Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- sweeping
- oppressive
- passionate
- historical drama night
- literary adaptation viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the ambitious magical-realist family saga slow, diffusely episodic, and undermined by miscasting and limited cultural authenticity.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story tracks Esteban, Clara, Blanca, and the next generation as their family estate and relationships change over mid-century Chilean history.
Clara's clairvoyance and paranormal phenomena coexist with family conflict, class politics, and historical upheaval.
Esteban's authority over his family, hacienda, workers, and daughter drives the central conflicts.
Blanca's love for revolutionary worker Pedro directly conflicts with her conservative landowner father Esteban.
Films like The House of the Spirits, and why
One Hundred Years of Solitude
shared multigenerational family saga, political upheaval, romantic conflict, and magical realism
The Official Story
shared Latin American political drama, class conflict, revolutionary themes, and sweeping family relationships
The English Patient
shared epic romance, aristocratic family tensions, historical change, and melodramatic atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Bille August
- Release Date
- 1993-10-21
- Runtime
- 140 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (754)
Cast
- Meryl Streep
- Glenn Close
- Jeremy Irons
- Winona Ryder
- Antonio Banderas
- Armin Mueller-Stahl
- María Conchita Alonso
- Vincent Gallo
- Jan Niklas
- Joaquín Martínez
Where to watch in United States
- 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 House of the Spirits about?
- A sweeping Chilean family saga where clairvoyance, class conflict, and revolutionary politics fracture a powerful patriarch's household.
- What is The House of the Spirits like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The House of the Spirits as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The House of the Spirits violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The House of the Spirits as brutal.
- What did critics think of The House of the Spirits?
- Critics broadly found the ambitious magical-realist family saga slow, diffusely episodic, and undermined by miscasting and limited cultural authenticity.
- Which films are like The House of the Spirits?
- Films with a similar feel include One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Official Story, and The English Patient.
- How long is The House of the Spirits?
- The House of the Spirits runs 140 minutes.
- Where can I watch The House of the Spirits?
- In United States, The House of the Spirits is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
