Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie 2016

As the champagne-fueled haze of middle age settles over them, Edina Monsoon (Jennifer Saunders) and her trusty sidekick Patsy Stone (Joanna Lumley) find themselves navigating the treacherous waters of their 60s. The once-illustrious PR agency founded by Edina teeters on the brink of bankruptcy, its sparkle dimmed by the cruel hand of fate. Desperate for a miracle to revive her fortunes and salvage what’s left of her reputation, Edina is forced to confront the harsh realities of an industry that’s moved on without her.

The morning after another night of excess, Bubble (Jane Horrocks), Edina’s loyal personal assistant, stirs her with a gentle touch. Groaning under the weight of last night’s indulgences, Edina stumbles out of bed to reveal that she’s signed a deal for an autobiography – a tome that promises to chronicle her life in all its glory. Waking Patsy with a burst of enthusiasm, Edina reveals her plan to turn her book into a film, only to be met with the cold, calculating gaze of their company head (Mark Gatiss), who dismisses her work as lackluster and devoid of interest.

Meanwhile, Patsy is busy setting the stage for Huki Muki’s fashion extravaganza when she receives word that supermodel Kate Moss is looking for a new PR representative. Seizing the opportunity to revive Edina’s flagging fortunes, Patsy hastens to share the news with her partner in crime. However, their clandestine conversation is compromised when Edina accidentally leaves her phone on speaker during a meeting with rival PR Claudia Bing (Celia Imrie), allowing the latter to eavesdrop on Patsy’s revelation.

As Edina and Patsy attend the fashion event with Edina’s 16-year-old granddaughter, Jane “Lola” Johnson (Indeyarna Donaldson-Holness), Saffron “Saffy” Monsoon (Julia Sawalha), Edina’s daughter and Lola’s mother, is out on the town with her new beau, Nick (Robert Webb). The evening takes a dramatic turn when Edina, desperate to make contact with Kate Moss (playing herself), finds herself at the wrong end of a balcony overlooking the Thames. In a moment of chaos and panic, Edina inadvertently sends Kate tumbling into the river below.

As the news of Kate’s disappearance spreads like wildfire, the media descends upon the scene, determined to capture the drama unfolding before their cameras. Edina, Patsy, and Lola find themselves in the clutches of the authorities, alongside Saffy, who arrives just in time to find her family embroiled in a maelstrom of chaos and confusion.

The next morning, Edina returns home to find Patsy in a state of distress, having just been fired from her job due to her association with Edina and the previous night’s dramatic events. The pair quickly reconcile and embark on a quest to track down Kate, employing Bubble as their underwater detective in the Thames. Their investigation unfortunately results in Bubble’s demise, prompting them to flee the country before the media frenzy escalates further. To finance their escape, they turn to Lola for financial support. As Edina, Patsy, and Lola arrive at Cannes, France, Saffron back in London is frantically searching for any information about Lola’s whereabouts.

Meanwhile, Edina and Patsy seek out Charlie, Patsy’s wealthy ex-lover, for assistance but are rebuffed. Undeterred, they turn to Edina’s estranged mother, a sprightly septuagenarian celebrating the birthday of her esteemed relative Violet. It is at this festive gathering that they encounter the Richest Woman in the World. In an audacious move, Patsy assumes a masculine alter ego, “Pat” Stone, and rapidly woos the Rich Woman, ultimately marrying her to secure their financial future. Edina and Patsy luxuriate in a plush hotel, rubbing shoulders with A-listers Dame Joan Collins and Dame Edna Everage, who make cameo appearances as themselves.

As Edina and Patsy bask in their newfound wealth, they are spotted by Emma Bunton, who promptly shares their whereabouts with Lulu. Saffron arrives in Cannes with her partner Nick and hastens to the hotel to locate Lola. Lola is already there with Emma, who reveals Edina’s location to Saffron, although this information barely scratches the surface of her concerns. Lulu subsequently flies to Cannes and reunites with Bubble, who astonishes her by revealing that Kate had simply swum away and did not perish in the Thames as initially believed. Moreover, Bubble divulges a stunning secret: she is a millionaire herself, having long controlled Eddie’s accounts and embezzled funds from the company for years.

As the chaos unfolds, Lulu’s treachery sets in motion a chain of events that ultimately lead to Edina’s downfall. The authorities receive an anonymous tip from Lulu, prompting them to track down Edina and Patsy’s whereabouts. With their only escape route compromised, the duo hurls themselves into a rickety, three-wheeled fish-market van, desperate to flee the scene. However, fate has other plans as they careen out of control through the town, eventually coming to a halt at Bubble’s lavish pavilion.

In a bizarre turn of events, their vehicle’s brakes fail, sending them tumbling backwards into an infinity pool attached to Bubble’s opulent abode. Saffy arrives on the scene just in time to witness Edina and Patsy slowly sinking beneath the surface, still trapped inside the van. As they succumb to the water’s grasp, Edina delivers a poignant apology to Saffy for her careless mothering and expresses a desire to let go of her struggles, finally accepting her advancing age and the inevitability of justice.

Saffy responds with unwavering love, while Bubble drops a bombshell, revealing that Kate Moss did not meet her untimely demise in the Thames. This newfound information sends Edina into a panic as she realizes her innocence is restored. With her PR agency revitalized, Edina’s reputation is salvaged, and Kate becomes an even more sought-after celebrity.

The film concludes with Patsy delivering a shocking revelation to her wealthy wife - that she’s not the man everyone thinks she is, but rather a woman. Her wife reveals her own secret: that she’s actually a man, and the camera pans out as the duo sings along to Kylie Minogue’s iconic rendition of “This Wheel’s on Fire”, the show’s beloved theme song, bringing the curtain down on this unforgettable episode.