Movie review
December 7, 2018 · 124 min · R
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Mary Queen of Scots is a 2018 historical drama about Mary Stuart returning to claim the Scottish throne in 1561 and her rivalry with cousin Queen Elizabeth I of England over power, succession, and survival amid betrayals and rebellions. The film draws from John Guy's biography but centers the queens as women rulers navigating male-dominated courts, with explicit scenes of sex, menstruation, and childbirth. It features deliberate diverse casting of real historical white figures with actors of color and a prominent queer subplot around David Rizzio that includes cross-dressing, acceptance of his nature, and a sexual relationship with Darnley. Marketing used the tagline "Bow to no one" and creative statements highlighted female strength and independence.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Mary Queen of Scots.
Woke representation / casting
Director explicitly rejected an all-white period drama and applied color-blind casting; multiple prominent supporting roles filled by actors of color playing historically white European figures, including Gemma Chan as Bess of Hardwick and Adrian Lester as Lord Randolph; the mismatch with the 16th-century Scottish and English court setting is audience-visible and was discussed in production statements.
Woke political dialogue
Some lines and scenes reflect modern gender and sexuality views, such as Elizabeth expressing a desire to be a man and explicit discussions around intimacy and power; core exchanges stay rooted in court politics and religious conflict but carry anachronistic feminist sensibility.
Identity-driven story themes
Narrative centers two female rulers in a masculine world, with recurring emphasis on female strength, the personal cost of power for women, and a complex bond between the queens; a visible queer subplot features David Rizzio cross-dressing, Mary accepting his nature, and a sexual relationship with Darnley; marketing and creative framing reinforced female independence.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Traditional male court advisors, marriage expectations, and Protestant clerical authority are portrayed as sources of betrayal, limitation, and harm to the queens; male characters are frequently shown as treacherous or entitled; the story reframes historical rivalry and religious strife through a contemporary lens of gender constraints rather than solely faith or succession.
Woke character or canon changes
Real historical figures such as Bess of Hardwick and Lord Randolph receive ethnicity changes via casting for diversity; David Rizzio's story expands queer elements including cross-dressing and implied relationships beyond clear historical consensus; the queens' dynamic and motivations receive modern feminist emphasis, including an invented personal meeting.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Multiple reviews and viewer comments specifically criticized the diverse casting as forced historical revisionism and woke propaganda; complaints targeted anachronistic feminist messaging, progressive handling of gender and sexuality, and prioritization of contemporary identity over accuracy; examples include direct labels of "woke propaganda" and "Mary, Queen of Woke" focused on casting and anti-patriarchy framing.
Creator track record context
Director Josie Rourke has a documented theater pattern of diverse casting and gender-focused productions; producer Kate Pakenham has theater credits on feminist historical works; Amelia Granger has mainstream Working Title credits plus later multicultural development involvement; lead writer Beau Willimon has political drama background per cached profile; historian John Guy shows no strong activist pattern; overall mix of progressive theater influences in key creative roles raises the score moderately.
Production
