Reception

The film's depiction of Thatcher has been criticised by her children, Mark and Carol Thatcher, who are reported to have said, "It sounds like some left-wing fantasy." Stuart Jeffries of the British newspaper The Guardian was cautiously optimistic about a non-British actor playing Thatcher, but expressed concern that its "narrative trajectory" could overlook "rage about what Thatcher, economy destroyer and warmonger, was doing to Britain" in favour of an "exclusive focus on Thatcher as a woman triumphing against the odds."

The Mail on Sunday reported in August 2011 that some viewers invited to a test screening of the unfinished film were concerned at the film’s depiction of Margaret Thatcher’s frail health in recent years

Early reviews have praised Streep's portrayal. The Times Kevin Maher said: "Streep has found the woman within the caricature." David Gritten at The Telegraph commented; "Awards should be coming Streep's way; yet her brilliance rather overshadows the film itself." Xan Brooks of The Guardian said Streep's performance "is astonishing and all but flawless". Critic Baz Bamigboye of the Daily Mail wrote: "Only an actress of Streep's stature could possibly capture Thatcher's essence and bring it to the screen. It's a performance of towering proportions that sets a new benchmark for acting." Richard Corliss of Time named Meryl Streep's performance one of the Top 10 Movie Performances of 2011.

The trailer for the film features Madness' ska/pop song "Our House". The teaser trailer features Clint Mansell's theme tune for sci-fi movie Moon.

On Rotten Tomatoes the film currently holds a rating of 56%. Metacritic gives the film a score of 52 based on 25 reviews by critics, and a score of 6.3 based on 8 user reviews.