Overview
A young prince transforms into a formidable king, leading his troops to victory against overwhelming odds.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- heroic
- stirring
- theatrical
- classic cinema night
- shakespeare study
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Olivier's debut as a landmark Shakespeare adaptation that marries dramatic poetry with inventive cinematic spectacle and commanding performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film opens at the Globe Theatre before transforming Shakespeare's stage action into broad cinematic scenes and battle spectacle.
Color, music, stylized staging, and soaring Shakespearean poetry present Henry's campaign as grand national spectacle.
Henry proves his authority by uniting dissident English forces and leading them to victory at Agincourt.
Henry's courtship of Princess Katherine is formally tied to a peace agreement with France.
Films like Henry V, and why
Richard III
lavish historical spectacle, literary adaptation, and charismatic monarch at the center
Hamlet
Shakespearean drama rendered through stylized visuals, theatrical performance, and political conflict
The Lion in Winter
medieval royal politics, battlefield leadership, and elevated historical drama
Braveheart
period warfare, national identity, and heroic historical storytelling
Movie Details
- Director
- Laurence Olivier
- Release Date
- 1944-11-24
- Runtime
- 137 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (136)
Cast
- Laurence Olivier
- Renée Asherson
- Ralph Truman
- Ernest Thesiger
- Frederick Cooper
- Robert Helpmann
- Leslie Banks
- Felix Aylmer
- Robert Newton
- Freda Jackson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Henry V about?
- Laurence Olivier turns Shakespeare's account of Henry V into a dazzling fusion of theatrical artifice, medieval warfare, and royal self-fashioning.
- What is Henry V like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Henry V as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Henry V violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Henry V as graphic.
- What did critics think of Henry V?
- Critics broadly regard Olivier's debut as a landmark Shakespeare adaptation that marries dramatic poetry with inventive cinematic spectacle and commanding performance.
- Which films are like Henry V?
- Films with a similar feel include Richard III, Hamlet, The Lion in Winter, and Braveheart.
- How long is Henry V?
- Henry V runs 137 minutes.
- Where can I watch Henry V?
- In United States, Henry V streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max.
