--- title: "The Crown: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/the-crown/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/the-crown" critics_score: 73 critics_reviews: 6 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 Crown (2016): what the critics said Critics' score 73 from 6 reviews: 4 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics respond warmly to The Crown, with praise centred on Claire Foy’s restrained performance as Elizabeth and the strength of the supporting cast. The favourable reviews find emotional depth in the young queen’s transition to power, alongside careful historical detail and lavish production values. Foy is the clearest point of agreement, giving the stately drama a human focus even for critics who question its pace. The spread is wide, however, and the disagreements concern more than pacing. The Hollywood Reporter finds suspense in royal protocol, while Variety sees repetitive tangents and too little dramatic urgency. The i Paper likewise argues that familiar historical outcomes limit the tension. The Independent offers the sharpest dissent: where admirers see a complex portrait of Elizabeth, it finds her sidelined, with too little attention paid to her inner life or motivations. ## The Telegraph Rating 5/5. 2 November 2016. Netflix’s £100m gamble pays off as a compassionate, sophisticated drama that humanises the Windsors. The critic singles out Claire Foy’s careful, complex portrait of Elizabeth and the emotionally resonant set-pieces for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/on-demand/0/the-crown-review-netflixs-astonishing-100-million-gamble-pays-of/) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Daniel Fienberg Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 November 2016. The critic calls it gripping prestige drama that makes a compelling case for the exercise of power, highlighting emotional depth in Elizabeth’s ascension, suspense in protocol, and star-making work from Claire Foy and the ensemble. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/crown-review-2-941772/) ## Variety — Maureen Ryan Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 25 October 2016. The review finds the series stately and well-acted with a standout performance from Claire Foy that gives it focus, but criticizes its leisurely pace, repetitive tangents, and lack of suspense or high-stakes drama. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2016/tv/reviews/the-crown-netflix-claire-foy-peter-morgan-matt-smith-elizabeth-queen-1201900396/) ## The i Paper — Nick Mitchell Rating ★★★. 4 November 2016. The critic praises the lavish production values, historical detail, and strong performances especially from Claire Foy as the young Elizabeth, but notes the series lacks suspense because viewers already know the historical outcomes. [Read the review](https://inews.co.uk/culture/television/the-crown-review-netflix-epics-lack-of-intrigue-could-be-its-downfall-29399) ## The Independent Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 2016. The lavish series is sumptuous but empty and ultimately fails its queen by keeping her sidelined as little more than a polished dolly. The critic singles out the lack of engagement with Elizabeth’s inner life and motivations as the main complaint. [Read the review](https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-crown-netflix-matt-smith-claire-foy-queen-elizabeth-ii-peter-morgan-a7403201.html) ## The Guardian 4 November 2016. The series is a top-quality soap that refuses to bow before the royals and a crowning achievement for Netflix. The critic singles out Claire Foy’s ruthlessly unshowy performance as Elizabeth and the uniformly excellent cast for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/nov/04/the-crown-review-netflix-100m-gamble-on-the-queen-pays-off-royally) ## Collider — Allison Keene Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 27 October 2016. The review praises the series as a beautifully directed, engrossing portrait of young Queen Elizabeth II's early reign and transition to power. It highlights the strong casting across the board, including standout turns by Claire Foy, Matt Smith, Jared Harris, and especially John Lithgow as Winston Churchill, along with the narrative continuity provided by creator Peter Morgan. [Read the review](https://collider.com/new-tv-shows-fall-2016/) --- © 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/tv/the-crown.md