Marie Antoinette

Right now you can watch Marie Antoinette in the US on Britbox Apple TV Channel and Criterion Channel, and in the UK on Netflix — and it holds up to as much attention as you give it. It knows exactly what kind of film it is from the opening scene, and never loses that thread. 2,973 people have weighed in on TMDB, and the verdict leans heavily positive. Kirsten Dunst sets the tone, and the rest of the cast matches it scene for scene. There is no real reason to keep putting it off — it is right there on Britbox Apple TV Channel .

Part of the current wave of titles people are actually watching, Marie Antoinette earns its spot. The writing in Marie Antoinette treats its characters as people first, plot devices second. A retelling of the story of France’s iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette - from her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at fifteen to her reign as queen at nineteen and ultimately the fall of Versailles. Kirsten Dunst and Jason Schwartzman lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2006. What elevates Marie Antoinette is a refusal to let any character off the hook too easily. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Viewers drawn to character-driven storytelling will find plenty to sit with in Marie Antoinette. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Kirsten Dunst is the centre of it, and it is one of their strongest performances on record. The patience it asks of you early on is paid back with interest.