The Danish Girl
A married Danish painter's awakening as Lili Elbe becomes a landmark struggle for gender identity, love, and bodily autonomy.
Overview
A poignant exploration of identity and love in a time of transformation.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- intimate
- wistful
- reflective evening
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film beautifully made and emotionally poignant, praising its lead performances while noting that its script and perspective could feel flat or overly conventional.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lili gradually recognizes and asserts her identity while doctors attempt to classify or suppress her.
Gerda's portraits and Einar's modeling in feminine clothing initiate the story's central discovery.
Lili is examined, pathologized, and threatened with confinement before pursuing experimental surgery.
Gerda's bond with Lili changes as the couple confronts identity, love, and loss.
Films like The Danish Girl, and why
Carol
historical lgbtq+ drama centered on identity, love, and social repression, with acclaimed lead performances
Colette
period biographical drama about gender, artistic expression, and a socially constrained intimate relationship
Frida
emotionally intense artist biopic exploring sexuality, self-definition, and marriage in a restrictive historical culture
Aimee & Jaguar
sensitive period drama about queer identity and the painful conflict between personal truth and social expectations
Movie Details
- Director
- Tom Hooper
- Release Date
- 2015-11-27
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (6021)
Cast
- Eddie Redmayne
- Alicia Vikander
- Matthias Schoenaerts
- Ben Whishaw
- Sebastian Koch
- Pip Torrens
- Nicholas Woodeson
- Amber Heard
- Emerald Fennell
- Adrian Schiller
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 Danish Girl about?
- A married Danish painter's awakening as Lili Elbe becomes a landmark struggle for gender identity, love, and bodily autonomy.
- What is The Danish Girl like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Danish Girl as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Danish Girl violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Danish Girl as mild.
- What did critics think of The Danish Girl?
- Critics broadly found the film beautifully made and emotionally poignant, praising its lead performances while noting that its script and perspective could feel flat or overly conventional.
- Which films are like The Danish Girl?
- Films with a similar feel include Carol, Colette, Frida, and Aimee & Jaguar.
- How long is The Danish Girl?
- The Danish Girl runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Danish Girl?
- In United States, The Danish Girl is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
