Keira Knightley’s Divisive Period Thriller Resurfaces On Streaming 16 Years Later

The Duchess, starring Keira Knightley, has reemerged on the streaming charts, 16 years after its release. Directed by Saul Dibb (Bullet Boy, Suite Française) and also starring Ralph Fiennes, Dominic Cooper, and Hayley Atwell, The Duchess is a biopic depicting the life of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, an influential socialite and political figure in the 18th century.

Today, January 19, The Duchess is the no. 9 movie in the world on HBO Max, per FlixPatrol. Interestingly, this is only due to viewership numbers in only a handful of countries. The Duchess is not available on HBO Max in the U.S. (where audiences can stream it on Paramount+ or MGM+), and is only on the top 10 charts in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia.

The Duchess particularly focuses on Georgiana’s struggles because of the expectation that she produce a male heir and her romantic entanglements outside her loveless marriage. The Duchess is a divisive entry among critics and audiences, with a 62% Tomatometer and 67% Popcornmeter on Rotten Tomatoes. It also won an Oscar in 2009 for Best Costume Design.

The Duchess is not Knightley’s best-reviewed movie in the period drama genre, which the star is known for. For instance, Knightley’s Pride & Prejudice (2005) has an 87% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes, while The Imitation Game (2014) has a 90%. Knightley earned her two Oscar nominations for her turns in these two movies.

Knightley got her start with a leading role in Bend It Like Beckham and a small, oft-forgotten part in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, but became an international star with 2003’s Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl. Knightley reprised her role as Elizabeth Swann in the subsequent two Pirates sequels (and has a cameo in the fifth movie) before moving on to other things.

In addition to starring in Atonement, Never Let Me Go, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, Anna Karenina, Begin Again, and The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Knightley has become something of a thriller star in recent history, due to her hit Netflix series Black Doves. She also then starred in another Netflix thriller, The Woman in Cabin 10, though this entry was critically panned.

Knightley will soon return in Black Doves season 2, and audiences may be interested in comparing it to the thriller elements of The Duchess. The period drama is still a notable title in Knightley’s career, illustrative of different trends in her performances and chosen genres.