A star rating of 3 out of 5.
Over the last ten years, period dramas – both movies and TV shows – have started to break away from the usual, formal style we’ve come to expect. Shows like Bridgerton and The Great have traded the genre’s traditional politeness and restraint for more passionate storylines, and films like Yorgos Lanthimos’s The Favourite offered a much edgier take than the gentle atmosphere of shows like Downton Abbey.
Peter Glanz’s new black comedy, Savage House, is set in the 18th century and feels like a natural extension of films that playfully critique historical settings. It shares similarities with Stanley Kubrick’s Barry Lyndon in its portrayal of an ambitious character trying to gain social status. The film also evokes the playful and somewhat scandalous style of Peter Greenaway’s The Draughtsman’s Contract in how it depicts the past, though Savage House is generally more straightforward and accessible than Greenaway’s more experimental work.
Lord Chauncey Savage, a man determined to climb the social ladder, and his wife, Lady Savage, are central to the story. He married her for her family’s wealth and status, but quickly spent most of her fortune and racked up considerable debts.
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When we first encounter them, they’re residing in a grand, but decaying, mansion filled with rotting fruit and broken fixtures. The camera frequently focuses on the estate’s most unpleasant areas. It’s a faded reminder of the luxurious life Chauncey hopes to achieve, but it still offers a degree of safety from the threats of a Jacobite rebellion and a widespread smallpox epidemic.
Early in the movie, we find out that a surprising chance encounter has come about because of the family’s troubles. The Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, who are rich and well-regarded, had planned to have dinner at a different estate, but the hosts there fell ill. Now, they urgently need a new place to host the dinner, and the Savage family’s estate is just suitable enough.
Filled with renewed determination, Chauncey and his wife began planning a grand feast. To afford it, and to quickly renovate their home, they instructed their staff to handle all the preparations and sold their remaining jewels.
As expected, problems quickly began to surface. Chauncey developed a painful case of gout, two of the family’s servants were secretly plotting against them due to affairs they were having with members of the Savage family, and two men showed up, furious that Chauncey had previously sold them the same plot of land.
The movie is generally fun and silly, and Hugh Grant is fantastic in a role that really plays to his strengths. He nails every line, especially during his character’s wild outbursts, and Claire Foy provides a perfect contrast with her more reserved performance.
Glanz generally manages the complicated plot well, and the script has some amusing moments, though most are likely to bring smiles rather than big laughs. However, the play sometimes relies too much on narration, explaining things that could have been better demonstrated visually. It’s hard to see what the downside would have been to removing the narration altogether.
The movie truly shines when it embraces its strangest and most intense moments – whether it’s exploring Chauncey’s descent into madness or vividly depicting the gruesome details of a decaying, infected wound.
A truly daring film would have explored these complex themes more thoroughly. However, Savage House is still an enjoyable watch, largely thanks to its two charismatic and energetic lead performances.
Savage House is released in UK cinemas on Friday 5 June.
Authors
Patrick Cremona writes about movies for TopMob, covering new releases in theaters and on streaming platforms. He’s been with the site since October 2019, and during that time, he’s interviewed many famous actors and reviewed all kinds of films.
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2026-06-04 18:34