Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- serious
- tense
- compassionate
- thoughtful movie night
- social issue double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized the film's powerful performances, emotional force, humor, and ambitious treatment of faith, sexuality, and morality, while finding its social critique overly preachy or tendentious.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Father Greg's sexuality and response to abuse are judged through Catholic rules and parish authority.
Greg's priestly celibacy and homosexual relationship place his vocation against his intimate life.
Greg learns of a girl's sexual abuse through confession and must weigh secrecy against intervention.
The film foregrounds a gay Catholic priest confronting institutional and social intolerance.
Films like Priest, and why
The Children's Hour
shared lgbtq+ identity, institutional intolerance, forbidden intimacy, and serious moral drama
Aimee & Jaguar
shared conflict between homosexuality, religious belief, and socially enforced morality
The Magdalene Sisters
shared sexual identity crisis, Catholic guilt, and emotionally confrontational social drama
Doubt
shared priesthood setting, institutional hypocrisy, and tense moral questioning
Movie Details
- Director
- Antonia Bird
- Release Date
- 1995-03-24
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (155)
Cast
- Linus Roache
- Tom Wilkinson
- Robert Carlyle
- Cathy Tyson
- Lesley Sharp
- Robert Pugh
- Christine Tremarco
- James Ellis
- Anthony Booth
- Paul Barber
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Priest about?
- A gay Catholic priest confronts institutional judgment and a devastating secret when confession places an abused child’s safety in his hands.
- What is Priest like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Priest as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Priest violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Priest as mild.
- What did critics think of Priest?
- Critics broadly recognized the film's powerful performances, emotional force, humor, and ambitious treatment of faith, sexuality, and morality, while finding its social critique overly preachy or tendentious.
- Which films are like Priest?
- Films with a similar feel include The Children's Hour, Aimee & Jaguar, The Magdalene Sisters, and Doubt.
- How long is Priest?
- Priest runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Priest?
- In United States, Priest streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
