Review Roundup: DOWNTON ABBEY: THE GRAND FINALE Opens in Theaters Friday

This Friday, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale will debut in theaters. Ahead of its release, critics have shared their thoughts on the conclusion of the beloved franchise. Find out what the critics are saying in our roundup below.

The new film follows the Crawley family and their staff as they enter the 1930s. When Mary finds herself at the center of a public scandal and the family faces financial trouble, the entire household grapples with the threat of social disgrace. The Crawleys must embrace change as the staff prepares for a new chapter with the next generation leading Downton Abbey into the future. It will be released in theaters on September 12, 2025.

Simon Russell Beale, Hugh Bonneville, Laura Carmichael, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Michelle Dockery, Kevin Doyle, Michael Fox, Joanne Froggatt, Paul Giamatti, Harry Hadden-Paton, Robert James-Collier, Allen Leech, Phyllis Logan, Elizabeth McGovern, Sophie McShera, Lesley Nicol, Alessandro Nivola, Dominic West, Penelope Wilton, Arty Froushan, Joely Richardson, Paul Copley, Douglas Reith are among the film's packed cast.

Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale is written by Downton creator and Academy winner Julian Fellowes, as well as produced by BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning Gareth Neame, Fellowes, and BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning Liz Trubridge. Downton Abbey started as an ITV series in 2010, also airing on PBS. The series ran for six seasons and previously spawned two other films.

Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter: "True to its title, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale works hard to provide closure to fans for their 14 years of devotion. This is particularly true in the final moments, with return director Simon Curtis providing a nostalgic reverie featuring haunting images from the series’ past, including, of course, Maggie Smith’s indelible character, whose portrait frequently looms over the proceedings."

Pete Hammond, Deadline: "There are so many characters, so many storylines weaved in and out, you have to properly also give credit to returning director Simon Curtis for keeping them all straight and so naturally intertwined in the fast-paced goodbye that comes in just over a tight two hours and never feels rushed, never feels like cramming in too much to please the fans."

Tomris Laffly, Variety: "It’s no surprise that “The Grand Finale” is thoroughly fun, stunning to look at (one more hat-tip to the costumes, especially the bias cuts and cowl necks, designed by Anne Robbins) and aptly emotional as the iconic brand’s swan song."

Matt Goldberg, TheWrap: "The movie works off the correct assumption that if you’ve stuck through six seasons of a TV series and two movies, you’re on board for a story in the “classic” mold with a nice send-off, and that’s exactly what you get."

Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian: "The film is very silly and always watchable in its weird way, with those eccentrically emphasised shots of characters thanking each other for their thoughtfulness. The next Downton Abbey film will surely have to make these characters absorb the rise of fascism and the stormclouds of war. It promises to be a diverting spectacle."

James Dyer, Empire: "Just like the previous film, this is a solid send-off for the whole Downton saga, with everyone — upstairs and downstairs — getting their moment to shine, leaving you with a tear in your eye and a warmth in your cockles. But, enjoyable as it undoubtedly is, let’s hope this latest ending sticks. Anything else just wouldn’t be cricket."

Siddhant Adlakha, Mashable: "And yet, when the target audience consists entirely of people who have refused to abandon Downton Abbey, playing the hits becomes all too easy. The result is a film that’s impossible to hate if you’re already on-board with its conceit, aimed squarely at delightful fan service, and nudging a needle that has refused to move in nearly a decade, when the TV show originally came to a close."

Clarisse Loughrey, The Independent: "'The system doesn’t work if people hold on too long,' Tom (Allen Leech) warns him. It’s a nice bit of advice. And, considering this is now the third film to be presented as the show’s definitive conclusion, I sincerely hope Downton Abbey heeds it. This is about as graceful and fitting an endnote as you could hope for."

Watch the trailer below: