Netflix is removing The Lady in the Van, the “wonderful” British drama starring Maggie Smith. Released in 2015, the film follows Smith as Miss Shepherd, a homeless woman who takes up residence on Alan Bennett’s driveway.
Based on Alan Bennett’s memoir of the same name, the film stars Alex Jennings as Alan, with a supporting cast including Jim Broadbent, Claire Foy, Roger Allam, Dominic Cooper, and Frances de la Tour.
Directed by Nicholas Hytner, the logline reads: “Offering to let her park her van in his driveway, playwright Alan forms a curious but strong bond with agreeably grumpy vagabond Miss Shepherd.”
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The Lady in the Van was added to Netflix in June 2025, but is set to depart the streamer imminently on 31 May.
A hit among critics, the film currently has a Certified Fresh rating of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes from 151 reviews, with critics praising Smith’s performance.
“Of course, the film’s showpiece is another incomparable lady, the always amazing Maggie Smith,” penned the Austin Chronicle.
The Chicago Sun-Times said of the film: “It’s about the boundless talents of Maggie Smith, sometimes chewing up the screen, sometimes saying volumes simply by sitting very, very still, with a perfectly perfect expression on her face.”
The Dallas Morning News wrote: “Smith’s performance as the bizarre old lady, who manages to get help by rejecting it, is the reason to watch this film.”
Viewers were equally taken by the film, which has a respectable user rating of 6.7 put of 10 on IMDb.
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“A wonderful film about an uptight, cold man and a disturbed religious bag lady – you won’t soon forget it,” wrote one fan.
“Such an interesting true story of a very odd woman, this film is very endearing. The chemistry between Maggie Smith and Alex Jennings is very enjoyable to watch,” said another.
One fan of the film said: “Maggie Smith is truly magnificent here and worthy of some kind of award nod. Her character easily could have been an annoying caricature, especially in lesser hands, but Smith is often funny and deliciously batty but also gives the character a vulnerability.”
The Lady in the Van is available to stream on Netflix until 31 May.
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Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.