Overview
A haunting tale of beauty, corruption, and the price of eternal youth.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- eerie
- decadent
- foreboding
- classic horror night
- literary cinema evening
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the MGM adaptation as an elegant, haunting, and visually impressive treatment of Oscar Wilde's gothic morality tale, despite reservations about its earnestness and performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dorian's aging portrait progressively reveals the evilness hidden beneath his youthful appearance.
Lord Henry repeatedly persuades Dorian to pursue pleasure without regard for moral consequence.
MGM elegance, plush interiors, and Victorian society conceal the macabre fate attached to Dorian's portrait.
The Egyptian cat sculpture and the magical painting initiate and sustain Dorian's unnatural bargain.
Films like The Picture of Dorian Gray, and why
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
shared gothic supernatural premise, moral corruption, and period atmosphere
The Innocents
shared decadent period setting, psychological horror, and transgressive themes
The Haunting
shared literary gothic horror, supernatural doom, and stylized black-and-white imagery
The Devil and Daniel Webster
shared Faustian bargain, hedonism, and tragic supernatural consequences
Movie Details
- Director
- Albert Lewin
- Release Date
- 1945-03-03
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (310)
Cast
- George Sanders
- Hurd Hatfield
- Donna Reed
- Angela Lansbury
- Peter Lawford
- Lowell Gilmore
- Richard Fraser
- Douglas Walton
- Morton Lowry
- Miles Mander
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Picture of Dorian Gray about?
- A beautiful Victorian dandy escapes aging while a supernatural portrait records the corruption of his soul.
- What is The Picture of Dorian Gray like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Picture of Dorian Gray as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Picture of Dorian Gray violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Picture of Dorian Gray as mild.
- What did critics think of The Picture of Dorian Gray?
- Critics broadly regard the MGM adaptation as an elegant, haunting, and visually impressive treatment of Oscar Wilde's gothic morality tale, despite reservations about its earnestness and performances.
- Which films are like The Picture of Dorian Gray?
- Films with a similar feel include Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Innocents, The Haunting, and The Devil and Daniel Webster.
- How long is The Picture of Dorian Gray?
- The Picture of Dorian Gray runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Picture of Dorian Gray?
- In United States, The Picture of Dorian Gray is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
