SIFF 2026: 'Lady' Movie Review

When a young documentarian, Sam (Laurie Kynaston) takes a paid gig to shoot a portrait of the obscure noble Lady Isabella (Sian Clifford, Fleabag), what initially appears to be a vanity project for an entitled aristocrat quickly morphs into something much, much stranger and more off the wall. The mockumentary format is a hit-and-miss affair, for me at least, but Samuel Abrahams’s Lady makes excellent use of this stylistic approach and delivers something both hilarious and truly unusual, all anchored by an incredible, unhinged performance from Clifford. Think Absolutely Fabulous meets Grey Gardens by way of the Invisible Man.

 

It’s best to go into this as cold as possible, so I’ll try not to reveal too much. Suffice it to say, the film quickly takes an unexpected turn and then continues to go to unusual and surprising places. At first blush it looks like this is going to be a send up of a self-absorbed narcissist—Lady Isabella wants to film her annual talent show for local youth, a contest the middle-aged spinster intends to win. 

 

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However, then things get weird and Abrahams ratchets up the pressure, pushing the absurdity to new heights, taking big swing after big swing. Even in its strangest moments, the film never goes where you anticipate, but for all the ludicrous ventures, there’s a grounded, heartfelt core. Running beneath Lady Isabella’s pompous blowhard exterior, lurks a damaged, fragile psyche of an aging woman terrified of disappearing, of becoming invisible while trying to find her own artistic voice to show herself to the world. 

Clifford carries all of this on her capable shoulders. She plays loud and over-the-top, pretentious and exaggerated, all while maintaining something earnest and true under the bluster. Her performance manages to be both big and broad at the same time she’s delicate and nuanced. It’s a fantastic and varied turn, without which the film wouldn’t stand a chance. 

 

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Lady is a zany, festive romp at the same time it’s quite sweet and sad and lovely. Again, Clifford is fantastic and the film never settles for an easy out or pedestrian narrative choice. Like I said, it’s best to go in with little prior knowledge of the plot, but know the scene where Lady Isabella and Sam take mushrooms is one of the funniest movie moments of the year. [Grade: A]

 

Find all of our SIFF 2026 coverage here.