This Downton Abbey: A New Era movie review shows what an incredibly fun and frenetic check in with the Crawley family for fans of the show both new and old this movie really is.

‘Downton Abbey: A New Era’ movie review

There is much to love about the latest adventure with all our favorite Downton Abbey characters. Both upstairs and downstairs, the whole house comes to new life as a film crew descends on Downton, while the rest of the family flits off to the south of France. It’s as light-hearted and wonderful as any fan could dream, and with all the best, while sometimes predictable, parts.

A few of our favorites get their time to shine, including Mr. Molesley as he gets his patented awkwardness immortalized again on the big screen, Lady Mary as she volunteers to make the big house a few bucks to keep the whole estate afloat for a bit longer, the Dowager as she tries to keep the adventures of her youth somewhat secret, and even Lady Grantham as she has a secret she’s trying her best to keep quiet. The story in Downton Abbey: A New Era is pretty classic to what we all expect from the show and its characters.

While some get sidelined a little bit (particularly Anna and Mr. Bates, along with Ms. Baxter and even Lady Edith for the most part), this movie does a great job of giving a lot of attention to many of the characters. While Henry Talbot (Matthew Goode) doesn’t make an appearance, his presence is felt in Mary’s devotion to her husband, as she steps into almost an assistant director role and helps keep production moving forward despite big changes needing to be made. Then there’s the goings on in the South of France, where, even though she didn’t make the trip, the Dowager is at the heart of the controversy, alongside her son, Robert. We’ll leave the movie to fill in those details for you. Along the way, we get pretty significant storylines for just about everyone else, even if some don’t take quite as long to unfold.

What I liked most about this movie was the fun. While the first Downton Abbey movie had its moments, there was so much drama going on with all the royal servants and the assassin and new characters that it was sometimes hard to feel the same delicate quality the show always brought. That is not the case this time. The film crew descending almost feels reminiscent to the days of the convalescent home during the war, but we still get great bits between our favorite family and their servants. And while we haven’t traveled with the Crawleys all that much, hitting the road to the south of France felt right in line with those few trips we did take during the show’s heyday.

Ultimately, this is Downton at its Downton-y best. Definitely unmissable for any fan of the series.

This movie definitely represents a turning point for the future of this franchise. As there has been no news about another future film or any more content from our favorite Crawley family, this could be the last time we get to check in with the people who bring Downton to life every time we visit.

As someone who came into Downton Abbey quite late (I binged watched it last fall in about a week), I am hardly worthy enough to be impatient. But, even after just seeing Downton Abbey: A New Era a week ago, I am simply ravenous for more from our favorite British upper class family. The Crawleys have quickly wormed their way into my heart, and now all I want is more, more, more.

But will we get more? I guess that is one question that lingers after the ending of Downton Abbey: A New Era. I won’t spoil you on the major events, but there are a couple of significant plot points that could signal this to be the end. It all depends on the cast and crew and when they will officially throw in the towel and say a final farewell. I hope there will be at least one more visit with the Crawleys before we say a final goodbye, but only time will tell on that one. So, until we know for sure whether this is a final goodbye, we will just have to rewatch and rewatch again, and maybe keep our fingers crossed for luck.

Where to watch ‘Downton Abbey’

If after this Downton Abbey: A New Era movie review you’re looking to join the Downton Abbey fandom, you can binge all episodes for free on Peacock or on Amazon Prime (if you’re a member). Either way, this is definitely not a series you want to miss.