The Girl King

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The Girl King

2015

1h 46m

Biography

History

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Popcornmeter

42%

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19 Reviews

45%

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100+ Ratings

A 6-year-old girl becomes queen of Sweden in the 17th century.

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Brad Wheeler

Globe and Mail

Gadon as the sheet-warming lady-in-waiting is given little to do but look naive and dumbstruck.

Rated: 2/4

Sep 23, 2016

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

Malin Buska's pointedly manly performance as Kristina (a role that has been previously essayed by Greta Garbo and Liv Ullmann) -- all strides and swordplay -- is one of those heavily stylised turns that is either genius or folly.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 9, 2016

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

It is thuddingly unsubtle.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 19, 2016

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Andrew Parker

The Gate

It's hard not to wish that a better film could have come of The Girl King, but thanks to Buska there's a specialness to it that wouldn't have been brought to the project without her.

Rated: 2.7/5

Aug 28, 2018

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Norman Wilner

NOW Toronto

Stuffy and stilted right from the start.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 21, 2016

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Josh Winning

Total Film

When Mika Kaurismki's film isn't drifting into Blackadder territory, its religion vs science debates draw unflattering comparisons with superior Scandi drama A Royal Affair.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 15, 2016

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Alain E

Authored by the less well known Kaurismaki brothers this an excellent period biopic. Hard to believe that the life of a 17th century queen of Sweden can be of interest today. Additionally the movie treats religion with contempt, although the heroine eventually abdicated the throne, converted to Catholicism and moved to Rome where she founded an Academy. She is one of only three women buried in the Vatican. The movie describes very well her tumultuous life when she tried to combine governing a country and having a homoerotic relationship, a combination that even today would be frowned upon. There is excellent cinematography and very nice period appropriate music. Acting is uniformly good.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/05/25

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Audience Member

Excellent acting but very blah. Set about the gay Queen of Sweden in 1600's. Historical interesting if accurate but sort of cartoonish I believe.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

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Audience Member

Great portrayal. It's more than just the Queen herself but talks to the youth of today on how they want to live their lives.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/14/23

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Audience Member

People looking for an action movie or a romance will be bitterly disappointed, for this is neither of those things. Rather, it is an inquisitive exploration into the power of women, particularly one woman, when she simply refuses to submit to the will of men. The Girl King is a powerful feminist film, calling into question our very history, and the women whose stories have been removed from it. Beyond that, it is a story of human nature, reflecting our desire to love and be loved, to seek happiness, and to understand our purpose, even when the world seems bent on tearing us down.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

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Audience Member

Horrible. Stuck with it with the hopes of it improving. No luck. What a waste of two hours.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/22/18

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Audience Member

Nicely shot, could've been edited a little better... Malin Buska was amazing!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

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Mika Kaurismäki

Director

Malin Buska

Kristina

Sarah Gadon

Ebba Sparre

Michael Nyqvist

Axel Oxenstierna

Lucas Bryant

Johan Oxenstierna

Laura Birn

Erika Erksein

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Synopsis

A 6-year-old girl becomes queen of Sweden in the 17th century.

Director: Mika Kaurismäki
Producer: Mika Kaurismäki, Arnie Gelbart
Screenwriter: Michel Marc Bouchard
Production Co: Marianna Films, Triptych Media
Genre: Biography, History, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 16, 2016
Runtime: 1h 46m

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