Fallen Angels movie review by Movie Review Mom

MOVIE TITLE: Fallen Angels

This Broadway comedy comes to the Big Screen in theaters on October 22, 2026

RATING: PG

LENGTH: 1 hr 50 min

Movie Review Mom GRADE: B

IN A NUTSHELL:

Filmed live on stage during its Broadway revival at the Todd Haimes Theatre and distributed by Trafalgar Releasing, Noël Coward’s 1925 champagne-soaked comedy of bad manners returns to cinema screens. The story follows two wealthy, upper-class best friends, Julia and Jane, whose husbands head out for a weekend golf trip. Left to their own devices, the women learn that a dashing, mutual ex-lover from their pre-marital past in France is coming to visit, sparking a hilarious evening of rivalry, champagne-fueled confessions, and theatrical chaos.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

• • Kids will be completely bored.
  • Terrible role models for kids

  • A lot of alcohol, smoking, and comedic drunkenness throughout the film.

  • Innuendo and dialogue centered around premarital affairs and marital boredom.

  • For adults who appreciate classic theatrical banter and stage comedies.

THEMES:

• • Female friendship and rivalry

  • The nostalgia and romanticizing of past youth

  • Marital routine versus romantic passion

  • Class etiquette and social hypocrisy

THINGS I LIKED:

• • Sensational lead performances by Kelli O’Hara and Rose Byrne, whose comedic timing and physical humor during the escalating dinner scene in Act 1 is pure comedic gold.

  • Scott Ellis’s direction captures the dynamic energy of a live Broadway audience while maintaining tight cinematic framing.

  • Tony Award-winning Art Deco costume design by Jeff Mahshie and lavish stage production values.

  • Fantastic supporting work by Tracee Chimo as Saunder. I had never seen her in anything before. She’s a pure gem.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

• • As a filmed stage play, the limited single-apartment setting may feel restrictive to viewers expecting a traditional feature film structure.

  • The dialogue-heavy 1920s farce pacing takes a few minutes to adjust to if you aren’t familiar with classic Noël Coward stage rhythms.

  • The audience howled with laughter at drunkenness and talk of infidelity. How sad.

FUNNY LINES:

• • “I am not drunk, Jane. I am merely seeing things with absolute, terrifying clarity.”

  • “Saunders, is there anything you don’t know how to do?”

  • “It isn’t passion, my dear—it’s golf. Golf kills everything.”

• “I’ve heard the worst part of parenting is…the children.”

INTERESTING LINES:

• • “Marriage is a wonderful institution, but who wants to live in an institution?”

  • “The past is such a comfortable place to visit, provided one doesn’t pack a bag and stay.”

  • “A woman’s loyalty to her best friend lasts precisely until the arrival of an attractive Frenchman.”

MOVIES LIKE THIS YOU ALSO MIGHT LIKE:

• In the Mood for Love (2000)

•  Hadestown: The Musical

• Merrily We Roll Along

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Dr. Trina Boice is a university professor, author of 36 books, professional author coach, YouTuber, podcaster, film critic, and mom of 4 awesome sons.[cite: 1]