Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- sincere
- romantic
- literary film night
- period drama evening
What critics said
Critics broadly found the period detail and Elle Fanning’s performance effective, but considered the film overly smoothed-out and unable to convey the imaginative spark of Frankenstein.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mary must publicly claim Frankenstein after contemporary prejudice attributes the novel to Percy Shelley.
The film dramatizes how Mary’s losses, relationships, and Byron’s writing challenge lead toward Frankenstein.
Mary and Percy flee conventional domestic structures while living among writers, poets, and intellectuals.
Regency-era London and the writers’ circle surrounding Byron and Polidori shape Mary’s artistic development.
Films like Mary Shelley, and why
Colette
shared focus on a female writer, literary ambition, gendered authorship, and intimate period drama
Becoming Jane
shared biographical romance, nineteenth-century literary culture, creative ambition, and social constraints on women
A Quiet Passion
shared historical drama about a woman developing an artistic voice amid restrictive social expectations
Bright Star
shared romanticized literary biography, tumultuous relationships, and the creation of influential writing
Movie Details
- Director
- Haifaa al-Mansour
- Release Date
- 2017-08-06
- Runtime
- 120 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (1083)
Cast
- Elle Fanning
- Douglas Booth
- Bel Powley
- Stephen Dillane
- Joanne Froggatt
- Tom Sturridge
- Ben Hardy
- Maisie Williams
- Hugh O'Conor
- Ciara Charteris
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Sundance Now, AcornTV Amazon Channel, Acorn TV Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, 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 Mary Shelley about?
- A rebellious young writer turns romantic upheaval, grief, and patriarchal erasure into the authorship of Frankenstein.
- What is Mary Shelley like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mary Shelley as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Mary Shelley violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Mary Shelley as mild.
- What did critics think of Mary Shelley?
- Critics broadly found the period detail and Elle Fanning’s performance effective, but considered the film overly smoothed-out and unable to convey the imaginative spark of Frankenstein.
- Which films are like Mary Shelley?
- Films with a similar feel include Colette, Becoming Jane, A Quiet Passion, and Bright Star.
- How long is Mary Shelley?
- Mary Shelley runs 120 minutes.
- Where can I watch Mary Shelley?
- In United States, Mary Shelley streams on Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Roku Premium Channel, AMC+, Shudder, Sundance Now, AcornTV Amazon Channel, Acorn TV Apple TV channel.
