Downton Abbey has become almost critic-proof. No matter what people think about the movies that have come out since the TV series ended, the fans will come out to support it. The third, and allegedly, last movie, The Grand Finale, is a perfect example of how safe it is. It is possibly the worst of the film series, not only in script but in direction, yet the audience is still there as they feel safe with these characters that have been around since 2010.

It’s the 1930s, and Downton is hit with a scandal, as Lady Mary is divorced, meaning that high society does not want anything to do with her. The fact that Downton is also under threat from financial difficulties implies that the estate and the good name of Crowley could be in peril unless something changes in the attitude of those on the outside of the house.

After splitting the cast in the previous movie, A New Era, sending half to Italy and the other half staying at Downton for a film crew to take over, creator and writer Julian Fellowes and director of the last film, Simon Curtis, have decided, for its final bow, to keep everyone in their rightful place. Fans will undoubtedly enjoy this, as it’s been crafted to capture the same magic of the TV series. Plenty of subplots bounce around the primary focus, that of Lady Mary and her marital scandal, and with enough breathing room for the leading players to have screen time.

The trouble is, this feels far too safe. You go in and you know exactly what to expect. You will get moments where the characters have to face some dreadful incident, or someone will cause an issue to upset the balance of the house, but fear not, as it will all resolve itself in a nice, neat tying up by the end. Fine for those who like predictability, but for those looking for something that may surprise, you won’t find it here.

What is so glaringly obvious this time is just how bad and static the direction is. Characters will enter a room, stand in one position to deliver their lines with the occasional close-up or two-shot, then leave. Once you have seen it happen, you start noticing it more and more. Perhaps the story’s blandness leads you to seek something with more excitement.

It also misses one essential element: Dame Maggie Smith. Her absence hangs over the whole project just as her portrait hangs in the centre of the house. Gone is the biting wit, the disgusted looks, the confusion over modern society. She was a lynchpin to making the show work, and without her, there is a huge void, which Fellowes has failed to fill. He tries by introducing a grumpy chairman to the local village fete, but it doesn’t have half the class and comedy as a Lady Grantham put-down.

The cast all return and slip into their creations like slipping into comfortable slippers. Michelle Dockery, last seen in the dire Flight Risk, is back to take control as Lady Mary, and the return of Paul Giamatti and Dominic West does add a touch of sparkle. Yet the rest of the cast go through the motions, not making a wrong step, which will leave the fans happy enough.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is like listening to a Greatest Hits album. It has everything familiar and doesn’t make people complain when anything is left out. Yet, it is about time to put this out to rest, and while this may be the final time we see these characters, it doesn’t go out with a bang, more of a gentle whimper.

2 out of 5

Director: Simon Curtis

Starring: Michelle Dockery, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern, Joanne Froggatt, Laura Carmichael, Paul Giamatti, Dominic West, Jim Carter, Phyllis Logan, Alessandro Nivola, Sophie McShera

Written by: (also creator) Julian Fellowes

Running Time: 123 mins

Cert: PG

Release date: 12th September 2025