Margaret (Hayley Atwell) and Helen Schlegel (Philippa Coulthard) are intelligent and idealistic young women living together with their hypochondriac younger brother Tibby (Alex Lawther) in Edwardian London. Since the death of their parents and despite their interfering Aunt Juley's (Tracey Ullman) best intentions, the sisters lead independent and slightly unorthodox lives. After meeting the wealthy and conservative Wilcox family on holiday, Margaret forms a friendship with the older and more traditional Ruth Wilcox (Julia Ormond). When Ruth unexpectedly dies, Margaret finds herself increasingly drawn to the newly widowed Henry Wilcox (Matthew Macfadyen), a self-made businessman who inherits his late wife's beloved country home Howards End. Meanwhile, the passionate and capricious Helen takes up the cause of Leonard Bast (Joseph Quinn), a young bank clerk who is struggling to make ends meet, trapped by his promise to marry his alluring but vulnerable lover Jacky (Rosalind Eleazar).

Critics Reviews for Howard's End (2018):

• “There's something almost comforting in the familiarity of the characters at play-their intellectual sparring matches and their philosophical objections to one another…a masterly adaptation of E.M. Forster's novel that affirms its relevance.” – Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic
• “One of Atwell's strengths is that understated comic sense – she does share some characteristics with Emma Thompson – and Margaret's knowing exasperation with some of her circumstances does a lot to build confidence in her as a character.” – Linda Holmes, NPR
• “[Hayley] Atwell might be best known to some for her forays into the Marvel universe, but she's an extremely talented actress who deftly captures Margaret's com­bination of intelligence and pragmatism, in contrast to her sister's idea­lism.” – Brian Lowry, CNN.com
• “Lonergan's script deftly illustrates the opportunities Meg and Helen could have had if not for the time they lived in.” – Ben Travers, indieWire