Downton Abbey is one of the finest family dramas on both sides of the Atlantic. The intrepid Crawley family returns to the big screen in the continuation of their story. Like most families things change, times change, and people change. New opportunities for the family bring the past and the present to meet the future. As a fan of the TV series, I have found the movies to be quite good.

This movie does some great fan service while adding some new twists that tell a new story. We see lots of our favorite friends along with some new faces. I think you can appreciate this as a stand-alone film but it does help to see some of the TV series for helpful context.

Julian Fellowes is a terrific writer and you won’t be disappointed in this New Era of the story of Robert, Cora, and their children.