After six seasons and two movies prior to the current film, Downton Abbey is saying goodbye with Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale. Although it's bittersweet to realize this is the final movie, creator Julian Fellowes has managed to fit in all your favorite characters, including the servants and the family upstairs.Even Thomas Barrow (Robert James-Collier) is back, as his new pal/employer, Hollywood film actor Guy Dexter (Dominic West) is playing a role in a theatrical production of Bitter Sweet by Noel Coward in London's West End. In the audience are Lord (Hugh Bonneville) and Lady Grantham a.k.a. Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) and their daughters, Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Edith (Laura Carmichael), while in the upper balcony are Miss Baxter (Raquel Cassidy), Anna (Joanne Froggat) and Mr. Bates (Brendan Coyle).
It seems the family is enjoying the London season while awaiting the arrival of Cora's brother Harold (Paul Giamatti), following the death of his and Cora's mother. However, Harold has bad news -- he's lost the money their mother left them but is hoping to get it back with the help of his new friend, Gus Sambrook (Alessandro Nivola), who has been giving him financial advice.
This news does not sit well with the family at Downton Abbey, as they needed the money for upgrades to the estate and now will have to figure out how to cut costs to keep the great home running.
Tom Branson (Allen Leech) returns with Sybbie, now a teenager, to help get things in order. He's sold the auto shop business he ran with Mary's second husband, Henry Talbot. As it turns out, Talbot has never given up being a playboy and has returned to racing cars, so he and Mary have divorced, which in 1930s London is a major scandal.
Despite the dramatic plot, there are plenty of laughs as the audience experiences the drastic differences between modern times and the 1930s. In fact, it's quite noticeable that whereas in North America, people often hug, in 1930s Britain, hugs are uncommon, although a quick kiss on the cheek is allowed. When Cora (who is American) hugs the cook, Mrs. Patmore (Lesley Nicol) at one point, it's so unexpected that several characters laugh with surprise. Isobel Crawley (Penelope Wilton) is also still quick with the quips, even if she doesn't have her beloved friend Violet (the Dowager Countess) to compete with for the funniest lines.
Noel Coward (Arty Frousand) makes an appearance at Downton Abbey, where his cheerful and cheeky demeanor is more than welcome as he gets ideas from the family for future productions.
And those who have gone before are not forgotten -- they're remembered by Mary, who pictures herself dancing with Matthew (Dan Stevens), envisions one of Granny's (Maggie Smith) last times at Downton, and recalls the smiling face of her sweet younger sister, Sybil (Jessica Brown Finlay).
Julian Fellows and director Simon Curtis have done a wonderful job wrapping up each storyline -- making sure all of the beloved characters make an appearance. Longtime Downton Abbey fans will leave the theater with a tear in their eyes, but a smile on their faces. ~Alexandra Heilbron
5 out of 5 stars
Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale opens on Friday, September 13, 2025. If you have seen it yourself and would like to rate/review it, click here.