Movie
The Favourite
2018 • R
England, early 18th century. The close relationship between Queen Anne and Sarah Churchill is threatened by the arrival of Sarah's cousin, Abigail Hill, resulting in a bitter rivalry between the two cousins to be the Queen's favourite.
Content advisory
LGBTQ+ Characters/Relationships
Unrated — Yes. The film prominently depicts same-sex relationships between women, including Queen Anne's romantic and sexual relationships with Sarah Churchill and Abigail Hill. These are central to the plot rather than background details. _Feels like: LGBTQ+ representation is significant and story-defining, not incidental._
Language
heavy — Strong profanity is frequent throughout the film, including repeated use of the f-word and other crude insults. The dialogue is sharp, cutting, and often sexually vulgar or demeaning. _Feels like: The language easily supports the R rating and is one of the strongest content factors in the film._
Mature Themes
heavy — The movie is built around adult themes including emotional abuse, manipulation, class cruelty, sexual coercion, chronic illness, grief, and political corruption. It also deals with loneliness, mental instability, and the damage caused by power struggles and exploitation. _Feels like: Even without nonstop graphic content, the mature themes make this very much an adult film._
Scary/Intense Content
moderate — There are no horror elements, but the film can be deeply unsettling because of psychological manipulation, cruelty, and humiliation. Illness, bodily suffering, and the queen's instability create a bleak, tense atmosphere. _Feels like: It is not scary in a traditional sense, but older teens and adults may find it emotionally disturbing._
Sexual Content & Nudity
heavy — The film contains explicit sexual material, including same-sex sexual relationships and manipulative sexual behavior. There is nudity, groping, and scenes of sexual activity, presented in a frank adult manner rather than romantically. _Feels like: For many parents, the sexual content is one of the clearest reasons this feels firmly R-rated._
Substance Use
moderate — Alcohol use is frequent in the aristocratic setting, with drinking at meals, parties, and in private. A character also uses herbal preparations and poison is a plot element, though substance abuse is not the main focus. _Feels like: This is typical adult-period-drama drinking rather than a substance-driven film, but it is constant and noticeable._
Violence & Gore
moderate — Violence is infrequent but includes some painful and unsettling moments. Characters are physically harmed in non-combat situations, and there are references to war and illness, but the movie is more emotionally cruel than action-violent. _Feels like: This is less violent than many R-rated films, but a few injuries and the harsh tone keep it above PG-13 comfort for some parents._