WISE Score
Avg. Tomatometer
A glittering, claustrophobic fever dream where Princess Diana fights for her soul (and some KFC) while the royals act like wax statues.
6.583%
76
Spencer is basically 'The Shining' but with pearls and better outfits. If you're looking for a factual documentary or a cozy royal drama, you're going to hate this—the 52% audience score proves it’s not for everyone.
However, if you want a haunting, artistic look at mental health and the trap of fame, it's brilliant. It's a heavy lift, but Kristen Stewart makes it worth the effort for mature teens who can handle the graphic depictions of bulimia and self-harm.
This is strictly for high schoolers (14+) and adults. Younger kids will be bored to tears by the pacing and likely disturbed by the intense psychological distress and eating disorder depictions.
This isn't a 'feel-good' princess story. It’s an emotionally taxing look at a mental breakdown, featuring a failing marriage, intense isolation, and a cold environment that offers zero comfort.
Director Pablo Larraín ditches the boring biopic formula for a 'fable' that feels more like a psychological horror movie. The use of surrealism, ghostly apparitions, and metaphor is top-tier creativity.
While there's no traditional 'action' violence, the self-harm (cutting) and graphic depictions of bulimia (purging) are major triggers. It’s 'safe' in that it’s not exploitative, but it’s very heavy for anyone sensitive to mental health struggles.
It offers a deep, empathetic look at the cost of celebrity and the crushing weight of tradition. It’s a masterclass in acting and costume design that rewards a patient, mature viewer.
If you go into this expecting a chronological history lesson or the soapy, high-stakes political maneuvering of The Crown, you are going to be annoyed. That 52% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes is a giant red flag that says a lot of people felt misled. This isn't a biopic; it’s a psychological pressure cooker.
The movie opens with a title card calling it "a fable from a true tragedy." It means the filmmakers aren't interested in what actually happened during that 1991 Christmas at Sandringham. They’re interested in how it felt to be Diana. For a teen who usually finds historical dramas "mid" or "boring," this might actually be the thing that hooks them because it feels more like a survival movie than a costume drama.
Critics keep calling this a "haunting reimagining," and they aren't being metaphorical. The Sandringham estate is shot like the Overlook Hotel. Everything is cold, the curtains are literally sewn shut, and the royal family moves in the background like silent, judgmental ghosts.
The friction for a viewer—especially a younger one—is the claustrophobia. There is a specific scene involving a string of pearls and a bowl of soup that is more tense than most jump-scares in a standard slasher flick. It’s visceral and uncomfortable. If your kid is sensitive to "cringe" or high-anxiety situations, this will be a tough watch. But for a student interested in film as an art form, the way the cinematography and that jagged jazz score work together to create a sense of panic is masterful.
If you’ve been watching the royal family’s drama as a household, Spencer is the ultimate "compare and contrast" exercise.
If your teen is a fan of the "sad girl aesthetic" or enjoys stories about outsiders trying to break free from rigid systems, they’ll likely vibe with this. If they want to know the "tea" about the real-life royal scandals, they’ll find this frustratingly vague.
The depictions of bulimia and self-harm are not "blink and you'll miss it" moments. They are central to the story’s metaphor for Diana’s loss of control. It’s worth noting that the movie doesn't glamorize these struggles, but it doesn't look away, either.
"Knowing this will not fully prepare you," as one critic put it.
The film expects the audience to sit in that distress. It’s a great pick for a weekend where you actually have time to talk afterward. If you’re just looking for something to have on in the background while you scroll on your phone, pick something else—this requires your full attention to get anything out of it.
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