The film opens with an introductory title card noting how history books typically focus on men and warfare, seemingly intended as justification for taking liberties with the limited historical record concerning Katherine Parr. She was Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife, remembered for championing a translation of the Bible from Latin so more people could read it. Vikander portrays her as quickly encountering an influential adversary in Bishop Gardiner (Sir Simon Russell Beale), who aims to validate Anne Askew's (Erin Doherty) argument—an assertion shared by the clergy and King Henry (Jude Law)—that understanding God’s word should be restricted to those deemed more qualified, particularly those skilled at managing its message. As Askew faces constant threats, the Queen endeavors to assist her, escalating a dangerous confrontation with Gardiner, all while navigating a marriage to a suspicious husband still preoccupied with securing a male heir as a backup for Prince Edward (Patrick Buckley). Director Karim Aïnzou has achieved a visually convincing production; the meticulous detail effectively portrays court life and its abrupt shifts from refinement to brutality. However, the central narrative feels underdeveloped and struggles to fill the runtime. The film suffers from excessive lingering close-ups and a deliberately slow tempo. Even basic historical accounts reveal the ultimate outcome, diminishing the impact of attempts at creating suspense—though these moments do occasionally highlight how being queen offered her minimal protection from those plotting for power. While I appreciated the concept behind the ending, it felt unrealistic, which encapsulates this disappointing drama that leans heavily on conjecture and fails to provide Vikander with substantial material to build a story about a woman embroiled in the later years of this tyrannical Tudor period.

Source on TMDB