The Beguiled
In Civil War Virginia, a wounded Union deserter turns a secluded girls’ seminary into a volatile chamber of desire, rivalry, and revenge.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- languid
- intimate
- quiet night
- historical drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Sofia Coppola’s restrained reinterpretation, strong performances, and atmospheric filmmaking, while noting its deliberately slow melodramatic development.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The mansion seminary contains Miss Martha, Edwina, Alicia, and the students while their responses to McBurney generate escalating competition.
The wounded Corporal McBurney becomes the sole adult man in the seminary and manipulates the women’s attraction and sympathy.
The dilapidated Virginia mansion, Spanish moss, candlelit interiors, and formal costumes contrast beauty with confinement and threat.
Miss Martha, Edwina, Alicia, and the students compete for McBurney’s favor while contesting control of the household.
Films like The Beguiled, and why
The Nightingale
shared gothic period atmosphere, sexual tension, confined domestic setting, and psychologically charged power struggles
Picnic at Hanging Rock
shared slow-burn melodrama, female-centered perspective, repressed desire, and oppressive historical setting
The Paperboy
shared southern gothic mood, dangerous male outsider, and escalating interpersonal manipulation
The Piano
shared period suspense, secluded setting, romantic obsession, and elegant visual restraint
Movie Details
- Director
- Sofia Coppola
- Release Date
- 2017-06-23
- Runtime
- 93 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (2273)
Cast
- Colin Farrell
- Nicole Kidman
- Kirsten Dunst
- Elle Fanning
- Oona Laurence
- Angourie Rice
- Addison Riecke
- Emma Howard
- Wayne Péré
- Matt Story
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Criterion Channel, Netflix Standard 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 The Beguiled about?
- In Civil War Virginia, a wounded Union deserter turns a secluded girls’ seminary into a volatile chamber of desire, rivalry, and revenge.
- What is The Beguiled like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Beguiled as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Beguiled violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Beguiled as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Beguiled?
- Critics broadly praised Sofia Coppola’s restrained reinterpretation, strong performances, and atmospheric filmmaking, while noting its deliberately slow melodramatic development.
- Which films are like The Beguiled?
- Films with a similar feel include The Nightingale, Picnic at Hanging Rock, The Paperboy, and The Piano.
- How long is The Beguiled?
- The Beguiled runs 93 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Beguiled?
- In United States, The Beguiled streams on Netflix, Criterion Channel, Netflix Standard with Ads.
