Marie Antoinette (2022)

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Season 1
Metascore
60

Mixed or average reviews - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7

Critic Reviews

  1. The Guardian
    Reviewed by: Emine Saner
    Jan 3, 2023
    80
    It’s good fun, and almost too much, but it works.
  2. Decider
    Reviewed by: Joel Keller
    Mar 21, 2023
    70
    Marie Antoinette starts slowly but should pick up as Antoinette tries to seduce the reluctant Louie and both become monarchs.
  3. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    Mar 17, 2023
    60
    The dialogue is rife with anachronisms. ... Never mind a torrent of vulgarities that seem far more 21st century than 18th. ... For all the dithering—something for which Louis XVI remains famous—"Marie Antoinette" has some very solid performances, notably by Mr. Purefoy, who makes Louis XV kindly, fierce, fatherly and sexually predatory. Ms. Schüle pivots from making Marie a believable child to portraying her as a convincing court politician and schemer.
  5. The Telegraph
    Reviewed by: Jasper Rees
    Jan 3, 2023
    60
    Schüle, pebbly brown eyes exuding less and less innocence, is highly watchable as an unloved newbie in an utterly foreign court. ... It feels more like a Versailles-themed edition of Love Island with retrofitted dialogue.
  6. The Times
    Reviewed by: Carol Midgley
    Jan 3, 2023
    60
    I've seen subtler versions of the ugly sisters in panto Cinderella. Yet while the drama will inevitably be picked apart by experts over cultural missteps and inaccuracies, and seems to prize style over content, I like its fresh energy.
  7. Collider
    Reviewed by: Arezou Amin
    Mar 17, 2023
    50
    Marie Antoinette genuinely tries to put a new spin on the life of the famous French Queen, but in trying to both do something different, and stick to what worked so well for stories that came before it, the series winds up speaking far too much and saying very little.
  8. TV Guide Magazine
    Reviewed by: Matt Roush
    Mar 10, 2023
    50
    The early chapters are enlivened by James Purefoy's droll take on Louis' lusty father, Louis "papa Roi" XV, and Marie's jousting with the king's possessive mistress, the fabled Madame Du Barry (Gaia Weiss). But once they're out of the picture, and the bratty new Queen turns her Petit Trianon chateau into a party palace, it's hard to muster much sympathy for these spoiled royals and their reprehensible foes. [13 - 26 Mar 2023, p.4]
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Awards & Rankings

48
#48 Best TV Season of 2023
12
#12 Most Discussed TV Season of 2023

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 13 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 13
  3. Negative: 2 out of 13
  1. Karmel
    Jan 7, 2023
    9
    Look, you do just have to roll with some of the outlandishness in certain power dynamics and characters *cough* Du Barry *cough* but I had aLook, you do just have to roll with some of the outlandishness in certain power dynamics and characters *cough* Du Barry *cough* but I had a blast watching this. It’s different to your typical period drama without being so heightened and removed from reality it feels like ‘The Great’ (which I adore). The actors are fantastic, Schule is so engaging and interesting as the lead and the rest of the cast is full of fresh, exciting faces (who I’ve not seen before at least). The characters are a ton of fun, especially once they’re given time to develop and settle, and I really enjoyed watching different pairings play off each other (with lots more potential in a second series). I’ve seen reviews about the first half being slow. I agree to a point, but often it really works and helps to establish a certain sense of weight and consequence before the show becomes this playful and entertaining romp - because at that point it’s easy to forget how this all ends.… Full Review »
  2. Sandyphilly23
    Jan 8, 2023
    8
    A slow start which is more somber than expected, but this series really shines as it progresses and you start to see some of thatA slow start which is more somber than expected, but this series really shines as it progresses and you start to see some of that tongue-in-cheek, self aware humour that made The Favourite a classic. Addictive characters, loving and hating each other in a gaudy palace. Fantastic sets, costumes and score. What’s not to love (well, unless you’re after accurate history).… Full Review »
  3. Ashded
    Jan 15, 2023
    7
    Potential to be amazing but for now it’s good with some issues. There’s plenty here to love - cast, visuals, atmosphere, and as it goes alongPotential to be amazing but for now it’s good with some issues. There’s plenty here to love - cast, visuals, atmosphere, and as it goes along some really enjoyable satire. The characters are interesting and bounce off each other well. The series plays with the genre and teases the viewer without becoming so silly it loses the emotion and drama. But it needs to expand out. The first series was obviously going to focus on Marie Antoinette’s POV but the consummation storyline only carries the show so far and it’s the rest of the court who are the most intriguing. There’s so much to be mined in the politics of Versailles and suffering of the common people. The show could really be something memorable if it explores these storylines and not just the usual love affair with Fersen.… Full Review »
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