Trumbo
A sharp-tongued Hollywood screenwriter battles political persecution and professional erasure while trying to protect his family and reclaim his name.
Overview
A powerful tale of resilience and creativity in the face of oppression.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- sardonic
- serious
- historical film night
- political drama marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as an honorable, well-acted tribute to Dalton Trumbo and an important reminder of blacklist-era injustice, while finding it less nuanced and accomplished than its subject's work.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film follows Dalton Trumbo's professional career, political persecution, family strain, and eventual return to public recognition.
Trumbo is jailed and denied screen credit because of his political affiliations, then fights the blacklist through anonymous writing and professional allies.
The screenplay frames the blacklist, studio politics, gossip columns, and low-budget writing assignments through Trumbo's sharp humor and the entertainment industry's contradictions.
Trumbo's obsessive writing, political persecution, and secret work affect his relationship with his children and wife.
Films like Trumbo, and why
Good Night, and Good Luck.
biographical drama about Hollywood, political persecution, and principled resistance, with a strong lead performance
The Front
historical drama examining blacklisting, ideological pressure, and moral courage in the American entertainment industry
Ed Wood
witty and serious show-business biopic centered on a charismatic creative figure confronting institutional opposition
Movie Details
- Director
- Jay Roach
- Release Date
- 2015-10-27
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (1728)
Cast
- Bryan Cranston
- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
- Louis C.K.
- David James Elliott
- Elle Fanning
- John Goodman
- Diane Lane
- Michael Stuhlbarg
- Alan Tudyk
- Helen Mirren
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 Trumbo about?
- A sharp-tongued Hollywood screenwriter battles political persecution and professional erasure while trying to protect his family and reclaim his name.
- What is Trumbo like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Trumbo as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Trumbo violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Trumbo as mild.
- What did critics think of Trumbo?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as an honorable, well-acted tribute to Dalton Trumbo and an important reminder of blacklist-era injustice, while finding it less nuanced and accomplished than its subject's work.
- Which films are like Trumbo?
- Films with a similar feel include Good Night, and Good Luck., The Front, and Ed Wood.
- How long is Trumbo?
- Trumbo runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch Trumbo?
- In United States, Trumbo is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
