Victoria & Abdul

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2:24

Victoria & Abdul

PG-13

2017

1h 51m

History

Drama

Biography

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Popcornmeter

65%

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195 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Abdul Karim arrives from India to participate in Queen Victoria's golden jubilee. The young clerk is surprised to find favor with the queen herself. As Victoria questions the constrictions of her long-held position, the two forge an unlikely and devoted alliance that her household and inner circle try to destroy. As their friendship deepens, the queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes, joyfully reclaiming her humanity.

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Critics Consensus

Victoria & Abdul reunites Dame Judi Dench with the role of Queen Victoria -- which is all this period drama needs to overcome its imbalanced narrative.

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Andrea Gronvall

Chicago Reader

Oct 13, 2017

2/4

Victoria & Abdul may capture the ugly side of Britain's colonial past, but its demeaning portrait of Abdul reinforces the Orientalism it purports to lampoon.

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Max Weiss

Baltimore Magazine

Oct 5, 2017

2.5/4

It's hard not to like Victoria & Abdul-but it's all shiny surfaces. I can't help but to wonder how much deeper Frears might've dug into this rich material had he directed it 20 years ago.

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Oct 5, 2017

2.5/5

There's not a whole lot to Victoria & Abdul, but fans of stories about the royals should find their thirsts satisfied.

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Hosea Rupprecht

Catholic News Service

Aug 12, 2021

An endearing historical drama...

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Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

Mar 1, 2021

3/5

If the recent film mother! was an attempt, as one writer suggested, "to shock its audiences out of complacency," Victoria & Abdul is an attempt to lull its audience into complacency.

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Leigh Monson

Substream Magazine

Oct 1, 2020

2.5/5

Victoria and Abdul exposes itself as being just as shallow as the bigots it derides; the only difference is the purity of its intentions.

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Brad A

@RT04437610 Jan 4, 2026

Abdul comes across as a con man. Maybe he really was? But either way he's not someone you want to pull for in the story. It just come across as he's exploiting the queen for his own personal gain, and you understand why everyone resents him. Not a fun movie to watch.

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Marit Risto F

@MaritRisto Dec 16, 2025

I love Dench. And the way that a handsome, young man can bring her back to life. I dislike strongly the way that Muslims cover up, and control women though. And also imperialism. Karim's ways, also in dressing, is pleasant to me. As the men I saw in Sri Lanka 50 years ago. But already then, they took the awful European fashion of shirts, bell bottoms, and even plateu shoes. In 50°C...

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Mithun monish K

@RT78017294 Dec 5, 2025

We all are humans not a beast, the queen treated the man like a friend and a son.I cried a lot when the flim begins to end ,such a beautiful heartwarming flim.

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Damien S

@RT47420453 Nov 27, 2025

Thoroughly enjoyable.

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Weighty Connected L

@RT15043548 Apr 29, 2024

The portrayal of an unlikely yet real-life friendship between the British Queen Victoria and an Indian muslim servant Abdul Karim during her final years, this 2017 Stephen Frears film shows the beauty of friendship and the ugliness of racialist prejudice and greed for power, seen in the beautiful performances of the cast, esp. Judi Dench.

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Felix Anthony L

@FlixAntoniLim Apr 17, 2024

The story showcases a friendship that was ahead of its time - unbiased, transcends generational, religious and cultural differences. Victoria and Abdul shares the idea of openness and kindness in friendships where an age difference is not a hindrance, rather the focus is on curiosity, appreciation and acceptance. Although some aspects of the movie may have been fictionalised to enhance the story, the emotional roller coaster and sparks of comedy is on point.

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Stephen Frears

Director

Judi Dench

Queen Victoria

Ali Fazal

Abdul Karim

Michael Gambon

Lord Salisbury

Olivia Williams

Lady Churchill

Suzy Eddie Izzard

Bertie, Prince of Wales

Victoria & Abdul: Official Clip - Absolutely No Eye Contact

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Victoria & Abdul: Official Clip - I Will Accept Your Resignations

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Victoria & Abdul: Official Clip - The Banquet Hall of Eternity

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Victoria & Abdul: Official Clip - The Queen's Munshi

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Victoria & Abdul: Official Clip - Anything But Insane

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Victoria & Abdul: Official Clip - Life Is Like a Carpet

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Victoria & Abdul: Official Clip - The Queen's Song

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Victoria & Abdul: Official Clip - I Will Be Courteous

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Victoria & Abdul: Official Clip - You Really Are Beautiful

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Victoria & Abdul: Official Clip - I Am the Sultan of Persia

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Victoria & Abdul: Behind the Scenes - B-Roll #2

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Synopsis

Abdul Karim arrives from India to participate in Queen Victoria's golden jubilee. The young clerk is surprised to find favor with the queen herself. As Victoria questions the constrictions of her long-held position, the two forge an unlikely and devoted alliance that her household and inner circle try to destroy. As their friendship deepens, the queen begins to see a changing world through new eyes, joyfully reclaiming her humanity.

Director: Stephen Frears
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Beeban Kidron, Tracey Seaward
Screenwriter: Lee Hall
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Working Title Films, Cross Street Films, BBC Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Thematic Elements|Language)
Genre: History, Drama, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 6, 2017, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 5, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.2M
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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