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The Princess

The Princess

Her life. Our obsession.

2022109 minPG-13Midcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Director
Ed Perkins

Decades after her untimely death, Princess Diana continues to evoke mystery, glamour, and the quintessential modern fairy tale gone wrong. As a symbol of both the widening fissures weakening the British monarchy and the destructive machinery of the press, the Princess of Wales navigated an unparalleled rise to fame and the corrosive challenges that came alongside it. Crafted entirely from immersive archival footage and free from the distraction of retrospective voices, this hypnotic and audaciously revealing documentary takes a distinctive formal approach, allowing the story of the People’s Princess to unfold before us like never before.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Princess?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Princess streaming on HBO Max.

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Highlights

What stands out about The Princess?

The Princess earns 3 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Thought-provoking.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Princess worth watching?

The Princess' Midcredits score is the 83rd percentile of all films, from 5.9K ratings across 4 sources. 77% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

83rd percentile

Better received than 83% of films

61st percentile among Documentary84th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)77th
Approval (how many liked it)87th

69 /100

77th percentile of all films

44th percentile among Documentary76th percentile among 2020s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

77% liked it

87th percentile of all films

74th percentile among Documentary87th percentile among 2020s
77% rated it 7–1023% rated it 1–6

Critics 85% · Audience 76%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 2 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

76th percentile

5.9K ratings across platforms

93rd percentile among Documentary75th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 11% in 30 days

Box office

Worldwide gross$72K

51st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The documentary relies entirely on archival footage to recount Diana's life and death without narration or new interviews.

Fans praised

  • archival footage weaves an immersive narrative without talking heads
  • editing and music craft an emotional, unbiased portrait
  • illuminates the media's predatory role and public complicity

Detractors panned

  • rehash of familiar footage with nothing new to offer
  • poor video quality and lack of context leave younger viewers lost
  • pretends objectivity but is approval-driven and one-sided

What stands out

Emotional impact75

evokes empathy and unsettlement through raw footage

AtmosphereDivisive75

immersive yet criticized as cold or voyeuristic

Ending75

card-game footage and death news hit hard

Sound and music70

score enhances mood but sometimes overpowers dialogue

Tension70

impending tragedy creates dread

PacingDivisive60

chronological but bogs down for those familiar with story

Originality30

familiar footage repeated from earlier docs

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Princess like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
DreadMelancholicTense
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.
ToneThe film presents its subject matter through unmediated archival footage, maintaining a solemn and detached observational stance.
The rideThe film sustains a low hum of dread, rising as Diana's story becomes more harrowing, culminating in her death; the heaviest emotional weight lands in the final act.
StructureOpens with footage moments before Diana's death, then flashes back to her early life and proceeds chronologically, returning to the accident at the end.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's archival approach leaves the viewer to reflect on the media's role and Diana's tragic fate, lingering long after.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe film is a non-narrative documentary composed solely of archival footage, not structured around a single protagonist's plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% (this title) · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% (this title) · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% (this title) · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Oppression · 4% of filmsFame · 3% of filmsTrauma · 7% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe documentary focuses on Diana's systemic mistreatment by the monarchy, media, and public, showing how fame became a trap and caused lasting harm.
StanceThe film questions the systemic forces (monarchy, media, public appetite) that oppressed Diana, using archival evidence to prompt reflection rather than offering a direct verdict.

The world

Late 20th centuryUrbanIn transitInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Martin Phipps
SettingDiana's life in the British royal family and its global media circus, 1980s–1997
MusicPhipps's score underscores the emotional shifts without overpowering the archival footage.

Content guide

Is The Princess okay for kids?

PG-13

The Princess is rated PG-13.

Ratings in 10 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany0
  • Ireland12
  • Austria12
  • Denmark7
  • FinlandK-7
  • Poland16
  • Spain12
  • Sweden7

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does The Princess have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Princess?

Crew

Directed by

Ed Perkins

Written by

Ed Perkins

Edited by

Jinx GodfreyDaniel Lapira

Music by

Martin Phipps

Produced by

Nancy Abraham, Jonathan Chinn, Lisa Heller, Vanessa Tovell, Lucile Smith, Jack Oliver
+6 more, Simon Chinn, Jamie Morris, Anna Klein, Poppy Dixon, Will Clarke, Gordon King

More like this

What are movies like The Princess?

The closest match to The Princess is Tell Me Who I Am (2019); both are films by Ed Perkins.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

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