The mixed reviews for 'The Favorite' don't surprise me at all. On one hand, it's a gorgeously shot period piece with razor-sharp wit and three powerhouse performances from Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz. The way Yorgos Lanthimos twists historical drama into something so darkly hilarious and uncomfortable is brilliant—it's like 'Barry Lyndon' if Kubrick had a sadistic sense of humor. But I totally get why it divides people. The pacing is deliberately jarring, the humor is bone-dry and absurdist, and the ending leaves things ambiguous in a way that frustrates viewers craving closure. Some friends of mine adored its unpredictability, while others called it 'pretentious' for leaning so hard into weirdness.
What really fascinates me is how the film's style clashes with traditional costume drama expectations. The fisheye lenses, the anachronistic dialogue, the way power dynamics flip on a dime—it's deliberately alienating. And that's before you get to the rabbit symbolism, which some see as profound and others find laughably overdone. Personally, I think the divisiveness is its strength; it's a film that demands strong reactions rather than passive viewing. The way it portrays female ambition as both monstrous and empowering still lingers in my mind years later.
I think 'The Favorite' splits audiences because it refuses to play nice. It's not a comforting historical drama—it's vicious, chaotic, and unapologetically bizarre. Some viewers bounce off the aggressive stylization (those Dutch angles! the sudden modern dance breaks!), while others, like me, relish how it weaponizes discomfort. The script's mean-spirited humor won't land for everyone, but when it clicks, it's electrifying. Stone and Weisz trading insults like poisoned daggers is peak cinema, even if the overall experience feels like being trapped in a beautifully decorated vipers' nest.
2026-03-17 19:43:24
9
View All Answers
Scan code to download App
Related Books
Fated but Hated
Beth Jackson
9.7
16.1K
Growing up side by side, as children of the pack Beta and Gamma, Lachlan and Seren should be the perfect pairing made by fate. But, after Lachlan’s father, the Beta of Black Crescent Pack died to save Seren’s life his son, Lachlan now holds nothing but resentment and hate for the beautiful young she-wolf.
Coming of age is a date Lachlan has been waiting for. The date he will begin preparing to inherit his father’s title should be a special day for him, but instead is ruined by meeting his fated…
The one person in the world he would not want to be fated to. The one person he hates most in the world. Seren. Surely fate would not be so cruel to fate him to the one he hates?
But in a pack where tradition means rejection is frowned upon, Lachlan finds himself in a difficult situation. But, he has no intention of being with the person who causes him to live without his father.
Can the two live in peace together with the matebond simmering?
She smirks, before asking "do you like that, my little mate?”. I’m too far gone to even care about the “little” part. “Yes..” I manage to breathe out, before she licks me again. “Say please, my little mate” she taunts, her eyes still glued to mine and her hand still pleasuring me. “Please Lola” I breathe out. And just like that, she wraps her mouth around the tip, before taking in my c*ck until it hits the back of her throat. “I… I’m cumming” I croak out, when I feel I’m about to topple over. She pulls her mouth off, and immediately places my c*ck between her perfect . I move up and down slowly, as my starts to cover her . ****** Lola is an omega within the Red Dagger pack. She was found as a baby in the woods. With her curvy body, blonde hair and green eyes she is the total opposite of all the other wolves. And as a result, is treated like an outcast. Lola long awaits the day she turns 18, gets her wolf and is able to leave Red Dagger. All she has to do is withstand one more schoolyear, despite the constant struggles to reign in her anger. But what happens when the bucket runs over and her restraint finally snaps? As the story unfolds, she will come across those who desire her and her fated mates, the Lycan princes. Lola has never wanted a mate and after all betrayals is reluctant to trust anyone anymore, but will she let any of them in eventually? And what happens when her wolf is revealed to have special powers? Will she find her happy ever after with a mate, her fated mates, or will the darkness swallow her whole?
During a family dinner, I, Ingrid Sutherland, bring up divorce.
My husband, Samuel Ziegler, lets out a cold laugh in exasperation. "Are you mad just because I peeled a banana for Whitney two days ago? I can't believe you're still throwing a tantrum over that now! She's my sister-in-law. What's wrong if I show her a little bit more care?"
He did the same thing in my past life. Ever since his older brother, Charles Ziegler, got seriously hurt, Samuel always put me last and prioritized taking care of the supposedly weaker Whitney Lovette.
Whenever I voiced my dissatisfaction, he would criticize me while standing on an irrefutable moral high ground.
He would say, "Why can't you be more understanding and cut Whitney some slack?"
When it was Whitney's birthday, she proposed going on a skiing trip. But then, an avalanche hit us. Samuel protected her the whole time and led her down the mountain. However, he left me to die in the avalanche.
It was then I realized that Whitney was not just his sister-in-law, but also the one he loved.
When I remain silent, Samuel chuckles derisively. "You'd better not regret it."
It's like he's sure I'm just throwing a tantrum. In one fluid movement, he glides a pen across the bottom of the page, confident and composed.
But this time, I'm really giving up on him for good.
She promised to loathe him. He never meant to hold her. The heart was never addressed in their contract.
Elena Vega has to marry the guy who broke her family's inheritance in order to save it. Julian Thorne is a millionaire who is cold and calculating. His proposition is straightforward but cruel: one year of perfect, public marriage in exchange for her family's safety. There are no feelings and no true closeness; it's all a show for the cameras.
She enters his world of chilly luxury, holding on to her wrath as her only protection. But the line between their fake love and real, dizzying tension starts to blur. A lingering touch, a kiss stolen in the dark, and whispered secrets in the dark—none of these things were in the tiny print.
The most dangerous thing for them right now isn't that their lie will be found out; it's the horrible, unmistakable truth: they are falling for the one person they were told to stay away from. A marriage based on hate. A love built on secrets.
David meet Daniele while graduating from the seminary. He had long secretly admired Danielle, his favourite. Many women tried to entice David and made up amazing stories to keep his attention.
Not because everyone likes her, but rather because she is funny, straightforward, gorgeous, and intelligent. Daniele has become everyone's favorite. Daniele has always fared extraordinarily well on tests and in class evaluations. She receives bullying from both her male and female young peers as a result of her decision to forgo makeup in favor of a comedic appearance.
Daniele trained as a psychiatrist and a nun. Her superiors support her, and her friends envy her. She has been the target of plotting because she maintains her purity for the Lord while remaining untouched by human behavior and viewpoints.
As a born-again Christian believer, Daniele found unforeseen challenges that led her to meet David. However, she has not yet tasted genuine love. She evolved into an emancipated lady and a modernized nun, which affected her siblings.
David appeals to Daniele and she falls in love with him for these reasons. Many women claim for David but he usually denied. Daniele learns how to love David with all of her heart.
David admitted that Daniele was his fate. Unexpectedly, the marriage minister offers them the quick union he had suggested. It matches David because he already has financial issues and his mother has been diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor. As they are ready to go back home, they both decided to have children. They go on a secret trip deciding to have children abroad.
Daniele suffered when all of her children disappeared, and David had to be following the laws. She resumes her profession as well as becomes a church worker until her children return safe and sound.
When I was 18 years old, I stepped between Eric Ludlow and a silver arrow loosed by another contender so I could help him win the Alpha Trials.
The silver sank deep into my wolf. Ever since then, I've lived as a broken werewolf without a mind-link and unable to conceive.
Drowning in guilt, Eric decided to mark me. He pulled me close and vowed, "I'll love you for the rest of my life, Evelyn. I'll never see you as less."
I really did believe him back then.
At 25, he wins the pack war again and emerges as the strongest Alpha. But he turns our mate bond into a joke.
At the celebration dinner, during a thoughtless game of Truth or Dare with his secretary, Mia Sadler, he speaks across the mind-link to everyone.
"Evelyn, you're painfully dull. You're not the least bit appealing, your scent is thin, and you can't even bear a pup. You're just dead weight. I wish you'd never been saved back then. I wish you'd died."
I clutch the medical report that says my wolf is about to be gone for good, staying silent.
He assumes I can't hear anything since I don't have a mind-link.
I beg the pack healer for a brutal, life-draining potion, just to know what a mate bond with him feels like.
It's fine. I'll be dead soon, just the way Eric wants.
I've tracked down a surprisingly wide range of critical takes on 'The Favorites' and I love how different outlets approach it. For big-picture critiques, I start with the usual critics: sites like The New York Times, The Guardian, Variety, IndieWire and RogerEbert.com often publish thoughtful reviews that mix plot analysis with craft-level notes on direction, acting, and themes. Aggregators such as Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic give a quick snapshot of critical consensus and link to individual reviews, which is handy if you want both the score and the full write-ups.
For deeper dives, I hunt for long-form thinkpieces and blogs. Film and book bloggers, Letterboxd essays, and niche publications sometimes notice things mainstream outlets miss — cultural context, queer readings, political subtext, or stylistic lineage. YouTube critics and podcast episodes can be great for sustained conversation, and Reddit threads or specialized forums often collect a variety of fan and critic responses. I usually cross-check a few types of sources so I get mainstream clarity, nerd-level detail, and fan perspective — that combo helps me decide what to believe. Overall, there's plenty to read if you want critical perspectives on 'The Favorites', and hunting through different formats is half the fun. I usually end up bookmarking my favorite takes for re-reading later.