Overview
A haunting exploration of love and desire unfolds in a world of butterflies and shadows.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- sensual
- dreamy
- melancholic
- arthouse film night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as stylish, sensual, intelligent erotic cinema with substantial emotional and thematic depth.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cynthia and Evelyn organize their lesbian relationship around consensual dominance and submissiveness, with rules, routines, and changing emotional needs.
The film uses stylized interiors, autumnal landscapes, moth imagery, and precise compositions to transform domestic sexual rituals into an uncanny sensual world.
Repeated household and erotic performances reveal how Cynthia and Evelyn sustain, test, and renegotiate their bond.
The story focuses entirely on Cynthia and Evelyn's intimate relationship, desires, and negotiated sexual identities.
Films like The Duke of Burgundy, and why
Secretary
stylized erotic drama exploring negotiated power, intimacy, and psychologically complex desire
The Handmaiden
sensual queer romance using formal control, ritual, and emotional ambiguity
In the Mood for Love
lush, psychologically intense drama about desire, secrecy, and erotic power
The Piano Teacher
provocative art-house examination of sexuality, performance, and relational power
Movie Details
- Director
- Peter Strickland
- Release Date
- 2015-02-20
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (390)
Cast
- Sidse Babett Knudsen
- Chiara D'Anna
- Eugenia Caruso
- Zita Kraszkó
- Monica Swinn
- Eszter Tompa
- Fatma Mohamed
- Kata Bartsch
- Gretchen Meddaugh
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Sundance Now
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Duke of Burgundy about?
- A sensual, meticulously stylized lesbian drama about two lovers whose carefully rehearsed power exchange begins to expose the fragile needs beneath their rituals.
- What is The Duke of Burgundy like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Duke of Burgundy as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Duke of Burgundy violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Duke of Burgundy.
- What did critics think of The Duke of Burgundy?
- Critics broadly praised the film as stylish, sensual, intelligent erotic cinema with substantial emotional and thematic depth.
- Which films are like The Duke of Burgundy?
- Films with a similar feel include Secretary, The Handmaiden, In the Mood for Love, and The Piano Teacher.
- How long is The Duke of Burgundy?
- The Duke of Burgundy runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Duke of Burgundy?
- In United States, The Duke of Burgundy streams on Philo, Sundance Now.
