Overview
A poignant exploration of love that defies societal norms and expectations.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- restrained
- tender
- quiet evening
- period drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film as a sensitive, intelligent, and visually elegant adaptation whose powerful forbidden love story is elevated by its ensemble performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Maurice and Clive's relationship is shaped by Cambridge privilege, social conformity, and the threat of losing status.
Maurice's relationships with Clive and Alec unfold under legal and social hostility toward homosexuality.
James Ivory recreates pre-World War I England through Cambridge interiors, country houses, costumes, and highly controlled social rituals.
Maurice moves from confusion and concealment toward a more decisive understanding of his desires.
Films like Maurice, and why
A Room with a View
period LGBTQ+ romance shaped by social repression, class expectations, and forbidden desire
Howards End
Merchant Ivory period drama combining restrained romance, English social codes, and literary adaptation
Benediction
historical gay romance centered on secrecy, class, and the consequences of homophobia
The Danish Girl
sensitive period romance about queer identity and love constrained by conventional society
Movie Details
- Director
- James Ivory
- Release Date
- 1987-09-18
- Runtime
- 140 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (635)
Cast
- James Wilby
- Hugh Grant
- Rupert Graves
- Denholm Elliott
- Simon Callow
- Billie Whitelaw
- Barry Foster
- Judy Parfitt
- Phoebe Nicholls
- Patrick Godfrey
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Strand Releasing Amazon Channel, Cineverse 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 Maurice about?
- A restrained Edwardian love story follows a privileged young Englishman toward self-acceptance after social convention breaks his bond with a male Cambridge friend.
- What is Maurice like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Maurice as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Maurice violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Maurice.
- What did critics think of Maurice?
- Critics broadly praise the film as a sensitive, intelligent, and visually elegant adaptation whose powerful forbidden love story is elevated by its ensemble performances.
- Which films are like Maurice?
- Films with a similar feel include A Room with a View, Howards End, Benediction, and The Danish Girl.
- How long is Maurice?
- Maurice runs 140 minutes.
- Where can I watch Maurice?
- In United States, Maurice streams on Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cohen Media Amazon Channel, Strand Releasing Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
