Deborah Ross

Unforgettable story, forgettable film: The Lost King reviewed

This adaptation about an amateur historian who finds the body of Richard III under a car park should be thrilling but it falls flat

The sort of film you could do the ironing in front of: Sally Hawkins and Harry Lloyd in The Lost King. Credit: Pathé UK 
issue 08 October 2022

The Lost King is a comedy-drama based on the 2012 discovery of the remains of King Richard III beneath a Leicester car park. It’s a terrific story, an unforgettable story, but a fairly forgettable film. It’s directed by Stephen Frears, stars Sally Hawkins (as Philippa Langley, the amateur enthusiast who was proved right despite being sneered at by archaeology experts), and yet it’s somehow underpowered.

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