Because time doesn’t stop for anybody. And, if we are to survive, we must adapt. Even The Granthams. The closing act of Downton Abbey has arrived and it is as magical and as impactful as you’d ever want or wish it to be.
Call it a masterstroke of genius. Call it whatever you want, actually, the fact is that Julian Fellowes and company have pulled off the impossible with the conclusion of Downton Abbey. The Grand Finale is so much fun; so much of a spectacle with some familiar faces that one can’t help but fall in love all over again with the series and . . .
. . . run right home and start all over again from the very beginning. It’s going to be hard to let go of these richly created characters. And that’s a fact. Perhaps someone can convince Fellowes to do it again someday.
Downton Abbey ran for six flawless seasons - with five Christmas specials - on PBS and, with The Grand Finale being the concluding chapter in the beloved series, now has three successful movies - including Downton Abbey (2019) and Downton Abbey: A New Era (2022) - to its name. But, look, Julian Fellowes, the TV show’s creator, knows what he is doing. Serving as the film’s screenwriter, he also has director Simon Curtis - who also directed A New Era - cinematographer Ben Smithard and costume designer Anna Robbin back in the fold and, damn, they pull the old money off with lots of new tricks.
But it is here, with the third and final film in the series, where the waterworks really begin. It’s 1930 and, after a spellbinding opening bit which sees the audience enjoying a Noel Coward (Arty Froushan) play alongside Lord and Lady Grantham (Hugh Bonneville) and (Elizabeth McGovern) in London. The camera pans over some familiar faces, too, and suddenly we are all caught up in the new drama as the estate’s money troubles persist.
Sure, it’s all large screen anxieties but we are more than willing to go along with it as this series has never failed to deliver humbling and comforting escapism at its finest. And - with Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) now shunned by society due to the finalizing of her divorce and Cora’s brother Harold (Paul Giamatti) in from America to hopefully deliver some good news about the inheritance of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham (Maggie Smith, who appears briefly in flashback) - everyone is on pins and needles. 
But it isn’t good news for the Grantham’s. Turns out, all that sourness is delivered by the addition of Harold’s financial advisor Guy Samson (Alessandro Nivola) who seems to be making eyes at Lady Mary when he isn’t ducking questions from Lady Grantham, who wants to know exactly what has happened to her mother’s money. The family survived WWI but will they survive this? And at what cost?
Oh, there’s a lot going on in and around Downton Abbey, but that’s best left for the movie to roll out. The thing is, if you are a fan of the series - or even if you are new to it - the film will leave you wanting more and more. Seriously.
With series regulars also returning: Lady Edith (Laura Carmichael), Mr. Carson (Jim Carter), Andy Parker (Michael Fox), Anna Bates (Joann Froggatt), Thomas Barrow (Robert James Collier), Guy Dexter (Dominic West), Tom Branson (Allen Leech), Mrs. Hughes (Phyllis Logan), Daisy Parker (Sophie McShera), Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle), Lady Merton (Penelope Wilton), Mr. Molesley (Kevin Doyle), Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol), and Lord Hexham (Harry Hadden-Paton) - Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale knows exactly what it needs to do and does so with aplomb. This is, as expected, simply the grandest of spectacles and the film - thanks to the cast and the love treated to all the storylines - never outstays its welcome.
With nary a dry eye in the audience, the conclusion to Downton Abbey provides all the feels you need as the summer wanes and fall sets in. The film is now playing in theatres.
MPAA Rating: PG.
Runtime: 123 mins
Director: Simon Curtis
Writer: Julian Fellowes
Cast: Michelle Dockery; Joanne Froggatt; Elizabeth McGovern
Genre: Drama
Tagline: The Grand Finale
Memorable Movie Quote: "Hell hath no fury like a snob scorned."
Distributor: Focus Features
Official Site: https://www.focusfeatures.com/downton-abbey-the-grand-finale
Release Date: September 12, 2025
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date:
Synopsis: When Mary finds herself in a public scandal and the family faces financial trouble, the household grapples with the threat of social disgrace. The Crawleys must embrace change with the next generation leading Downton Abbey into the future.
