Mary Stuart, daughter of King James V of Scotland, was born in Scotland in 1542. When her father passed away just 6 days later, she ascended to the throne, but regents would rule in her place until she came of age. Mary spent most of her early years in France, and at age 15 she married the heir to the French throne. However, the king died just a few years later, and so Mary headed back to Scotland to reclaim her rightful role as Queen.

Mary (Saoirse Ronan) had spent most of her life living as a Catholic in France, and is returning to a country that is now dominated by Protestants who hardly knew her. Mary’s half-brother James (James McArdle) had been governing the land on her behalf and is a little reluctant to release control. There is also some concern that Mary is going to be taking orders from Rome—a notion that Protestant reformer John Knox (David Tennant) uses to fan the flames of revolt among Mary’s new subjects.

Meanwhile, in England, Queen Elizabeth (Margot Robbie) is worried that her cousin Mary, who has a legitimate claim to the throne of England, could make a play for her title as well. So she and her advisors come up with a plan to keep Mary at bay, which includes trying to marry her off to an English subject, in order to be able to exhort some control.

Mary Queen of Scots is a historical costume drama that takes some liberties with history in order to give the story a more modern day sensibility. It constantly cuts back and forth between the parallel stories of these two strong female monarchs who struggle to find a balance between their power and their femininity/personal lives. Elizabeth is a more mature woman with no heir, so there is a lot of pressure from her advisors for her to find a suitor and have a child. However, for Elizabeth, the power and role of ruling queen is everything. She has devoted her life to her country, covering her aging appearance with wigs and nearly clown-like make-up.

Meanwhile Elizabeth’s much younger, more beautiful cousin is new to this whole ruling thing and must deal with a looming threat of revolt. Mary is naive and constantly has men trying to tell her how to think and what to do. Her inexperience leads to a series of poor decisions that compromise her power, and ultimately lead to her downfall.

Universal’s 4K Ultra HD release looks and sounds phenominal. This is a beautiful looking film, and the 4K picture showcases the breathtaking landscapes of Scotland. The Dolby Vision setting really enhances the colors in both nighttime and daytime scenes. Details are also quite noticeable, from the textures on the beautiful costumes, to Mary’s freckles and every crack in Elizabeth’s white painted face. The Atmos soundtrack provides an immersive experience—from the film’s the booming score, to the clash of battle, and the sounds of angry crowds.

The 4K Ultra HD release comes packed in standard UHD keepcase with a slipcover, and contains an insert with a code to redeem for a 4K Movies Anywhere digital copy of the film. Both the 4K and the Blu-ray discs contain the same small selection of bonus material—an audio commentary with the director and composer, and 10 minutes of behind-the-scenes featurettes with the cast and filmmakers.

What’s Included:

Film: (2:03:55)

4K Ultra HD:
• 2160p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Dolby Vision / HDR10
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, French Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Blu-ray:

• 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
• Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English Descriptive Video Service, Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround, French Dolby Digital Plus 7.1
• Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French

Digital (for redemption deadline, see NBCUcodes.com):

• 4K Digital copy redeemable via Movies Anywhere

Extras:

All bonus material can be found on both the 4K Ultra HD disc and the Blu-ray disc.

• Feature Commentary (2:03:55)
  Director Josie Rourke and composer Max Richter talk about the sets, the characters, the actors, and a lot about the music. While they do provide some interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes, there was something that just felt a little lacking in this commentary.
• An Epic Confrontation (3:58)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about the scene where Mary and Elizabeth finally meet face-to-face (something they admit is historically inaccurate), which was also the first time the two actresses met face-to-face in costume. Includes interviews with director Josie Rourke, producers Tim Bevan & Debra Hayward, screenwriter Beau Willimon, author Dr. John Guy, and stars Saoirse Ronan (“Mary Stewart”) & Margot Robbie (“Queen Elizabeth I”).
• Tudor Feminism (3:35)
  The cast and filmmakers talk about how Elizabeth and Mary are in the same unique position of being a female monarch at a time when things were run by men. These women struggle to explore their own desires and ambitions while also facing negativity of others telling them what they should do. Includes interviews with screenwriter Beau Willimon, director Josie Rourke, producer Debra Hayward, author Dr. John Guy, and stars Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Ian Hart (“Lord Maitland”).
• Something About Marys (2:24)
  Stars Saoirse Ronan and the cast talk about the fun, close relationship the actors had on set. Also includes interviews with actresses Eileen O’Higgins (“Mary Beaton”), Izuka Hoyle (“Mary Seton”), Liah O’Prey (“Mary Livingston”), Ismael Cruz Cordova (“David Rizzio”), Maria Dragus (“Mary Fleming”), Jack Lowden (“Henry Darnley”) and James McArdle (“James, Earl of Moray”).

Final Thoughts:

Mary Queen of Scots is a beautifully shot costume drama that takes a few liberties with history. The performances by Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie are fantastic, but the film felt both too long as well as not long enough. The main story is a bit too drawn out, and then the film does some hand-waving at the end, jumping ahead more than a decade without providing a much explanation of what happened during the gap. Fans of the film will definitely be pleased by the stellar 4K presentation, though the release is quite light on bonus material. For new viewers who appreciate costume dramas, the film is still worth a look for the visuals and performances.