belle époque society through her provocative novels, but she is exploited by her husband, who plagiarises her work. Knightley believed the film connected strongly to modern-day feminism, and depicted cultural change in gender politics. To prepare for the part, Knightley read Colette's novels, among them The Vagabond and Chéri, and initially planned to visit her birthplace of Burgundy, France. She found the author "inspiring", and admired her imperfections as well as her courage. The film, released at the Sundance Film Festival, was critically successful, with Knightley's performance receiving acclaim. Manohla Dargis of The New York Times praised her vibrance and "expressive physicality", and Jordan Hoffman of The Guardian wrote that the film saw Knightley in "top form: luminous, clever, sexy and sympathetic." Knightley was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2018 Birthday Honours for services to drama and charity. The same year, she played the Sugar Plum Fairy in Disney's adaptation of The Nutcracker, titled The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, which was critically panned. In 2019, Knightley co-starred in The Aftermath, a film adaptation of the novel by Rhidian Brook, alongside Alexander Skarsgård. Knightley played Rachel, a "cold and complex" British army wife traumatised by her son's death by a German bomb. The film sees her and her husband move to Germany while dealing with grief. The film received mixed reviews. The Boston Globes Ty Burr credited Knightley for adding "conviction, grace, heart, and nerve" to the film, while Katie Walsh of the Los Angeles Times felt Knightley and Skarsgård were too reserved. Knightley portrayed whistleblower Katharine Gun in Official Secrets (2019), which was premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on 28 January 2019 to positive reviews. Knightley believed the film's depiction of Iraq War and government accountability connected with modern politics. Writing for The Guardian, Peter Bradshaw praised Knightley's "focused, plausible and sympathetic performance". Gun also expressed her contentment with the film. Knightley's first role of the decade was feminist activist Sally Alexander in Misbehaviour (2020), a film about the crowning of the first black contestant at the 1970 Miss World competition. The film discusses the nuances of intersectionality in second wave feminism; Knightley was drawn to the political aspects of the project. Misbehaviour was received positively, with Varietys Guy Lodge dubbing Knightly "likable as ever" but admitted she portrays "the least intriguing figure". Knightley was due to produce and star in