Alan Jones (5/5): New Labour modernism is pitted against royal protocol in this poignantly amusing mix of fact and fiction. It benefits from Frears's clever use of newsreel footage, flawless re-creation, and exemplary acting, especially Mirren's brilliant Oscar-winning turn. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-xglq2e/the-queen/)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film excellent, fascinating, funny, wicked and to the point. They single out Helen Mirren’s remarkable performance turning the Queen into a human being and a standout scene with the monarch and a stag. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/queen-review/)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (90/100, inferred): The film is a spellbinding story of opposed passions between the Queen's icy resolve to keep the royal family aloof and Blair's reading of the public mood demanding sympathy for Diana. Mirren delivers a masterful performance built on suggestion, implication and understatement. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-queen-2006)
- **The AV Club**, Keith Phipps (A-): The review commends Mirren's nuanced performance and the film's exploration of changing times and the monarchy's adaptation, blending wit and compassion into a moving state-of-the-nation report. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-queen-1798202102)
- **Film Comment**, Graham Fuller (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film Stephen Frears’s most subtle yet also a potential political flashpoint in Britain. Mirren’s restrained, dry portrayal of the Queen is singled out for particular praise alongside the classical direction and integration of news footage. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/royal-pains-the-queen/)
- **Sight and Sound**, Philip Kemp (80/100, inferred): The film shows the royal facade crumbling as the public mood turns against the monarchy after Diana's death, with Tony Blair relishing his finest hour. It is a shrewdly balanced two-hander between Michael Sheen's uncannily exact impersonation of Tony Blair and Helen Mirren's note-perfect performance as the Queen. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/feature/49321)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Kirk Honeycutt (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as a serious docudrama that delves into the clash of values between tradition and modernity following Diana's death, highlighting Mirren's superb performance in showing the Queen's human side. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/queen-helen-mirren-review-movie-1235260154/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (55/100, inferred): The critic finds the film pedestrian and narratively unaffecting despite Mirren's regal performance, criticizing the script's jokiness and lack of revelation while noting its focus on media and monarchy tensions. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-queen/)
- **Financial Times**, Nigel Andrews: The critic describes the film as scintillatingly funny and sometimes touching, with Helen Mirren’s performance as possibly the best blend of impersonation and acting in movie history. It praises the brilliant crafting and acting by the Frears-Morgan team while noting the royals do enough damage to themselves. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/a05217fe-4345-11db-9574-0000779e2340)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan: Mirren's commanding performance turns the film into a crackling dramatic story that is intelligent, thoughtful and moving. Frears and Morgan capture a poignant moment in British history with insight and professionalism. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-oct-06-et-queen6-story.html)
- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic finds Stephen Frears’ film hugely enjoyable and praises Helen Mirren’s eerie, cracking impersonation of the Queen as the standout element. It notes the film’s sharp reminder of how little has changed since the events of 1997. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2006/sep/15/helenmirren.drama)
- **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane: The film dramatizes the clash of wills between the Queen and Tony Blair after Diana's death. Mirren exposes the twin sides of her appeal as the forbidding yet winning monarch, making viewers argue about the monarchy. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2006/10/09/battle-royal)
- **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis: The Queen is a sublimely nimble evisceration of the cult of celebrity surrounding the British royal family. Mirren delivers a performance remarkable in its art and lack of sentimentalism as the queen. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2006/09/29/movies/29quee.html)
- **The Times**, James Christopher: The critic calls the film a compelling and controversial account of the royal family’s failure to react to Diana’s death, hailing Helen Mirren’s sensational portrayal of the Queen. It highlights the portrait of power as sharp and addictive while noting the film avoids parody. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/the-queen-sllkdcdqnb7)
- **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun: The film is a deliciously witty play about the struggle for modernity between New Labour and the monarchy, with cheeky backroom wranglings and cultural contrasts. It benefits from delicious performances, led by Helen Mirren, and great humour drawn from the domestic arrangements. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-queen)
- **Variety**, Derek Elley: Tradition and informality collide in this deliciously written and expertly played dramatization of the week after Diana's death. Mirren gives a socko performance as the queen in a witty and finally moving recreation. [Read](https://variety.com/2006/film/awards/the-queen-2-1200513795/)
- **Eye for Film**, Ben Sillis (80/100, inferred): The film admirably handles a difficult subject with taste and insight, bringing the Queen to life as a human figure. It singles out Helen Mirren's reserved and intense performance for particular praise. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-queen-film-review-by-ben-sillis)
- **Paste**, Robert Davis (80/100, inferred): The critic finds the film taut, energetic, and frequently funny, praising its portrayal of Tony Blair as a hero of image projection and Helen Mirren's layered performance that humanizes the Queen. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/stephen-frears/princess-di-aries)

## Details

- **Director:** Stephen Frears
- **Director:** Stephen Frears
- **Writer:** Peter Morgan
- **Cinematography:** Affonso Beato
- **Editor:** Lucia Zucchetti
- **Music:** Alexandre Desplat
- **Production design:** Alan MacDonald
- **Costume design:** Consolata Boyle
- **Producer:** Christine Langan, Tracey Seaward, Andy Harries
- **Cast:** Helen Mirren as The Queen; Michael Sheen as Tony Blair; James Cromwell as Prince Philip; Helen McCrory as Cherie Blair; Alex Jennings as Prince Charles; Roger Allam as Robin Janvrin; Sylvia Syms as Queen Mother; Paul Barrett as Trevor Rees-Jones
- **Runtime:** 1h 43m
- **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13
- **Release (the US):** 30 September 2006
- **Genres:** Drama, History
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Nominee, 2006); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Winner, 2006); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Nominee, 2006); [Golden Lion winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-lion.md) (Nominee, 2006)
- **Budget:** $15 million
- **Box office:** $123 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIvESE9A_gc

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: rent $5.99, hd
- Apple TV: rent $5.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AT, AU, BE, CA, CH, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, IE, IT, JP, NO, NZ, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Polish Academy Award for Best European Film 2008: Polish Academy Award for Best European Film (nominated)
- Academy Awards 2007: Best Director (nominated); Best Original Score (nominated); Best Picture (nominated); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (nominated); Best Actress (won)
- BAFTA Film Awards 2007: Best Actor in a Supporting Role (nominated); Best British Film (nominated); Best Direction (nominated); Best Editing (nominated); Best Makeup and Hair (nominated); Best Original Music (nominated); Best Original Screenplay (nominated); Best Actress in a Leading Role (won); Best Film (won)
- Bodil Award for Best Non-American Film 2007: Bodil Award for Best Non-American Film (won)
- César Award for Best Foreign Film 2007: César Award for Best Foreign Film (nominated)
- David di Donatello for Best European Film 2007: David di Donatello for Best European Film (nominated)
- European Film Academy Prix d'Excellence 2007: European Film Academy Prix d'Excellence (nominated)
- European Film Award for Best Actress 2007: European Film Award for Best Actress (won)
- European Film Award for Best Composer 2007: European Film Award for Best Composer (won)
- European Film Award for Best Director 2007: European Film Award for Best Director (nominated)
- European Film Award for Best Film 2007: European Film Award for Best Film (nominated)
- European Film Award for Best Screenwriter 2007: European Film Award for Best Screenwriter (nominated)
- European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film 2007: European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film (nominated)
- Goya Award for Best European Film 2007: Goya Award for Best European Film (won)
- London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year 2007: London Film Critics Circle Award for Actress of the Year (nominated)
- London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the Year 2007: London Film Critics Circle Award for British Actress of the Year (won)
- London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year 2007: London Film Critics Circle Award for Film of the Year (nominated)
- Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture 2007: Producers Guild of America Award for Best Theatrical Motion Picture (nominated)
- SAG Awards 2007: Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role (won)
- Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay 2007: Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay (nominated)
- Academy Awards 2006: Best Costume Design (nominated)
- Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress 2006: Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress (won)
- Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film 2006: Boston Society of Film Critics Award for Best Film (nominated)
- British Independent Film Awards 2006: Best British Independent Film (nominated); Best Performance by an Actress in a British Independent Film (nominated)
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress 2006: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress (won)
- Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Film 2006: Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Film (nominated)
- Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress 2006: Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress (won)
- Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress 2006: Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress (won)
- Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Director 2006: Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Director (nominated)
- Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Score 2006: Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Score (nominated)
- Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay 2006: Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Original Screenplay (won)
- Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor 2006: Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor (nominated)
- Critics' Choice Awards 2006: Best Director (nominated); Best Original and Adapted Screenplay (nominated)
- Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress 2006: Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress (won)
- Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film 2006: Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directing – Feature Film (nominated)
- Empire Award for Best Actress 2006: Empire Award for Best Actress (nominated)
- Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress 2006: Florida Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress (won)
- Golden Globes 2006: Best Director (nominated); Best Motion Picture – Drama (nominated); Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama (won); Best Screenplay (won)
- Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress 2006: Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress (won)
- Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor 2006: Kansas City Film Critics Circle Award for Best Supporting Actor (won)
- Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress 2006: Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress (won)
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress 2006: Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress (won)
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music 2006: Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Music (won)
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay 2006: Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Screenplay (won)
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor 2006: Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor (won)
- National Board of Review Award for Best Actress 2006: National Board of Review Award for Best Actress (won)
- National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress 2006: National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress (won)
- National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay 2006: National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Screenplay (won)
- New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress 2006: New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress (won)
- New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay 2006: New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Screenplay (won)
- Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress 2006: Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress (won)
- Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay 2006: Online Film Critics Society Award for Best Original Screenplay (won)
- Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress 2006: Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress (won)
- San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress 2006: San Diego Film Critics Society Award for Best Actress (won)
- Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture 2006: Satellite Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture (won)
- Satellite Award for Best Director 2006: Satellite Award for Best Director (nominated)
- Satellite Award for Best Film 2006: Satellite Award for Best Film (nominated)
- Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay 2006: Satellite Award for Best Original Screenplay (won)
- Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress 2006: Southeastern Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress (won)
- Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress 2006: Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress (won)
- Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Director 2006: Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Director (won)
- Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Film 2006: Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Film (won)
- Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor 2006: Toronto Film Critics Association Award for Best Supporting Actor (won)
- Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress 2006: Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress (won)
- Venice Film Festival 2006: Golden Lion (nominated)
- Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress 2006: Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress (won)
- Dilys Award 2005: Dilys Award (nominated)
- San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress 2005: San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress (won)

## If you liked this

- *The Remains of the Day* (1993), Fi1m 88: For another restrained performance about duty becoming an excuse not to feel. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-remains-of-the-day.md)
- *The Leopard* (1963), Fi1m 88: An old order senses that survival will require some uncomfortable adjustments. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-leopard.md)
- *No* (2012), Fi1m 91: Public feeling becomes political strategy, with humour and an eye for presentation. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/no-country-for-old-men.md)
- *Good Night, and Good Luck* (2005), Fi1m 83: Another concise historical drama alert to the pressures of public responsibility. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/good-night-and-good-luck.md)
- *A Royal Affair* (2012), Fi1m 70: For a harsher contest between court protocol, private loyalties and political reform. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-royal-affair.md)

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