Overview
A whimsical tale of adventure and romance unfolds as a grandfather shares a beloved story with his skeptical grandson.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- warm
- irreverent
- family movie night
- comfort viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly celebrate the film as a deft, intelligent, and delightfully postmodern blend of swashbuckling romance, comedy, and fairy-tale adventure.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The grandfather reads the inherited book to his bedridden grandson, whose reactions shape the audience's experience of Buttercup and Westley's tale.
The film combines a damsel-in-distress premise, swashbuckling, romance, absurdist humor, and the grandson's skeptical interruptions.
Westley's repeated response to Buttercup's requests functions as a central expression of his concealed love and enduring devotion.
Vizzini's wit, Fezzik's strength, Inigo's swordsmanship, Buttercup's agency, and Westley's resourcefulness intersect across the pursuit.
Films like The Princess Bride, and why
Stardust
shared swashbuckling adventure, fairy-tale romance, witty comedy, and affectionate family appeal
Robin Hood: Men in Tights
shared romantic adventure, fantasy quest structure, playful humor, and storybook atmosphere
The Adventures of Baron Munchausen
shared swordplay, comic adventure, colorful characters, and lighthearted heroic tone
Ella Enchanted
shared cinematic fairy-tale tradition, romance, fantasy peril, and family-friendly humor
Movie Details
- Director
- Rob Reiner
- Release Date
- 1987-09-25
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (5305)
Cast
- Cary Elwes
- Robin Wright
- Mandy Patinkin
- Chris Sarandon
- Christopher Guest
- Wallace Shawn
- André Roussimoff
- Fred Savage
- Peter Falk
- Peter Cook
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu
- 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 Princess Bride about?
- A self-aware fairy-tale adventure where true love, swordplay, revenge, and comic misfits outwit the machinery of royal power.
- What is The Princess Bride like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Princess Bride as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Princess Bride violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Princess Bride as mild.
- What did critics think of The Princess Bride?
- Critics broadly celebrate the film as a deft, intelligent, and delightfully postmodern blend of swashbuckling romance, comedy, and fairy-tale adventure.
- Which films are like The Princess Bride?
- Films with a similar feel include Stardust, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, and Ella Enchanted.
- How long is The Princess Bride?
- The Princess Bride runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Princess Bride?
- In United States, The Princess Bride streams on Hulu.
