Downton Abbey has had an impressive run, first with the six-season TV show and now a movie trilogy, as the final installment, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, prepares to hit the 2025 movie calendar. The trailer promises plenty of emotion and surprising moments as fans bid farewell to the Crawley family and their staff. Critics have seen the latest offering, and they agree fans will be satisfied.
In the continuation of the historical drama, the Crawleys are grappling with the threat of social disgrace amid Mary and Henry’s divorce and the family’s financial woes. Hugh Scott says in CinemaBlend’s review of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale that creator Julian Fellowes has managed to convey a light and cheerful tone while not losing the realism of the tough circumstances, ultimately providing a satisfying conclusion for most of the characters. Scott rates the movie 4 out of 5 stars, writing:
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is what fans want and expect from the franchise. It’s predictably pleasant and has a wonderful ability to draw you in from the moment it starts. The movie isn’t going to challenge audiences, but that’s not the goal. There is enough tension to move things forward, but not so much that you ever feel uncomfortable. The settings are, as always, resplendent, giving movie-goers the eye candy we expect, and letting us in, once again, on lifestyles, both upstairs and downstairs, that most of us are completely unfamiliar with.
Jocelyn Noveck of the AP gives the movie 2.5 out of 4 stars, noting that it would be difficult for newcomers to grasp all of the characters and their stories, but fans will be satisfied with this conclusion. Noveck also says The Grand Finale is a tribute to the late Maggie Smith in more ways than one. The critic writes:
‘Sometimes I feel that the past is a more comfortable place than the future,’ someone says in a poignant moment. But this final movie will give loyal Downton fans what they want: a satisfying bit of closure and the sense that the future, though a bit scary, may look kindly on Downton Abbey as long as Mary is in charge. And as long as Smith’s Violet, imposing in a front-hall portrait, is looking down from above.
Matt Goldberg of The Wrap calls The Grand Finale a “perfectly pleasant” sendoff that, of the three movies, feels the most in line with the TV series. The final movie honors the idea that Downton Abbey is ultimately about a changing world and the people who must learn to change with it. Goldberg continues:
The movie works off the correct assumption that if you’ve stuck through six seasons of a TV series and two movies, you’re on board for a story in the ‘classic’ mold with a nice send-off, and that’s exactly what you get. It’s almost a redux of the series finale but with better production values and understanding that perhaps instead of fully dwelling in the past, it’s nice to imagine a comfortable future for the characters.
James Dyer of Empire rates it 3 stars out of 5, saying that the question of whether or not Downton Abbey can exist without Maggie Smith — who died in 2024 — is answered with a surprising yes. The finale does Cousin Violet proud, Dyer says, writing:
If you’ve come this far with the Crawley clan, then The Grand Finale is, in all likelihood, exactly what you came for. Cloying in places and unapologetically sentimental, it’s a cosy au revoir (yes, another one) to the cast of bumbling toffs and their dutiful attendants who we’ve come to love over the past 15 years.
Tomris Laffly of Variety says it’s a “heart-swelling conclusion,” as Julian Fellowes continues to proudly push these familiar characters out of their comfort zones while still wrapping the film in nostalgia. The critic continues:
With the elegant and sharply humorous final edition, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, he proves yet again that he knows exactly how to harness the elements that made the show so steadily captivating, beyond its gorgeous costumes and detailed production design: a commitment to consistent character work across the era’s social class lines, as well as a handsomely sober portrayal of the past with a steady gaze toward the future.
Critics largely agree that fans who have stuck with the Crawleys since 2010 — through the series, Christmas specials and two other movies — won’t be disappointed with this last chapter. To that point, the movie stands at 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with 98% on fans’ Popcornmeter.
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale hits theaters on Friday, September 12, and if you’d like to relive any of the family’s previous antics, both the TV show and first two movies can be streamed with a Peacock subscription.
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