Parents' Guide to

Victoria and Abdul

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 11+

Dench is fabulous in fascinating but underdeveloped story.

Movie PG-13 2017 112 minutes
Victoria and Abdul Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 11+

Based on 5 parent reviews

Sgt. MovieViewer
Sgt. MovieViewer Adult
January 3, 2020
age 13+

Interesting Story But Too Much Language

Surprised that Common Sense said the language was infrequent; it is not. Cursing was throughout the entire film, growing worse as the story progressed. It seems unnecessary to put in so much swearing and nonsense. This film would benefit from a profanity remover. The story was interesting, yet ended sadly. Based loosely on a true story.

This title has:

Too much swearing
Angie C.
Angie C. Adult
January 16, 2018
age 11+

i want yo see it

a need to see this movie, for that reason i susbribe here
See all 5 parent reviews

What's the Story?

VICTORIA AND ABDUL chronicles the unique relationship between the elderly Queen Victoria (Judi Dench) and a young Indian Muslim man named Abdul Karim (Ali Fazal) -- one of two Indians chosen to present the queen with a gift during her Golden Jubilee celebrations. The year is 1887, and Victoria is, after 50 years on the throne, tired and bored with the endless rounds of ceremonial duties and banquets. Spotting the handsome Abdul brings her some joy, so he and his fellow Indian servant, Mohammed (Adeel Akhtar), are told to stay in England to serve the queen. Soon, Abdul charms her with his poetic musings, and she elevates his status to that of "Munshi" ("teacher" in Urdu) and keeps him (and eventually his family) as part of the royal household. Meanwhile, Victoria's friendship with (and apparent crush on) the "brown," low-born man, scandalizes everyone around her, including her oldest son, Bertie, the Prince of Wales (Eddie Izzard); her private secretary, Sir Ponsonby (Tim Pigott-Smith); her personal physician, Dr. Reid (Paul Higgins); and the prime minister (Michael Gambon). But the queen enjoys the Munshi so much that she ignores their demands and continues to keep him by her side.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (5):
Kids say (7):

Dench is extraordinary as the aging monarch, but this drama doesn't quite reveal enough about the mysterious, fascinating friendship between the queen and her Indian servant-turned-mentor. Victoria and Abdul is similar in scope and sequence to 1997's John Madden-directed Mrs. Brown, in which Dench also starred as Queen Victoria and which also involved the remarkable story of the monarch's unconventional relationship with a servant who became a beloved confidante. In some ways, Abdul is even more noteworthy than the earlier film's John Brown (Billy Connolly), because, while there are no sexual rumors about his relationship with the queen, the Indian Muslim Abdul was elevated far above the Scottish Brown. In a time when British whites overtly considered themselves superior to the black and brown citizens of their extended empire, that was extraordinary.

Fazal, a Bollywood star, is definitely appealing, but his portrayal of Abdul is a little too subdued (particularly when compared to Dench's performance) to justify how deeply the queen became attached to him. Izzard is entertaining as Bertie, the Prince of Wales, who's slightly villainous in his approach to Abdul. But director Stephen Frears introduces real questions that the script never answers, and the film depicts Abdul as far too saintly to seem real, especially considering a few unsavory things revealed about him. Ultimately this is a movie you watch to see Dench nail another performance as a former queen of England -- and she's quite riveting as the bored, grumpy, aging Victoria who finally finds someone who can cure her monarchy's monotony.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about whether the queen and/or Abdul are role models in Victoria and Abdul. What character traits do they exhibit?

  • Does this movie make you interested in learning more about Queen Victoria, India under British rule, or other historical details?

  • How accurate do you think this version of events really is? Why do you think filmmakers might sometimes choose to alter the facts in movies based on true stories? How could you find out more?

Movie Details

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