The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Performance & Direction: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Review
Last updated: January 30, 2026
Quick Verdict: Hit or Flop?
Is The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015) worth watching? According to our cinematic analysis, the film stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE with a verified audience rating of 6.4/10. Whether you're looking for the box office collection, ending explained, or parents guide, our review covers everything you need to know about this Drama.
Cast Performances: A Masterclass
The success of any Drama is often anchored by its ensemble, and The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel features a noteworthy lineup led by Dev Patel . Supported by the likes of Judi Dench and Richard Gere , the performances bring a palpable realism to the scripted words.
Performance Analysis: While the cast delivers competent and professional performances, they are occasionally hampered by a script that leans into familiar archetypes.
Final Verdict: Is it Worth Watching?
Story & Plot Summary: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Quick Plot Summary: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is a Drama, Comedy film that explores complex human emotions and relationships through detailed character development. This summary provides a scannable look at the movie's central conflict and narrative structure.
Story Breakdown
This character-driven narrative explores the internal and external conflicts that define the human experience. As the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel has only a single remaining vacancy - posing a rooming predicament for two fresh arrivals - Sonny pursues his expansionist dream of opening a second hotel. The screenplay takes time to develop its characters, allowing audiences to connect emotionally with their struggles and triumphs. Each scene builds upon the last, creating a cumulative emotional impact.
Narrative Structure
- Opening Hook: We meet the main character in their ordinary world, establishing the emotional baseline before the inciting incident disrupts their life.
- Character Arc: The main character shows growth throughout the story, though some supporting characters could have been more fully realized. The arc is present but occasionally predictable.
- Climax & Resolution: The emotional climax brings character arcs to their natural conclusion, providing catharsis while staying true to the story's core themes.
Ending Explained: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Ending Breakdown: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel concludes its story with a mix of closure and open interpretation. The finale presents its approach to drama resolution.
The emotional climax centers on character transformation, offering viewers material for post-viewing discussion.
Ending Analysis:
- Narrative Resolution: The story concludes by addressing its primary narrative threads, providing closure while maintaining some ambiguity.
- Character Arcs: Character journeys reach their narrative endpoints, reflecting the film's thematic priorities.
- Thematic Payoff: The ending reinforces the drama themes established throughout the runtime.
The final moments of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel reflect the filmmakers' creative choices, offering an ending that aligns with the film's tone and style.
Who Should Watch The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel?
Worth Watching If You:
- Enjoy Drama films and don't mind familiar tropes
- Are a fan of the cast or director
- Want a character-driven story with emotional moments
Box Office Collection: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
| Metric / Region | Collection (Approx) |
|---|---|
| Production Budget | $10.0M |
| Worldwide Gross | $86.0M |
| Trade Verdict | FINANCIAL DISAPPOINTMENT |
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Budget
The estimated production budget for The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is $10.0M. This figure covers principal photography, talent acquisitions, and visual effects. When accounting for global marketing and distribution, the break-even point is typically 2x the base production cost.
Top Cast: The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
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Where to Watch The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Online?
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Fandango At HomeThe Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel Parents Guide & Age Rating
2015 AdvisoryWondering about The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel age rating or if it's safe for kids? Here is our cinematic advisory:
⏱️ Runtime & Duration
The total runtime of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is 122 minutes (2h 2m). Ensuring you have enough time for the full cinematic experience.
Verdict Summary
Analyzing the overall audience sentiment, verified rating of 6.4/10, and global performance metrics, The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is classified as a ABOVE AVERAGE. It remains an essential part of the 2015 cinematic calendar.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel worth watching?
The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is definitely worth watching if you enjoy Drama movies. It has a verified rating of 6.4/10 and stands as a ABOVE AVERAGE in our box office analysis.
Where can I find The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel parents guide and age rating?
The official parents guide for The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel identifies it as PG. Our detailed advisory section above covers all content warnings for families.
What is the total runtime of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel?
The total duration of The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel is 122 minutes, which is approximately 2h 2m long.
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Critic Reviews for The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
Just like the first film, this one also takes you to a very special journey you can never forget. The honesty of the characters and how relatable they are is what made the first film so charming and unique applies to this film too. These two films have a very special place in my heart. Would I watch it again? Absolutely! Would I make my friends watch it? Definitely.
Well hats off to John Madden for managing to reassemble the cast from the first film from four years earlier, and for securing the sparing services of Richard Gere but I'm afraid the rest of this is all a poor cousin. With the hotel now more successful, "Sonny" (Dev Patel) and "Mrs. Donnelly" (Dame Maggie Smith) are in the USA trying to seek funding for them to expand, and to buy the former women's palace for their next venture. Returning, and expecting an inspector to come and evaluate their business they greet the arrival of writer "Chambers" (Gere) and of new guest "Lavinia" (Tamsin Greig) in slightly different manners - and that's the first mistake for "Sonny"! The first film had a freshness to it, they (and we) were are all exploring a new life with new opportunities in a new bustling city: this is a much less joyful affair. Everyone appears to be looking towards the end; the characters are much flatter and slightly more depressed. The mischievous characterisations from Ronald Pickup and Celia Imrie have entered a rather uninteresting cul-de-sac. Familial discord between Sonny, his fiancée and his mother is all just a bit too convoluted and the story just, frankly, runs out of steam. Patel exudes charisma, he does way more to carry this than any of others and in the end comes up with quite a decent bit of dancing too. It's colourful and it's doesn't hang about, but Dame Maggie, in particular, has lost much of her curmudgeonly charm and Dame Judi really rather simpers through the film with little of the spark we saw before. To be honest, I'm not really sure the first film really merited a sequel at all. This one is really not very memorable and Richard Gere's character adds very little indeed.
movieMx Verified
This review has been verified for accuracy and editorial quality by our senior cinematic analysts.
This analysis is compiled by our editorial experts using multi-source verification and audience sentiment data for maximum accuracy.
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