Overview
A love affair's haunting echoes linger in the shadows of post-war London.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- brooding
- intimate
- quiet evening
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly viewed the adaptation as a serious, visually accomplished romantic drama elevated by Julianne Moore's performance, though its emotional intensity and melodramatic construction divided opinion.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Maurice and Sarah's affair begins before the London Blitz and is transformed by wartime danger and separation.
Maurice hires a detective to investigate Sarah while his own obsession colors how he interprets what he learns.
The film uses bomb-damaged London, shadowed interiors, and nocturnal atmosphere to frame Maurice's emotional turmoil.
Sarah's relationship to Catholic belief and Father Richard Smythe complicates her love for Maurice and her obligations to Henry.
Films like The End of the Affair, and why
Brief Encounter
period adultery drama with obsessive love, moral conflict, and lush melancholic atmosphere
Casablanca
wartime romance shaped by secrecy, jealousy, and emotionally restrained period melodrama
The English Patient
literary romantic drama about destructive passion, betrayal, and spiritual uncertainty
Damage
psychological relationship drama centered on infidelity, obsession, and conflicted desire
Movie Details
- Director
- Neil Jordan
- Release Date
- 1999-12-03
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (284)
Cast
- Ralph Fiennes
- Julianne Moore
- Stephen Rea
- James Bolam
- Ian Hart
- Jason Isaacs
- Deborah Findlay
- Sam Bould
- Cyril Shaps
- Simon Turner
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 End of the Affair about?
- During postwar London, a novelist's jealous search for the truth about a former lover becomes a haunting meditation on desire, marriage, and faith.
- What is The End of the Affair like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The End of the Affair as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The End of the Affair violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The End of the Affair as mild.
- What did critics think of The End of the Affair?
- Critics broadly viewed the adaptation as a serious, visually accomplished romantic drama elevated by Julianne Moore's performance, though its emotional intensity and melodramatic construction divided opinion.
- Which films are like The End of the Affair?
- Films with a similar feel include Brief Encounter, Casablanca, The English Patient, and Damage.
- How long is The End of the Affair?
- The End of the Affair runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch The End of the Affair?
- In United States, The End of the Affair is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
