Overview
- The film opened in early June as a 1715-set period satire written and directed by Peter Glanz and starring Richard E. Grant and Claire Foy who play a fallen gentry couple trying to restore their standing.
- Critics across outlets praised the production design and cinematography, noting location shooting at Syon House, West Wycombe, Montacute and Hatfield and crediting DP Adriano Goldman for the film’s textured, decayed look.
- Reviewers singled out Grant and Foy for strong, committed turns that bring life and brittle charm to their roles despite the story’s nastier edges.
- The near-uniform criticism is that Glanz’s screenplay favors a deliberately squalid, bodily grotesque style and heavy-handed narration that many found coarse and less subtle than touchstones like Barry Lyndon or The Favourite.
- Critics suggest the film will divide audiences: its striking visual craft and performances give it appeal, but its abrasive tone and thin satirical payoff may limit wider acclaim or mainstream box-office traction.