Is Victoria & Abdul Worth Watching?
Answer: Yes, Victoria & Abdul is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Drama movies.
It features a runtime of 112 minutes and offers a standard storyline that appeals to general audiences.

Verdict:Victoria & Abdul is a confirmed HIT based on our analysis of audience ratings and box office momentum.
With a rating of 6.9/10, it has delivered a mixed experience for fans of the Drama, History genre.
Answer: Yes, Victoria & Abdul is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Drama movies.
It features a runtime of 112 minutes and offers a standard storyline that appeals to general audiences.
Last updated: January 10, 2026
Released in 2017, Victoria & Abdul enters the Drama genre with a narrative focused on Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim. Under the direction of Stephen Frears, the film attempts to weave detailed character arcs with visual storytelling.
The film is anchored by performances from Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Tim Pigott-Smith. While the cast delivers competent performances, the script occasionally limits their range.
From a technical standpoint, Victoria & Abdul offers a competent presentation. The cinematography uses a distinct visual palette that aligns well with the tone. The sharp editing keeps the narrative moving at a brisk pace, maximizing the impact of the key sequences.
Beyond the narrative, Victoria & Abdul resonates with current cultural themes in the Drama space. It stays within the established boundaries of its genre, providing exactly what core fans expect without reinventing the wheel.
As of January 2026, Victoria & Abdul is available in theaters worldwide. For streaming audiences in the US, UK, and India, look for availability on major platforms roughly 45-60 days after the theatrical release. Don't miss the high-definition experience provided by premium large format (PLF) screenings.
The plot of Victoria & Abdul centers on a unique premise within the Drama landscape. Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim. The second act serves as a major turning point, leading to a climax that fans of 2017 cinema will find fairly predictable.
The ending of Victoria & Abdul has sparked significant debate on social media. It signifies the ambiguous resolution of the main plot thread. Given the current box office momentum, discussions of a Victoria & Abdul sequel or a wider cinematic universe are already gaining traction.
Final verdict for Victoria & Abdul (2017): with an audience rating of 6.9/10, the reception has been generally positive. It is a must-watch for fans of Drama, History cinema who appreciate attention to detail.
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $22,000,000 |
| Worldwide Gross | $66,558,465 |
| Trade Verdict | CLEAN HIT |
The estimated production budget for Victoria & Abdul is $22,000,000. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Analyzing the audience sentiment, IMDb rating of 6.9/10, and global collection metrics, Victoria & Abdul stands as a successful venture for the creators. It remains an essential piece of the 2017 cinematic year.
Victoria & Abdul has received mixed reviews with a 6.9/10 rating, making it a moderate success with the audience.
Victoria & Abdul is a mixed bag. It might be worth watching if you're a fan of Drama, History movies, but read reviews first.
Victoria & Abdul is a Drama, History movie that Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim....
Victoria & Abdul has received mixed reviews with a 6.9/10 rating, making it a moderate success with the audience.
Victoria & Abdul is a mixed bag. It might be worth watching if you're a fan of Drama, History movies, but read reviews first.
Victoria & Abdul is a Drama, History movie that Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim....
Victoria & Abdul is a Drama, History movie. Please check the content rating before watching with family.
You can find streaming options and availability for Victoria & Abdul on popular platforms. Check movieMx for the latest updates and reviews.
Victoria & Abdul features a talented cast. Check our "Top Cast" section to see the full list of actors and the characters they play in this film.
The runtime and duration of Victoria & Abdul are available in the movie details section. It's a gripping story that keeps you engaged from start to finish.
I wouldn't say this is a memorable historical film, but it was interesting and entertaining enough to hold my attention. I researched the background a little bit, and I am not sure why they made some of their changes to how the unlikely friendship actually transpired. I assume it was to simplify the story. And as it happens, It is surprising that the story has gotten told at all. Apparently extreme measures undertaken by the royals after to obliterate any record of the unlikely friendship after Queen Victoria's death. anyone who has read about the history of British monarchs will recognize this attempt to control the narrative of the royals as they guard the parameters of the succession. But it is worth a watch regardless about exactly how accurate the details are. History is written by the ones in control, and this is a cool exception.
**A good movie, on almost every level.** I really like films with a historical background or those linked to the monarchy, which has a lot to do with my personal life, my birth family and also with my work as historian. I was very curious about this movie, and today I finally got to see it. And I can say that it was really good. I can't say that everything is fine, there are several scenes and moments that seem too imaginative to have actually happened, but the overall picture is quite positive. The relationship between the mighty Queen Victoria and this personal servant of hers was surely the subject of harsh criticism and enormous misunderstanding. The British court was then, like most of Europe, deeply prejudiced, racist and Eurocentric. There was really a belief that Europe was civilization and that the colonizing and imperialist efforts of the European powers would take some of that civilization to a barbaric world, with strange customs, lacking in Christian religion, education, manners, modern infrastructures that only white Europeans could manage. This was the British stance in India, and elsewhere in its empire. For us this may be shocking, and we have seen a wave of destruction of statues and monuments linked to the European colonial past because of this general feeling of shock and repudiation… but history will not disappear just because we sweep it under the rug. It is with the teachings of history, inside and outside the classroom, that we learn, and erasing the visible traces of a past that offends us (or that offends other peoples) is useless. I think we shouldn't be ashamed of having been empires, and of having been present in other countries, or having dominated other peoples. For better or worse, this marked both sides (dominators and dominated), and the cultural exchanges that took place helped shape the countries and peoples we know today. I think it is much more productive to learn from all this: to learn not to make the same mistakes, and on the other hand, to make the best use of the bridges and links that this common past has established between different nations from several parts of the world. Sorry for the rant, but I think it comes in handy. As the respectable reader has already noticed, the film explores the relationship between two very different people: the queen of the greatest empire of her time and a humble clerk who happened to serve her, becoming one of her favorites and shocking the racist and futile court. Much of what we know of this connection has been lost because the letters and documents were overwhelmingly burned after Victoria's death, but I think the film really captured the essence of what happened there. Judi Dench is a great actress, who curiously has already given life to Victoria in an older film, and is perfectly suited for the role and manages to establish a very positive chemistry with Ali Fazal, who is charismatic, friendly and captures our interest and our affinity. There are several characters in the film that seem sketchy and uninteresting, and most royal court figures fall into this group. I liked, however, the performance of Michael Gambon, Tim Piggot Smith and Eddie Izzard. The end of the film is particularly touching. On a technical level, I have to highlight the judicious and intelligent choice of filming locations, in particular Osborne House, a former royal residence closely linked to the monarch. The film uses that footage well, captures color and light very well, and builds an elegant, warm cinematography that's pleasing to the eye and very engaging. Being a period film, an extra effort was put into the sets and costumes, and I can say that I haven't noticed any major errors or problems here. The biggest criticism I can make is the difficulty I felt in understanding the passage of time: it would be difficult, for someone who didn't know the story well, to say if the action of the film takes place in the course of just a few days or the course of several years. Also, the score by Thomas Newman, written for the film, turned out to be excellent.