A Quiet Passion
A lyrical portrait of Emily Dickinson’s secluded life, fierce intelligence, and unrecognized poetic achievement.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- witty
- austere
- quiet evening
- literary film night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a finely detailed, visually lyrical portrait elevated by Cynthia Nixon’s performance and Terence Davies’s poetic direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Emily Dickinson’s poetic vocation develops within a restrictive nineteenth-century family and religious culture, while recognition remains largely absent during her life.
The Dickinson household, rooms, gardens, and family gatherings repeatedly frame Emily’s withdrawal and emotional observation.
Emily, Vinnie, and their family engage in sharply crafted conversations that make language itself central to character and atmosphere.
The story follows Emily from schoolgirl to reclusive older poet, building its impact through successive stages of artistic and personal isolation.
Films like A Quiet Passion, and why
Bright Star
lyrical biographical drama centered on a gifted woman constrained by social convention and private isolation
Portrait of a Lady on Fire
measured, visually composed portrait of a nineteenth-century female artist with an emphasis on inner life
The Piano
literary period drama using wit, melancholy, and social observation to explore a woman’s creative identity
Movie Details
- Director
- Terence Davies
- Release Date
- 2016-10-07
- Runtime
- 125 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (198)
Cast
- Cynthia Nixon
- Jennifer Ehle
- Keith Carradine
- Emma Bell
- Sara Vertongen
- Duncan Duff
- Jodhi May
- Joanna Bacon
- Benjamin Wainwright
- Catherine Bailey
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, MUBI, OVID, MUBI Amazon Channel, Fandor Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Dove Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, MovieMe
- 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 A Quiet Passion about?
- A lyrical portrait of Emily Dickinson’s secluded life, fierce intelligence, and unrecognized poetic achievement.
- What is A Quiet Passion like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Quiet Passion as slow, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Quiet Passion violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in A Quiet Passion.
- What did critics think of A Quiet Passion?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a finely detailed, visually lyrical portrait elevated by Cynthia Nixon’s performance and Terence Davies’s poetic direction.
- Which films are like A Quiet Passion?
- Films with a similar feel include Bright Star, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, and The Piano.
- How long is A Quiet Passion?
- A Quiet Passion runs 125 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Quiet Passion?
- In United States, A Quiet Passion streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, MUBI, OVID, MUBI Amazon Channel, Fandor Amazon Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Dove Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
