Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- serious
- theatrical
- wistful
- quiet evening
- literary film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the literary subject worthy but judged the film overly theatrical, stylized, and emotionally muted.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Max Perkins repeatedly reshapes Thomas Wolfe's enormous manuscripts, making editing the film's central creative conflict.
Perkins becomes Wolfe's professional guide and father figure, but Wolfe eventually resents the debt created by his success.
The plot follows the creation and reception of Look Homeward, Angel and Of Time and the River within Scribner's literary world.
The film presents 1930s Manhattan through formal interiors, martinis, jazz-club scenes, and a deliberately staged visual atmosphere.
Films like Genius, and why
Capote
shared biographical literary subject, period setting, and focus on a demanding creative collaboration
The Ghost Writer
shared dramatization of a famous writer's working life, artistic ambition, and emotionally complicated relationships
Bright Star
shared intimate period drama about authorship, literary circles, and the pressures surrounding celebrated writing
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Grandage
- Release Date
- 2016-06-10
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (735)
Cast
- Colin Firth
- Jude Law
- Nicole Kidman
- Laura Linney
- Guy Pearce
- Dominic West
- Vanessa Kirby
- Demetri Goritsas
- Harry Attwell
- Angela Sant'Albano
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- 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 Genius about?
- A gifted novelist and the editor who refines his unruly masterpieces find their friendship strained by the success they create together.
- What is Genius like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Genius as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Genius violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Genius.
- What did critics think of Genius?
- Critics broadly found the literary subject worthy but judged the film overly theatrical, stylized, and emotionally muted.
- Which films are like Genius?
- Films with a similar feel include Capote, The Ghost Writer, and Bright Star.
- How long is Genius?
- Genius runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Genius?
- In United States, Genius streams on Amazon Prime Video, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
