Overview
A poignant tale of love and loss as a woman confronts her mortality while striving to live fully.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- poignant
- melancholic
- sincere
- classic movie night
- melodrama night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an expertly crafted and deeply moving melodrama elevated by Bette Davis's tour de force performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Judith's brain tumor diagnosis, changing behavior, and progressive loss of sight organize the film's intensely poignant emotional arc.
Judith and Dr. Steele build a marriage while he privately understands that her illness may return and seeks a cure.
Steele tells Judith's secretary that the tumor will recur, while Judith initially believes surgery has restored her future.
Bette Davis's portrayal of Judith dominates the film, supported by restrained performances from George Brent and Geraldine Fitzgerald.
Films like Dark Victory, and why
Stella Dallas
shared emotionally intense medical melodrama, doomed romance, and powerful central female performance
Camille
shared classic Hollywood weepie structure, romantic sacrifice, and poignant confrontation with mortality
Love Story
shared tragic romance, illness-centered drama, and polished studio melodrama
Now, Voyager
shared star-driven melodrama, female friendship, and heightened emotional conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Edmund Goulding
- Release Date
- 1939-04-20
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (165)
Cast
- Bette Davis
- George Brent
- Humphrey Bogart
- Geraldine Fitzgerald
- Ronald Reagan
- Henry Travers
- Cora Witherspoon
- Dorothy Peterson
- Virginia Brissac
- Charles Richman
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 Dark Victory about?
- A privileged young woman confronts a terminal brain tumor as love, friendship, and the hope of medical salvation reshape her brief remaining life.
- What is Dark Victory like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dark Victory as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Dark Victory violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Dark Victory.
- What did critics think of Dark Victory?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an expertly crafted and deeply moving melodrama elevated by Bette Davis's tour de force performance.
- Which films are like Dark Victory?
- Films with a similar feel include Stella Dallas, Camille, Love Story, and Now, Voyager.
- How long is Dark Victory?
- Dark Victory runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dark Victory?
- In United States, Dark Victory is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
