‘Downton Abbey’s’ end offers comfort

‘The Grand Finale’ movie closes the Crawleys’ story with a satisfying send-off.

- Review KATIE WALSH

RORY MULVEY Focus Features

ALLEN LEECH stars as Tom Branson and Michelle Dockery as Lady Mary in "Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale," reprising their roles in the British drama.

It’s the end of “Downton Abbey.” No, really — this time, it’s right there in the title, “The Grand Finale.” After six seasons, five Christmas specials, three movies and a partridge in a pear tree, this is the end, until the next time writer and creator Julian Fellowes is struck with inspiration.

All joking aside, “The Grand Finale” is a fine sendoff for the beloved British costume drama, which follows the ups and downs of the aristocratic Crawley family — and their staff — while navigating the tumultuous beginnings of the 20th century.

While the previous “Downton” film, 2022's “A New Era,” saw the Crawleys venturing to France and hosting a movie crew at their Yorkshire estate, the key to “The Grand Finale” is that Fellowes doesn’t venture into unfamiliar territory. He keeps us grounded in the smaller social and familial dramas, with a few fun guest stars that nod to the year in which the story takes place: 1930.