Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- grim
- old-fashioned
- compassionate
- classic literature night
- period drama evening
What critics said
Critics generally found the film polished, visually exact, and faithful to Dickens, while some considered it conventional and emotionally impersonal.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The workhouse, undertaker's house, London streets, gang quarters, and Mr. Brownlow's wealthy home are presented with precise nineteenth-century physical detail.
Oliver's ordeal begins in an orphanage and workhouse where children are mistreated, underfed, and exposed to child labour.
Oliver is recruited by Fagin's pickpocket gang and later targeted by Fagin and Bill Sikes for a burglary.
The adaptation depicts Fagin and other criminals within Dickens's moral universe, balancing grim conditions with the possibility of redemption.
Films like Oliver Twist, and why
Nicholas Nickleby
shared literary adaptation, nineteenth-century social realism, child endangerment, and themes of poverty and institutional cruelty
The Secret of Roan Inish
shared victorian setting, orphaned or vulnerable young protagonists, social injustice, and Dickensian moral drama
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
shared period drama, child abuse depicted, class inequality, and a young protagonist seeking safety from criminal adults
The Railway Children
shared british literary adaptation, bleak urban poverty, criminal underworld, and eventual hope for a mistreated child
Movie Details
- Director
- Roman Polanski
- Release Date
- 2005-09-23
- Runtime
- 130 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (1266)
Cast
- Barney Clark
- Ben Kingsley
- Jamie Foreman
- Harry Eden
- Edward Hardwicke
- Leanne Rowe
- Ian McNeice
- Chris Overton
- Andy Linden
- Teresa Churcher
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Oliver Twist about?
- An orphan’s flight from Victorian institutional cruelty leads him into a London pickpocket gang and a perilous struggle for sanctuary.
- What is Oliver Twist like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Oliver Twist as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Oliver Twist violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Oliver Twist as mild.
- What did critics think of Oliver Twist?
- Critics generally found the film polished, visually exact, and faithful to Dickens, while some considered it conventional and emotionally impersonal.
- Which films are like Oliver Twist?
- Films with a similar feel include Nicholas Nickleby, The Secret of Roan Inish, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and The Railway Children.
- How long is Oliver Twist?
- Oliver Twist runs 130 minutes.
- Where can I watch Oliver Twist?
- In United States, Oliver Twist is available to rent or buy from Fandango At Home.
