9 Best Period Movies To Watch After ‘Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale’

Downton Abbey had a magnificent six-season run on ITV and PBS that resulted in 15 Primetime Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, and two BAFTA awards. After the series finale aired in 2015, the period drama continued to live on with three feature films distributed by Focus Features. The latest and last installment in this trilogy, Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale, was released earlier this month. The show was created by Julian Fellowes (The Gilded Age), who also penned the screenplays for all three movies.

Chronicling the life of the British aristocratic Crawley family, Downton Abbey‘s first season begins in 1912, the day after the sinking of the RMS Titanic. The series and subsequent films span the first half of the 20th century, with Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale being set in 1930. The 1920s and early 1930s were fascinating points in history, but they don’t get depicted onscreen nearly as frequently as the war years. If you’ve already seen Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale and are longing to linger in that world just a little longer, there are a some great movies to check out that explore these eras. Julian Fellowes was even involved in making a few of them.

Here are 9 period movies to watch after you finish Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale.

‘The Remains of the Day’ (1993)

Based on the award-winning novel by Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day is a British drama about a butler in 1958 postwar Britain looking back on his time working at Darlington Hall in the 1930s. Anthony Hopkins (Freud’s Last Session) stars as the butler, Mr James Stevens, opposite Emma Thompson (Love Actually) as Darlington Hall’s new housekeeper, Miss Sarah “Sally” Kenton. The cast includes James Fox (Effie Gray), Christopher Reeve (Superman), Peter Vaughan (Game of Thrones), and Hugh Grant (Heretic).

“Subtle and Thoughtful”

The Remains of the Day was directed by James Ivory with a screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. The two had previously worked together on A Room with a View and Howards End. The Remains of the Day was celebrated by critics for its storytelling and shining performances. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Actress, and Best Picture. “The Remains of the Day is a subtle, thoughtful movie,” remarked Roger Ebert, who gave the film 4.5/5 stars in 1993. The film is certified fresh with a 96% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.

‘Gosford Park’ (2001)

Gosford Park is the product of an unlikely pairing. The film was directed by the eclectic Robert Altman (Nashville) and written by none other than Downton Abbey‘s own Julian Fellowes. While it would be one of the last films Altman ever made, Gosford Park is the first feature-length film Fellowes wrote. The result is a satirical mystery set in 1932 at the country estate of industrialist Sir William McCordle (Michael Gambon) and his wife, Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas). When a murder takes place on the property, Sir William’s weekend guests suddenly find that their plans have all turned upside.

Julian Fellowes Won An Oscar

The cast is absolutely stacked with the talents of Camilla Rutherford (A Very British Scandal), Charles Dance (Game of Thrones), Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire), Clive Owen (The Knick), Geraldine Somerville (Grace of Monaco), Tom Hollander (Pride and Prejudice), and Helen Mirren (The Thursday Murder Club). That’s not all. There’s also Eileen Atkins (Upstairs, Downstairs), Claudie Blakley (Pride and Prejudice), Emily Watson (Dune: Prophecy), Richard E. Grant (Saltburn), Derek Jacobi (Much Ado About Nothing), and Downton Abbey star Maggie Smith. Gosford Park received seven Academy Award nominations with a win for Best Original Screenplay. It is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 87% rating from critics.

‘The Cat’s Meow’ (2001)

There has long been speculation about how famed 1920s film mogul Thomas H. Ince died, and this movie explores one of the most popular theories. The film was directed by Peter Bogdanovich (The Last Picture Show) with a screenplay by Steven Peros (Footprints), who also wrote the 1997 stage play on which the movie is based. The entire movie is set during a weekend in 1924 when publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst (Edward Herrmann) and his mistress, film star Marion Davies (Kirsten Dunst), host a party on their yacht for Thomas Ince’s (Cary Elwes) birthday.

A Clever Romp

The cast includes Joanna Lumley (Wednesday), Jennifer Tilly (Chucky), Claudia Harrison (The Crown), James Laurenson (The Crown), Ronan Vibert (Penny Dreadful), Victor Slezak (The Order), John C. Vennema (Presumed Innocent), Ingrid Lacey (In Love and War), Chiara Schoras (Countdown), Claudie Blakley, and Suzy Eddie Izzard (Kaos) as Charlie Chaplin. The Cat’s Meow is a cleverly written romp sure to delight anyone who loves movies set in the 1920s Hollywood scene. The film was nominated for two awards at the Mar del Plata International Film Festival. Kirsten Dunst won for Best Actress.

‘The Heart of Me’ (2002)

Based on Rosamond Lehmann’s 1953 novel The Echoing Grove, The Heart of Me is a drama directed by Thaddeus O’Sullivan (Hidden Assets) and written by Lucinda Coxon (The Danish Girl). Madeleine (Olivia Williams) and Rickie (Paul Bettany) are a married couple in 1930s London whose relationship becomes fraught when Rickie begins having an affair with Madeleine’s sister, a Bohemian painter named Dinah (Helena Bonham Carter).

An Exercise in “Englishness”

The Heart of Me premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2002. It was nominated for two British Independent Film Awards and Olivia Williams won in the Best Actress Category. Paul Bettany won Best Actor at the Evening Standard British Film Awards. While reviews were mixed upon the film’s release, critics agreed that the film boasts three incredible stars. “The actors demonstrate such unmatchable Englishness that the movie — a kind of ‘End of the Affair’ without the religious instruction — takes on the gleam of a cultural artifact,” wrote Lisa Schwarzbaum for Entertainment Weekly.

‘Atonement’ (2007)

Director Joe Wright and star Keira Knightley followed up Pride & Prejudice with this excellent adaptation of the 2001 Ian McEwan novel Atonement. With a screenplay by Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons), Atonement begins in 1935, when 13-year-old Briony Tallis (Saoirse Ronan) accuses her sister Cecilia’s (Knightley) lover, Robbie Turner (James McAvoy), of a terrible crime that changes all of their lives forever. Carrying through World War II, the film explores how Briony’s statement to the police impacts her and those she loves against the backdrop of nationwide tragedy. The cast features Romola Garai (Suffragette), Brenda Blethyn (Pride & Prejudice), Juno Temple (The Offer), Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange), and Vanessa Redgrave (Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool).

Saoirse Ronan’s First Oscar Nomination

Atonement couldn’t have been a bigger hit. The film is on just about every “best of” list for movies from the year 2007. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards, winning Best Original Score for Dario Marianelli. It also introduced international audiences to the dazzling talents of Saoirse Ronan (Little Women), who received her first of four Academy Award nominations for her role in this film. “On paper and on screen, Atonement is a story of rare beauty,” Moira MacDonald wrote for The Seattle Times, “both wrenching and wise.”

‘Brideshead Revisited’ (2008)

Brideshead Revisited is a British drama directed by Julian Jarrold (A Very Royal Scandal) and based on Evelyn Waugh’s 1945 novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Jeremy Brock (A Little Chaos) and Andrew Davies (Sanditon). When middle-class aspiring artist Charles Ryder (Matthew Goode) meets the wealthy Lord Sebastian Flyte (Ben Whishaw) at the University of Oxford in the 1930s, the two strike up a friendship. Sebastian invites Charles to visit his home. Soon, however, Charles finds himself attracted to Sebastian’s sister Julia (Hayley Atwell). This makes Sebastian jealous and eager to put distance between Charles and his family.

A Compelling Drama

In addition to the three stunning leads, the cast includes Emma Thompson, Michael Gambon, and Felicity Jones (The Theory of Everything) in her second feature film role. Brideshead Revisited received mixed reviews overall, but did well enough to pick up nominations at the British Independent Film Awards, GLAAD Media Awards, Satellite Awards, Irish Film and Television Awards, and the London Critics Circle Film Awards. Emma Thompson garnered a lot of praise for playing Sebastian and Julia’s mother, Lady Marchmain. Dennis Harvey at Variety called it a “finely wrought” film offering “lush and compelling drama.”

‘Crooked House’ (2017)

Crooked House is a whodunnit directed by Gilles Paquet-Brenner (Sarah’s Key) with a screenplay Paquet-Brenner wrote with Julian Fellowes and Tim Rose Price (The Serpent’s Kiss). It is based on Agatha Christie’s 1949 novel of the same name. When the patriarch of the rich Leonides family is murdered, the victim’s granddaughter, Sophia Leonides (Stefanie Martini), tries to solve the mystery. The cast features Glenn Close (Damages), Terence Stamp (Last Night in Soho), Max Irons (Condor), Julian Sands (A Room with a View), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), and Gillian Anderson (The Crown).

Julian Fellowes Meets Agatha Christie

Crooked House isn’t like most of the movies on this list. It’s set in the 1950s, but since it’s a Julian Fellowes period piece, it feels worth including. It’s not a perfect film, and reviews aren’t as strong for this one as they are for some of the other movies here, but it is a fun addition for Agatha Christie fans. Composer Hugo de Chaire won Best Original Composition for Feature Film Score at the Music + Sound Awards. The film was also nominated for the Grand Prize for Best Literary Adaptation at the CineLibri International Book and Movie Festival.

‘The Chaperone’ (2018)

The Chaperone was adapted for the screen by Julian Fellowes and directed by Michael Engler. Downton Abbey‘s Elizabeth McGovern stars as Norma Carlisle, a reserved woman who agrees to chaperon wild teenage dancer Louise Brooks (Haley Lu Richardson) from Kansas to a prestigious dance academy in 1922. Though the film is a work of fiction, Louise Brooks was a real-life actress during the 1920s and 1930s. She is considered one of the first flappers and helped to popularize the bobbed hairstyle.

A Charming Costume Drama

The Chaperone is a charming little film that flew under the radar, and McGovern’s performance is delightful. Reviews have been mixed, with audiences enjoying the movie more than critics. The film only has a 48% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but audiences give it 72% on the Popcornmeter. “This based-extremely-loosely-on-fact costume drama adapted from a novel by Laura Moriarty should hit the sweet spot for fans of Fellowes’ particular variety of saucy-soapy period pieces,” wrote Leslie Felperin for The Guardian, who gave the movie 3/5 stars.

‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ (2022)

Lady Chatterley’s Lover is the latest adaptation of D. H. Lawrence’s classic 1928 novel. It was directed by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre (The Act) with a screenplay by David Magee (Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day). Emma Corrin (The Crown) stars as Constance Reid, who becomes Lady Chatterley upon marrying the baronet Sir Clifford Chatterley (Matthew Duckett). When Clifford is paralyzed in World War I, their marriage changes forever. Clifford becomes distant — focused more on money and power than he is on his wife. As they grow apart, Constance embarks on a passionate affair with gamekeeper Oliver Mellors (Jack O’Connell).

‘Heady Romance’

This steamy romantic drama has been successful on Netflix. Corrin has received particular praise for their performance in the title role. Leah Greenblatt at Entertainment Weekly called the movie “an unabashedly heady romance, rich in pretty costumes — when they’re wearing them — and lush, lusty atmosphere.” Lady Chatterley’s Lover is certified fresh with an 86% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes.