DOWNTON ABBEY
Fabulous, flawed, witty period drama best reserved for adults.
Should You Watch It?
This is a superior adaptation of the television series, with stunning cinematography, fast pacing, and dialogue filled with British wit. The English countryside and Downton Abbey itself are captured in beautiful bird’s-eye and wide shots. Fans of the series should leave with a sense of contentment.
The movie also stresses family loyalty, marital reconciliation, and sacrifice, with positive Christian elements such as prayer and looking to God. But those strengths come with material meant for discerning adults: homosexual references, some alcohol use, and strong miscellaneous immorality, including lying, trickery, stealing, blackmail, and drugging someone’s drink.
If you are an adult who knows the series and can thoughtfully navigate those concerns, this is worth seeing. For children and young teens, choose another movie.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESIn 1927, the Crawley family and the servants of Downton Abbey prepare for a visit from the King and Queen of England. The servants expect to serve their majesties, but learn that the royal servants will replace them during the visit.
As old tensions rise, members of the Crawley family face questions involving loyalty, inheritance, marriage, and romance. Meanwhile, several threats and secrets complicate the royal occasion.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is a superior, satisfying film. The cinematography is stunning, using bird’s-eye and wide shots to capture the beauty of the English countryside and the abbey itself.
The pacing is very fast, so viewers need to pay close attention. The dialogue is filled with British wit, but the movie’s many character relationships and conflicts ultimately come together satisfyingly. Fans of the television series should find the experience contenting.
The Worldview
The film presents a strong moral worldview centered on family loyalty, marital reconciliation, and sacrifice. It includes positive Christian elements such as prayer, characters thanking the Lord, looking to God, and references to God’s control over the weather. At the same time, it includes homosexual references and a homosexual servant, presenting those elements in a revisionist-history way. The story also includes some alcohol use and strong miscellaneous immorality.
The movie ultimately holds the British monarchy in high regard, though it represents characters who both oppose and support it. A quick joke about a maid being a communist also appears. Overall, the film’s strongest moral emphasis is on family loyalty and reconciliation.
Its attention to marriage and reconciliation connects with Christ’s teaching: “What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:6).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong moral worldview with emphasis on family loyalty and marital reconciliation, with strong Christian elements, including sacrifice is extolled, characters thank the Lord, a few instances where characters assert that God will control the weather to fit their current needs, prayer, and a comment that “God is a monarchist,” marred by some strong homosexual references regarding homosexual servant who meets another man at a pub that turns to be an underground illegal club, and they get arrested, plus characters who both oppose and support the British monarchy are represented, but ultimately the monarchy is held in higher regard, and a quick joke about a maid being a communist
Foul Language
A few British slang terms that represent frustration such as “heavens” and “blimey” and “bloody,” one “My God”
Violence
Character tries to assassinate someone with a gun, and some roughhousing results
Sex
Two men kiss, two homosexual men are arrested for visiting an underground, illegal homosexual pub, a couple has a child out of wedlock, and some heterosexual kissing
Nudity
No nudity but characters appear in their nightgowns, which some might find look too close to lingerie
Alcohol Use
Characters drink alcohol over dinner and cheers, scenes in a pub and some characters are a bit tipsy
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
Character puts sleeping medication into characters' tea
Miscellaneous Immorality
Strong miscellaneous immorality, most of which gets resolved, such as lying, trickery, marital discord, references to luck, Character puts sleeping medication into characters' tea, a person jokes that another person should be committed to an insane asylum and put in a strait jacket, stealing, characters lock others into their rooms for an evening without their permission, and blackmail.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The Crawley family and their servants face conflicts between personal interests and family loyalty. When have you had to choose faithfulness over convenience?
Colossians 3:12–14 · Proverbs 17:17The film emphasizes marital reconciliation. What helps repair a damaged relationship, and where does forgiveness begin?
Ephesians 4:31–32 · Colossians 3:13Characters pray and look to God while facing circumstances they cannot control. What does faithful prayer look like when the outcome is uncertain?
Philippians 4:6–7 · James 1:5The story presents sacrifice as honorable. How can serving others become an expression of love rather than a desire for recognition?
Mark 10:43–45 · John 15:13The Final Word
Beautifully filmed, fast-moving, and filled with wit, Downton Abbey offers adults a satisfying continuation of the series, with meaningful themes of family loyalty and reconciliation. Its homosexual references and strong immorality make it unsuitable for children and young teens. Our answer is WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY. For other family viewing, see.
