Overview
A poignant coming-of-age tale that explores the beauty of first love and the struggle for independence.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- tender
- gentle
- sincere
- quiet evening
- date night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as compassionate, emotionally detailed, and warmly engaging, with resonant characters and strong performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Leonardo seeks independence from his overprotective mother while navigating the practical and emotional limits imposed by his blindness.
Leonardo's feelings for Gabriel develop gradually as he questions his identity and worries about expressing affection.
The film emphasizes quiet friendship, classroom encounters, tentative affection, and small gestures rather than melodramatic conflict.
Leonardo's exchange-program plans and conflict with his protective mother place adolescent autonomy within contemporary Brazilian family and school life.
Films like The Way He Looks, and why
Handsome Devil
gentle queer coming of age, intimate adolescent romance, and tender character-focused storytelling
Dating Amber
warm LGBTQ+ teen romance shaped by friendship, identity, and fear of rejection
Tomboy
emotionally detailed queer adolescence, restrained romance, and compassionate social observation
Movie Details
- Director
- Daniel Ribeiro
- Release Date
- 2014-04-10
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (1010)
Cast
- Ghilherme Lobo
- Fábio Audi
- Tess Amorim
- Lúcia Romano
- Eucir de Souza
- Selma Egrei
- Isabela Guasco
- Victor Filgueiras
- Pedro Carvalho
- Guga Auricchio
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Strand Releasing Amazon Channel
- 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 Way He Looks about?
- A blind Brazilian teenager tests the boundaries of independence and first love when a charismatic new classmate upends his plans.
- What is The Way He Looks like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Way He Looks as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Way He Looks violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Way He Looks.
- What did critics think of The Way He Looks?
- Critics broadly praised the film as compassionate, emotionally detailed, and warmly engaging, with resonant characters and strong performances.
- Which films are like The Way He Looks?
- Films with a similar feel include Handsome Devil, Dating Amber, and Tomboy.
- How long is The Way He Looks?
- The Way He Looks runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Way He Looks?
- In United States, The Way He Looks streams on Strand Releasing Amazon Channel.
