Overview
A young Romany with extraordinary powers navigates the treacherous waters of crime and love.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- surreal
- anarchic
- lyrical
- arthouse film night
- world cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Emir Kusturica's film as a visually exuberant, emotionally powerful, and distinctive blend of Romani social drama, fantasy, crime, and dark comedy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Perhan's youth, poverty, and telekinetic abilities make him vulnerable to Ahmed's petty-crime network.
Perhan's telekinesis is woven into domestic life, Romani community dynamics, and criminal routines.
The story foregrounds Romani people facing social exploitation in Yugoslavia and Italy.
Kusturica combines surreal imagery, kinetic staging, comic disorder, and emotionally extreme set pieces.
Films like Time of the Gypsies, and why
Black Cat, White Cat
shares Romani cultural context, surrealist imagery, anarchic humor, and tragic coming-of-age drama
Underground
shares Kusturica's exuberant visual style, dark comedy, magical realism, and socially marginalized characters
The Sacrifice
shares lyrical magical realism, criminal underworld themes, and emotionally volatile family-centered drama
The Tin Drum
shares adolescent alienation, social exploitation, and a dreamlike blend of fantasy with grounded drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Emir Kusturica
- Release Date
- 1988-12-21
- Runtime
- 142 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (457)
Cast
- Davor Dujmović
- Borivoje Todorović
- Ljubica Adžović
- Husnija Hasimović
- Sinolička Trpkova
- Zabit Memedov
- Elvira Sali
- Suada Karišik
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 Time of the Gypsies about?
- A Romany teenager with telekinetic gifts is pulled from fragile family life into a corrupt criminal world where wonder and exploitation collide.
- What is Time of the Gypsies like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Time of the Gypsies as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Time of the Gypsies violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Time of the Gypsies as brutal.
- What did critics think of Time of the Gypsies?
- Critics broadly regard Emir Kusturica's film as a visually exuberant, emotionally powerful, and distinctive blend of Romani social drama, fantasy, crime, and dark comedy.
- Which films are like Time of the Gypsies?
- Films with a similar feel include Black Cat, White Cat, Underground, The Sacrifice, and The Tin Drum.
- How long is Time of the Gypsies?
- Time of the Gypsies runs 142 minutes.
- Where can I watch Time of the Gypsies?
- In United States, Time of the Gypsies is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
