Overview
A tale of love, longing, and the struggle against societal prejudice unfolds in the heart of Paris.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- foreboding
- tragic
- compassionate
- classic cinema night
- gothic film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film's lavish visual design, forceful historical melodrama, and Charles Laughton's commanding performance, while some find the plot perfunctory and the brutality excessive.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Notre Dame cathedral, bell tower, elaborate fifteenth-century Paris sets, and large public scenes dominate the film's visual identity.
Quasimodo is feared, ridiculed, flogged, and denied humane treatment, while Esmeralda offers him water and sympathy.
Frollo's position as Chief Justice intersects with his desire for Esmeralda, while the court condemns her after Phoebus's death.
The Fool's Day crowd humiliates Quasimodo and the public square becomes the setting for his flogging and appeal for water.
Films like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and why
Frankenstein
lavish black-and-white gothic atmosphere, moral persecution, and a tragic outsider at the center
Les Misérables
Victor Hugo adaptation shaped by social injustice, melodrama, and compassionate treatment of marginalized characters
The Phantom of the Opera
period gothic romance involving obsessive desire, institutional cruelty, and striking production design
Movie Details
- Director
- William Dieterle
- Release Date
- 1939-08-31
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (227)
Cast
- Charles Laughton
- Cedric Hardwicke
- Thomas Mitchell
- Maureen O'Hara
- Edmond O'Brien
- Alan Marshal
- Walter Hampden
- Harry Davenport
- Katharine Alexander
- George Zucco
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- FlixFling, Bloodstream
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Hunchback of Notre Dame about?
- A monumental gothic tragedy follows a compassionate bellringer and his allies as they struggle to save a persecuted gypsy woman from corrupt justice in medieval Paris.
- What is The Hunchback of Notre Dame like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Hunchback of Notre Dame as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Hunchback of Notre Dame violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Hunchback of Notre Dame as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Hunchback of Notre Dame?
- Critics broadly praise the film's lavish visual design, forceful historical melodrama, and Charles Laughton's commanding performance, while some find the plot perfunctory and the brutality excessive.
- Which films are like The Hunchback of Notre Dame?
- Films with a similar feel include Frankenstein, Les Misérables, and The Phantom of the Opera.
- How long is The Hunchback of Notre Dame?
- The Hunchback of Notre Dame runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Hunchback of Notre Dame?
- In United States, The Hunchback of Notre Dame streams on FlixFling, Bloodstream.
