The Favourite 2018

This review contains spoilers after the non spoiler section. Non spoiler thoughts (summary): The Favourite is a visually striking period film that uses exaggerated wide angle lenses, crisp focus, and distorted framing to create an intentionally unsettling and quirky tone. The grand sets and costumes sell a world defined by excess, hierarchy, and quiet cruelty, where scale itself becomes a form of power. A repetitive, minimalist musical score builds tension through persistence rather than melody, adding to the film’s cold, calculated atmosphere. Beneath the elegance and wit lies a sharp examination of power, desire, and survival, where control is negotiated through manipulation rather than merit. ⚠️ Spoilers ahead. From here on, plot details are discussed. Read on if you’ve seen the film. If not, save this post and come back after. ⚠️ Maganda ang sets and costumes. Parang nasa lumang era talaga. The director clearly leaned into wide angle lenses, some even feeling fish-eye or GoPro-like in terms of sharpness. Wala masyadong depth of field, everything feels overly crisp and slightly distorted, which adds to the unsettling and quirky tone of the film. This is paired with a quirky musical score, katulad ni PTA, na gumagamit ng parang 2–3 notes lang and then pinapatagal for more than three minutes, creating tension through repetition rather than melody. The sets are truly grand. Big, elaborate rooms, hallways, and props that make the world feel heavy with power and excess. I’m not entirely sure how much CGI extensions were used, but everything feels like a real location. The scale sells the authority of the characters and how small people can feel inside these massive spaces. At its core, this film is a prime example of how women use sex to gain and control power. It also shows how people in power can be easily swayed when desire is involved, even when the decisions at stake affect serious matters like taxes and high positions in government. Power here is not earned through merit but negotiated through intimacy, manipulation, and survival. But no matter how powerful or controlled Abigail becomes, she is always beneath the Queen. She thought it would be different, that reaching the top would finally give her freedom, but in the end she is still a servant, just operating on a different level. The Favourite feels calculated, cold, and cruel in its own playful way. Behind the beauty, and wit is a sharp reminder that power dynamics rarely change, they only change hands.