Spencer
Biographical drama starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana during the Christmas season when she decides her marriage to Charles is no longer working. By Pablo Larraín (Jackie). Nominated for the Oscar for Best Actress.
Like JACKIE, its predecessor and thematic companion, the latest from Chilean director Pablo Larraín is a haunting chamber drama about a world-famous woman reaching a tumultuous turning point. SPENCER follows the Princess of Wales as she navigates a precarious Christmas holiday with the Royal Family at their Sandringham estate in Norfolk – a moment that will set Diana on a path to independence, however tragically short-lived. Arriving at Sandringham tardy and alone, Diana is expected to adhere to a series of soul-draining exercises. She savours whatever hours she can secure with her sons, but her sole confidant is her personal attendant. As Diana begins to disobey decorum, her every indulgence is tracked by a former Black Watch officer newly employed by the Queen to keep the Princess on a tight leash.
Written by Oscar nominee Steven Knight (LOCKE, PEAKY BLINDERS), SPENCER elegantly balances history and conjecture, while Larraín’s uniquely atmospheric, intimate approach – buoyed by an exquisitely unnerving score from Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood – slides seamlessly between internal strife and external strain. Stewart merges a meticulous evocation of a mercilessly scrutinized public figure with affecting hints of the vulnerable private woman gasping for breath beneath the mask of monarchy.