Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- earnest
- compassionate
- quiet evening
- character drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Jodie Foster’s committed performance and the principal cast while finding the screenplay predictable, ponderous, and too sentimental in its treatment of ethical questions.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nell is pursued for laboratory observation while a judge determines whether she should remain in the forest or enter society.
The forest cottage is set against the laboratory, courthouse, and professional environments of the doctors and psychologist.
Nell speaks a mangled language developed with her twin sister Mae, forcing the adults to decode her experience.
The film centers Nell’s innocence and the doctors’ gradual emotional investment in protecting her autonomy.
Films like Nell, and why
The Miracle Worker
shared feral-child premise, ethical socialization questions, and compassionate dramatic tone
The Elephant Man
shared outsider protagonist, cultural misunderstanding, and heartfelt humanist drama
The Mosquito Coast
shared isolated natural setting, psychological observation, and emotionally earnest drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Apted
- Release Date
- 1994-12-23
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (566)
Cast
- Jodie Foster
- Liam Neeson
- Natasha Richardson
- Richard Libertini
- Robin Mullins
- Nick Searcy
- Jeremy Davies
- O'Neal Compton
- Joe Inscoe
- Stephanie Dawn Wood
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 Nell about?
- An isolated woman with a private language becomes the focus of a legal and medical struggle over whether society can understand her without taking away her freedom.
- What is Nell like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Nell as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Nell violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Nell as mild.
- What did critics think of Nell?
- Critics broadly praised Jodie Foster’s committed performance and the principal cast while finding the screenplay predictable, ponderous, and too sentimental in its treatment of ethical questions.
- Which films are like Nell?
- Films with a similar feel include The Miracle Worker, The Elephant Man, and The Mosquito Coast.
- How long is Nell?
- Nell runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch Nell?
- In United States, Nell streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
