Overview
A darkly comedic tale of love, greed, and deception unfolds as a charming villain navigates a treacherous path.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- sardonic
- bleak
- classic cinema night
- dark comedy marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Chaplin's audacious, bitterly funny performance and social satire as fascinating and artistically significant, despite concerns about slow pacing and its deliberately abrasive message.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Henri Verdoux is presented as an urbane, witty family provider while systematically murdering wealthy wives.
Verdoux's murders are contrasted with the large-scale violence and economic systems of the postwar world.
Marriage rituals, flirtation, and comic encounters coexist with Verdoux's attempts to kill women for financial gain.
The black-and-white presentation and film noir associations frame Verdoux's domestic schemes with theatrical sophistication.
Films like Monsieur Verdoux, and why
The Ladykillers
shared darkly comic treatment of murder, social hypocrisy, and morally compromised protagonists
The Trouble with Harry
shared black comedy, criminal schemes, and grotesque social satire
Double Indemnity
shared film noir atmosphere, murderous domestic manipulation, and cynical critique of respectability
Dr. Strangelove
shared satirical examination of violence, capitalism, and moral rationalization through an antiheroic central figure
Movie Details
- Director
- Charlie Chaplin
- Release Date
- 1947-08-27
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (494)
Cast
- Charlie Chaplin
- Mady Correll
- Allison Roddan
- Robert Lewis
- Audrey Betz
- Martha Raye
- Ada May
- Isobel Elsom
- Marjorie Bennett
- Helene Heigh
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Monsieur Verdoux about?
- A suave serial killer turns marriage, financial desperation, and social respectability into the weapons of a bitterly comic moral satire.
- What is Monsieur Verdoux like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Monsieur Verdoux as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Monsieur Verdoux violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Monsieur Verdoux as moderate.
- What did critics think of Monsieur Verdoux?
- Critics broadly regard Chaplin's audacious, bitterly funny performance and social satire as fascinating and artistically significant, despite concerns about slow pacing and its deliberately abrasive message.
- Which films are like Monsieur Verdoux?
- Films with a similar feel include The Ladykillers, The Trouble with Harry, Double Indemnity, and Dr. Strangelove.
- How long is Monsieur Verdoux?
- Monsieur Verdoux runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch Monsieur Verdoux?
- In United States, Monsieur Verdoux streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
