Overview
Two drifters embark on a spiritual journey, challenging dogmas and discovering the absurdity of faith along the way.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- surreal
- cinephile night
- philosophical viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film as a hypnotic, surreal, and sharply irreverent theological journey distinguished by Buñuel's clear, deadpan visual style.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The pilgrims repeatedly encounter priests, heresies, inquisitorial dogmas, and competing interpretations of Christian belief.
The pilgrimage unfolds through encounters involving different Ages, biblical figures, Christian doctrines, and heresies.
The film presents surreal religious encounters with straightforward photography and documentary-like clarity.
Pierre and Jean hitchhike, beg, and pursue Santiago while their physical journey becomes a meditation on belief and contradiction.
Films like The Milky Way, and why
The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
surreal religious imagery, irreverent theological satire, and episodic encounters
Viridiana
Buñuel's surrealist comedy, anticlerical critique, and deadpan treatment of social ritual
Simon of the Desert
provocative religious symbolism, absurdist humor, and dreamlike historical dislocation
Movie Details
- Director
- Luis Buñuel
- Release Date
- 1969-02-28
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (193)
Cast
- Paul Frankeur
- Laurent Terzieff
- Alain Cuny
- Édith Scob
- Bernard Verley
- François Maistre
- Claude Cerval
- Muni
- Julien Bertheau
- Ellen Bahl
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Artiflix
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Milky Way about?
- Two hungry wanderers cross the Camino de Santiago as Buñuel turns Christian history into a witty, surreal debate about faith and dogma.
- What is The Milky Way like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Milky Way as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as dense.
- Is The Milky Way violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Milky Way as mild.
- What did critics think of The Milky Way?
- Critics broadly praise the film as a hypnotic, surreal, and sharply irreverent theological journey distinguished by Buñuel's clear, deadpan visual style.
- Which films are like The Milky Way?
- Films with a similar feel include The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Viridiana, and Simon of the Desert.
- How long is The Milky Way?
- The Milky Way runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Milky Way?
- In United States, The Milky Way streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Artiflix.
