Wakefield
A suffocating suburban lawyer retreats into his own garage attic, turning family life into a haunting experiment in distance and self-observation.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- darkly comic
- intimate
- reflective evening
- quiet weekend
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an intriguing, haunting character study elevated by Bryan Cranston’s committed and deeply human performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Howard hides in the garage attic and watches his wife and family through a window as they continue their lives without him.
Howard abandons his home and prestigious legal career to live secretly in the attic while maintaining visual access to his family.
Howard’s sustained narration rationalizes his disappearance while revealing selfishness, resentment, and a continuing attachment to domestic life.
Howard’s comfortable suburban home, Manhattan law career, and loving family become the setting for an inward sense of entrapment.
Films like Wakefield, and why
The Swimmer
shared themes of alienation, domestic discontent, and psychologically driven self-exile
American Beauty
shared outsider perspective, suburban unease, and darkly comic psychological observation
Revolutionary Road
shared themes of marital estrangement, introspection, and emotionally uncomfortable domestic drama
Castaway on the Moon
shared solitary retreat, absurdist humor, and unconventional examination of social withdrawal
Movie Details
- Director
- Robin Swicord
- Release Date
- 2017-05-19
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (460)
Cast
- Bryan Cranston
- Jennifer Garner
- Jason O'Mara
- Beverly D'Angelo
- Ian Anthony Dale
- Pippa Bennett-Warner
- Ellery Sprayberry
- Victoria Bruno
- Monica Lawson
- Isaac Leyva
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now, Netflix Standard with Ads
- 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 Wakefield about?
- A suffocating suburban lawyer retreats into his own garage attic, turning family life into a haunting experiment in distance and self-observation.
- What is Wakefield like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Wakefield as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Wakefield violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Wakefield.
- What did critics think of Wakefield?
- Critics broadly found the film an intriguing, haunting character study elevated by Bryan Cranston’s committed and deeply human performance.
- Which films are like Wakefield?
- Films with a similar feel include The Swimmer, American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, and Castaway on the Moon.
- How long is Wakefield?
- Wakefield runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Wakefield?
- In United States, Wakefield streams on Netflix, fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV channel, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now, Netflix Standard with Ads.
