Amanda Seyfried, Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgård, Cher, Christine Baranski, Julie Walters
The party isn’t over yet—it’s just getting louder. Mamma Mia! 3: The Winner Takes It All transports audiences back to the sun-drenched, turquoise paradise of Kalokairi, five years after the emotional grand reopening of Hotel Bella Donna. Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) has successfully transformed her mother’s dream into a world-class destination, but success has come at a price. Between managing a bustling resort, navigating her marriage with Sky, and raising their precocious, musically gifted son, Donny, Sophie feels the soul of the island slipping away under the weight of spreadsheets and reservations.
The precarious balance is shattered by the arrival of Ruby Sheridan (Cher). Sophie’s extravagant grandmother sweeps in via helicopter with a camera crew in tow and a “brilliant” idea to boost tourism: transforming the quaint hotel into the set of “The Apollo Voice,” a global, Eurovision-style singing competition. Suddenly, the rustic charm of Kalokairi is invaded by stage moms, glitter cannons, and aggressive producers, threatening to turn Donna’s legacy into a reality TV circus.
Amidst the sequined madness, the three dads—Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth), and Bill (Stellan Skarsgård)—find themselves facing an identity crisis. Feeling pushed aside by the younger, cooler contestants, they decide to form their own “Dad Band.” Their subplot provides hilarious comic relief as they struggle with choreography, Lycra costumes that fit a little too snugly, and a disastrous rehearsal montage set to “Does Your Mother Know.” Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters) are, naturally, on hand to provide lethal martinis and even sharper commentary.
However, the film’s true seismic shift occurs with the discovery of a dusty, forgotten VHS tape from 1979 in the hotel attic. The footage reveals a young Donna (Lily James) singing a duet with a woman who looks exactly like her—her secret, estranged twin sister, Linda. This plot device allows the legendary Meryl Streep to return in a substantial, surprising new role. Streep plays Linda, the “evil” twin: a bohemian rock-and-roll drifter who abandoned the family decades ago to chase solo fame that never came.
Linda arrives on Kalokairi not to sing, but to claim her “rightful half” of the estate, bringing a storm of tension and unearthing buried family secrets. The narrative weaves between the past and present, contrasting Donna’s warmth with Linda’s jagged edges.
The film builds to a show-stopping climax during the night of the competition finale. As a storm knocks out the power and the TV cameras cut to black, the family is forced to strip away the glitz and perform unplugged by candlelight. In a heart-wrenching sequence, Sophie and Linda bridge the generational gap through a powerful rendition of “The Winner Takes It All,” leading to a reconciliation that heals the wounds of the past.
Filled with ABBA deep cuts like “Summer Night City” and “Head Over Heels,” alongside beloved classics, Mamma Mia! 3 is a glitter-bombed celebration of chaos, second chances, and the enduring power of a song. It proves that while families are complicated, the music always brings them back together.