The release of Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale signals the end of an era, making now the perfect time to reflect on the strengths of each Downton Abbey film. With a lengthy Downton Abbey timeline to consider, the trilogy of films finally concludes the story of this generation of the Crawleys, introducing some major changes to their estate.

The Grand Finale‘s Rotten Tomatoes score is impressive, and for good reason. Like the other films in the series, the new movie tells a powerful and emotional story that is rife with rich characters and beautiful landscapes. Grappling with social disgrace, the new film is an excellent choice on which to end this beloved story.

With all of that said, and with the ending of The Grand Finale serving as the end to the series, there is much to discuss in comparing the films to one another. Following such a beloved television series, this trilogy of movies has done a great job in keeping the Downton Abbey brand alive.

Downton Abbey

While there must be something at the bottom of the list, this does not mean that 2019’s first Downton Abbey movie was a disappointment. There was some concern from avid watchers of the show, who felt the film was extraneous and at times even cartoony, but the continuation of the story with a bigger budget was a glossy and satisfying entry for most audiences.

In the film, King George V and Queen Mary plan to visit Downton. This leads to immense preparations at the estate, with each of the beloved characters given some time and focus. However, much of this leads to the film’s ranking here: the story is mostly unnecessary, without a significant impact or evolution to the characters themselves.

While having some strong moments for a few of the players, including Thomas Barrow, the bulk of the film feels like an unnecessary extra episode to the show. While the costume drama and some levels of intrigue are enjoyable, the contrivances of the plot, including the exploration of an ᴀssᴀssination scheme, felt forced and out of place.

Seeing the Crawleys at their beautiful home and watching the class dynamics and concerns play out between these excellent characters, is always enjoyable. However, 2019’s Downton Abbey does not do enough that is meaningful with the figures, walking a fine line between letting the film stand on its own and making it a necessary continuation to the series.

In 2019, this was enough. However, now that two more even stronger films in the franchise have since been released, 2019’s Downton Abbey cannot sit anywhere on this list except at the bottom.

Downton Abbey: A New Era

Downton Abbey: A New Era is an especially strong chapter in the series, improving on the previous film in almost every way. The costuming and pH๏τography are stronger, the script is both more emotional and funnier, and the story feels like a unique enough departure to justify the larger cost and size of a studio film.

With a villa being inherited in the south of France, and a curious New Era story that feels directly pulled from Singin’ in the Rain, with Mary dubbing over Myrna Dalgleish’s voice, the film feels expansive and creative. A New Era effectively integrates the Crawley family and their staff into the larger changes happening in the world during the late 1920s.

Not everything in the film is perfect; Henry Talbot’s absence in the movie is deeply felt in Mary’s story. Matthew Goode was not present for the film due to scheduling and medical issues, which led to some disappointing choices being inserted into Mary’s story, leaving their relationship strained but without effective closure.

Still, audiences who enjoyed the series, and those who didn’t watch it alike, found much to enjoy in this costume drama. The characters feel true to themselves, and the last appearance of Violet is especially strong.

Much of the success of the film is dependent on seeing familiar characters once again, and especially allowing them to find some kind of joy. Bates, Branson, and the rest all have excellent moments in the film, which were especially refreshing to see on the big screen.

There was a great deal of pain and suffering that persisted through the series, which helped to elevate the dramatic stakes, but it is such a pleasure to see most of the characters in this film experiencing levels of happiness.

With effective intrigue, rich characters, and beautiful sH๏τs, the new film does an effective job in continuing the story of Downton Abbey. However, its narrative significance often causes the movie to feel like little more than an extra episode of the show, which places it just below the best Downton Abbey film.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is exactly what it purports to be, and that is its greatest strength. Resembling the format of the beloved Downton Abbey Christmas specials, the new film uses its extended runtime in order to tell a larger story, inserting some big changes into the lives of the Crawleys and the status of their estate.

Downton Abbey had to come to an end eventually, after six series and two prior films, and the new movie does a great job in wrapping things up. While some of the stories within, including the disgrace of Mary’s divorce, feel like narratives necessitated by Matthew Goode’s schedule rather than the plot, the execution of this is effective.

Yes, it is disappointing to say Mary’s relationship deteriorate after such tragic turns throughout the series, but the new film does smart and bold things with her character that allow the Grand Finale ending to feel earned. In the end, her parents leave Downton to her, vacating to take the Dower house.

With a strong focus on endings and tying up stories and relationships in satisfying ways, the new film ends the story of Robert and Cora at Downton, allowing Mary’s life to continue there with a brand new generation. She stays with her two children to build a life of their own.

Her children, George and Caroline, could have been given greater focus in the film. Their characters represent the next generation of Downton, and their small roles in the film feel somewhat diminished. However, this is mostly necessitated by the needs of the story, which already has an expansive cast to contend with.

The loss of Dame Maggie Smith casts an emotional shadow over the film, as her Dowager Violet Crawley’s mirrored loss plays into the machinations of the story. These remembrances are especially felt at the end of the film, where Mary reflects on her past with Matthew and remembers her late sister Sybil.

These emotions are what help to make The Grand Finale such a successful finale to the series. After so many stories, spread out over so many years, Downton Abbey has built a rich legacy that the new film handily ties together into an ending of sorts for each of the characters involved.

There are some criticisms to be had of the film, including not having enough focus on some characters, but overall, the new movie feels like the best execution yet for this world and these continued stories. Tying all of that together into an emotional and effective conclusion, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale ends the series on a very high note.