Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- intimate
- candid
- date night
- conversation starter
What critics said
Critics generally found the film watchable and favorably acted, with Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens helping compensate for an uneven narrative.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Anna proposes opening her ten-year relationship with Will, making consensual sexual experimentation the film's central dramatic engine.
Anna and Will's open-relationship experiment is intercut with Hale and Reece's decision about becoming parents.
The couple's experiment produces uncertainty, jealousy, and personal evolution alongside moments of candor.
Hale and Reece's storyline centers on whether they should become parents and pursue a family together.
Films like Permission, and why
The One I Love
adult romantic drama examining monogamy, sexual experimentation, and changing relationship boundaries
Enough Said
witty, emotionally uneasy relationship comedy about commitment and romantic dissatisfaction
The Kids Are All Right
ensemble relationship drama balancing heterosexual and queer couples with candid intimacy
Love and Other Impossible Pursuits
independent romantic comedy exploring unconventional arrangements and emotional consequences
Movie Details
- Director
- Brian Crano
- Release Date
- 2018-02-09
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 5.1 / 10 (173)
Cast
- Rebecca Hall
- Dan Stevens
- David Joseph Craig
- Morgan Spector
- François Arnaud
- Gina Gershon
- Jason Sudeikis
- Raúl Castillo
- Sarah Steele
- Michelle Hurst
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, 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 Permission about?
- A long-committed couple tests an open relationship, forcing love, desire, and ideas of family into uncomfortable new territory.
- What is Permission like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Permission as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Permission violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Permission.
- What did critics think of Permission?
- Critics generally found the film watchable and favorably acted, with Rebecca Hall and Dan Stevens helping compensate for an uneven narrative.
- Which films are like Permission?
- Films with a similar feel include The One I Love, Enough Said, The Kids Are All Right, and Love and Other Impossible Pursuits.
- How long is Permission?
- Permission runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch Permission?
- In United States, Permission streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
