Mary Queen of Scots

"Bow to No One"

2018 2h 4m EN

👍

6.5

SOLID

★6.5TMDB · 1,976

DramaHistory

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

In 1561, Mary Stuart, widow of the King of France, returns to Scotland, reclaims her rightful throne and menaces the future of Queen Elizabeth I as ruler of England, because she has a legitimate claim to the English throne. Betrayals, rebellions, conspiracies and their own life choices imperil both Queens. They experience the bitter cost of power, until their tragic fate is finally fulfilled.

“Bow to No One”

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Cast

Saoirse Ronan
Mary Stuart
Margot Robbie
Queen Elizabeth I
Jack Lowden
Lord Darnley
David Tennant
John Knox
Guy Pearce
William Cecil
Gemma Chan
Bess of Hardwick
James McArdle
James, Earl of Moray
Ismael Cruz Cordova
David Rizzio

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Josie Rourke
Writers: Finlay Britton, Beau Willimon
Languages: English, French, Gaelic, Latin
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 8 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, French, Gaelic, Latin.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

CAST

Did you know

239+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Josie Rourke, shot by John Mathieson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Max Richter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Chris Dickens shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie and Jack Lowden carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Josie Rourke directs. John Mathieson behind the camera. Max Richter scores. Chris Dickens cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English, French, Gaelic, Latin.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Released 8 years ago.
2Dialogue crosses 4 languages: English, French, Gaelic, Latin.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
4239+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
5Directed by Josie Rourke, shot by John Mathieson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Max Richter. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Chris Dickens shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie and Jack Lowden carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Bow to No One".
10IMDB entry: tt2328900 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
11Classified under 15 themes, including "based on novel or book", "scotland", "cousin", "royal family".

The technical file

Cinematography: John Mathieson
Original score: Max Richter
Editing: Chris Dickens
Production design: James Merifield
Costume design: Alexandra Byrne
Makeup / hair: Jenny Shircore
Sound: Andrew Caller
Stunt coordinator: Richard Ryan
Runtime: 124 min · 2h 4m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $25,000,000
Box office: $46,712,809
Return: 187% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

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Josie Rourke

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Gimly2019-02-19
★ 4/10
Thinking about them just in terms of their visual appearnce, Saoirse Ronan probably should have played Queen Elizabeth I instead of Mary, and Margot Robbie probably should have played Not In This Movie. Perhaps it could have performed better, had it not come out the same year as both Outlaw King and The Favourite, as its content lies somewhere between the two, but its quality pales to either. Final rating:★★ - Definitely not for me, but I sort of get the appeal.
TheRealMina2019-06-07
★ 1/10
This movie is complete trash. Watch only if you want modern politics shoved down your throat. The movie focuses more on LGBT rights then events related to the setting the movie takes place. Poor casting choices, horrible acting from A-list actors and low budget sets. Not worth streaming. Not worth pirating. Not worthing Seeding. Not worth the popcorn.
John Chard2020-04-05
★ 3/10
We have a scourge upon our land. 'Tis worse than pestilence and famine. 'Tis a woman with a crown. Mary Stuart's (Saoirse Ronan) attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie), Queen of England, finds her condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution. Directed by Josie Rourke and written by Bau Willimon and John Guy, Mary Queen of Scots is the latest in a long line of historical costumers that fudge history to suit heir own ends. From a technical standpoint it's top draw, design, costuming and lead acting performances are quality - though Mary herself ends up being more cartoonish than anything resembling a tragic historical figure. Sadly, though, the narrative goes round and round in circles and ends up in a politically correct fog. The pace is laborious, which makes the two hour run time something of a chore to get through. There's little dangles of spice, with attempts at gay acceptance and oral pleasure etc etc, and things hit an upward curve in the latter stages, there's even some smarts in the narrative where obsession with rites and rules of succession threaten to turn the pic into exciting politico/religio waters. Alas, it's a false dawn, to the point where the costume design becomming the best thing in a production speaks volumes about a badly - on the page - historical drama. 3/10