Kristen Stewart gives an intoxicating performance as Diana, Princess of Wales in Pablo Larraín’s (Jackie, No) critically lauded Spencer. Set over three days as Diana attends Christmas at Sandringham with the Royal Family, it is more a snapshot than a biopic. She comes across as a naturally sparky young woman, suffocating under the oppressive weight of public scrutiny (and Royal disapproval) while her husband is very publicly in love with someone else. It’s a familiar story, liberatingly told, with a fresh eye on the melodramatic absurdities of the situation. Brilliantly performed by a cast including Timothy Spall and Sally Hawkins, gorgeously shot in alternately muted and colourful 4:3 ratio and hauntingly scored by Jonny Greenwood, Spencer is a heart-breaking and illuminating study of a woman struggling to find her way out.
Starring Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Jack Nielen