Paste Magazine by Amy Amatangelo

This is a movie for the fans—almost a gift, really. The last two-plus years have been a lot for everyone, and to escape to late 1920s England and France in all its splendor is a delight.

Observer by Emily Zemler

It’s not a guilty pleasure; it’s actual pleasure. If there was ever a time to run into Downton Abbey’s welcoming embrace it’s now.

Collider by Ross Bonaime

A New Era shows that Downton Abbey doesn’t have to sacrifice joy to also explore sorrow and pain. Amongst charming tales of Hollywood and French getaways, A New Era delves into loves lost, missed opportunities that leave its mark on our lives for years, and how one will be remembered long after they’re gone.

Screen Rant by Rachel LaBonte

First and foremost, this remains a film for the fans. As such, Downton Abbey: A New Era is a triumph. After several tumultuous years, returning to a well-known universe with beloved characters is a balm and anyone who has followed along with the Crawleys will find plenty of enjoyment within the film.

The Telegraph by Robbie Collin

“We have to be able to enter the 1930s with our heads held high,” Dockery says – another hint that further Downtons may just keep roaring down the road, Fast & Furious-style. But it’s hard to believe that any could serve as a better send-off than this.

Slashfilm

"A New Era" is two hours of charming, breezy escapism that made me happy to see this ensemble learn to grow beyond the roles they've been given to play. Only time will tell if "Downton Abbey” continues this streak of progress, or further settle into its opulent creature comforts.

CNN by Brian Lowry

Elegant, occasionally adorable and at times quite emotional, series creator Julian Fellowes still knows how to pluck the right strings – upstairs and downstairs – to play a symphony with his sprawling cast.

Time by Stephanie Zacharek

Downton Abbey: A New Era goes down as easy as a Nice sunset.

Slashfilm by Matthew Bilodeau

"A New Era" is two hours of charming, breezy escapism that made me happy to see this ensemble learn to grow beyond the roles they've been given to play. Only time will tell if "Downton Abbey” continues this streak of progress, or further settle into its opulent creature comforts.

IndieWire by Kate Erbland

"A New Era” doesn’t feel like a cash-grab, but a true continuation. Lush settings, well-appointed sets, and an eye-popping wardrobe only add to the magic, and good luck not happily sinking into two hours of confectionary entertainment. (The endless jokes about the film industry somehow only add to the zip of it all.)

Entertainment Weekly by Leah Greenblatt

A New Era is strictly high-toned formula, from its God's-eye opening over spire-tipped turrets and green-velvet lawns to its soft-focus finish, but it feels like home.

Variety by Peter Debruge

Fellowes gives us an affectionate group hug, which is effectively what these encore visits amount to.

The Guardian by Peter Bradshaw

As hammy, silly, and undeniably entertaining as ever.

Screen Daily by Fionnuala Halligan

In a whizzing carousel of no war, no surprises, no peril, just 1920s frockery, Downton Abbey: A New Era delivers exactly the same as every other incarnation of Downton Abbey, only with a tearjerker ending for the core fanbase.

The Independent by Clarisse Loughrey

Downton Abbey: A New Era is whatever the opposite of a French Exit might look like. Rather than a party guest slipping out quietly, it’s the bumptious visitor making their final, sluggish turn around the room.

The Hollywood Reporter by David Rooney

Even the acerbic bons mots delivered with crisp aplomb by Maggie Smith’s Dowager Countess, Violet Grantham, don’t match the tart-tongued precision of her best retorts. And the direction of Simon Curtis — the man who made even Helen Mirren dull in Woman in Gold — seldom rises above serviceable.

TheWrap by Nicholas Barber

It was disingenuous of the filmmakers to use the phrase “A New Era”, because the film relies wholly on its viewers’ affection for characters and situations they have seen many times before.