Richard III

R

Released Dec 29, 1995

1 hr. 45 min.

Drama

List

96%

51 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A murderous lust for the British throne sees Richard III (Ian McKellen) descend into madness. Though the setting is transposed to the 1930s, England is torn by civil war, split between the rivaling houses of York and Lancaster. Richard aspires to a fascist dictatorship, but must first remove the obstacles to his ascension -- among them his brother, his nephews and his brother's wife (Annette Bening). When the Duke of Buckingham (Jim Broadbent) deserts him, Richard's plans are compromised.

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Critics Consensus

This re-imagining of Shakespeare's Crookback King relocates the story in 1930 and features an indelible star turn for Ian McKellen as the monstrous and magnetic King Richard.

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Jonathan S

This is the finest version of the Bard's play I've ever had the pleasure of watching. Mcclellan's Richard is both charming and monstrous. Unlike the Olivia version (which is also great), this version is a direct assault on tyranny. Each actor is well casted and executed their part phenomenally.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/16/23

Full Review

Shioka O

Stars for Ian McKellen, powerful performance as you expect. Otherwise I wonder if this modern adaptation worked because the original is perfection. The poster is misleading, Robert Downey Jr dies in the early phase as the role suggests. The use of setting is fascinating, the battle on the Battersea power plant!

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

AJ B

Brilliantly directed and acted, it brings us a memorable Shakespeare adaptation.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/17/22

Full Review

Audience Member

Ages 17+ only, due to the funny content!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

What a wonderful choice in period of history to set this classic usurpation tale. The time period is far enough in the past to give the sense of the earlier time in which this play was set, and yet close enough to the present to bring with it a modern interpretation and understanding. Coupled with the rise of fascism as the interpretive tool through which the story is told, and it brings to the audience a truer understanding of the story as it was understood by Shakespeare's original office.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Fantastic, even though we now know Richard III wasn't as bad in reality as Shakespeare made him out to be. The worst actor in the movie by far was Robert Downey Jr. He phoned it in.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

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Richard Loncraine

Director

Ian McKellen

Richard III

Annette Bening

Queen Elizabeth

Jim Broadbent

Duke of Buckingham

Robert Downey Jr.

Lord Rivers

Nigel Hawthorne

George

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Tom Huddleston

Time Out

Rarely has a film used London's landmarks so cannily.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 26, 2016

Full Review

Kate Muir

Times (UK)

An outrageous, wickedly funny, 1930s fascist version of the Shakespeare play starring Ian McKellen as Richard of Gloucester.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 21, 2016

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

The "fascist" staging could have been hackneyed, but Loncraine carries it off superbly as the showcase for action-thriller noir.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 21, 2016

Full Review

Farah Cheded

A Good Movie To Watch

An inspired Shakespeare update with a terrifying Ian McKellen performance at its center, this is a masterpiece of its own.

Nov 25, 2023

Full Review

Matthew Rozsa

matthewrozsa.com

It is a brutal reminder that while we may be able to inoculate ourselves against diseases of the body, diseases of the mind will always flourish as long as fascist impulses remain undiagnosed.

Rated: 3.5/4

Dec 19, 2020

Full Review

Rich Phippen

Common Sense Media

Olivier's classic Shakespeare adaptation has some violence.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 12, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

A murderous lust for the British throne sees Richard III (Ian McKellen) descend into madness. Though the setting is transposed to the 1930s, England is torn by civil war, split between the rivaling houses of York and Lancaster. Richard aspires to a fascist dictatorship, but must first remove the obstacles to his ascension -- among them his brother, his nephews and his brother's wife (Annette Bening). When the Duke of Buckingham (Jim Broadbent) deserts him, Richard's plans are compromised.

Director: Richard Loncraine
Executive Producer: Ellen Dinerman Little, Ian McKellen, Joe Simon, Maria Apodiacos
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Mayfair Entertainment International, United Artists, British Screen Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 29, 1995, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.4M
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, DTS, Stereo, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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