Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- earnest
- somber
- psychological
- quiet evening
- historical film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the real-life subject fascinating and the performances and cinematography strong, but judged the adaptation poorly handled and often sanctimonious.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
James Murray's painstaking work on the Oxford English Dictionary drives the intellectual and professional story.
William Minor's extraordinary contributions emerge from his life as a patient at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum.
The film depicts nineteenth-century Oxford and Broadmoor through richly staged historical settings and cinematography.
Minor sends thousands of dictionary entries from Broadmoor, connecting him with Murray beyond the asylum's walls.
Films like The Professor and the Madman, and why
The Imitation Game
historical biographical drama centered on the creation of a major intellectual work and the complicated bond between two exceptional men
The Elephant Man
19th-century period drama combining institutional confinement, psychological trauma, moral responsibility, and strong lead performances
The Man Who Invented Christmas
literary historical drama about obsessive scholarship, social institutions, and the human costs behind a cultural achievement
Movie Details
- Director
- Farhad Safinia
- Release Date
- 2019-03-07
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (1321)
Cast
- Mel Gibson
- Sean Penn
- Natalie Dormer
- Eddie Marsan
- Jennifer Ehle
- Jeremy Irvine
- David O'Hara
- Anthony Andrews
- Ioan Gruffudd
- Stephen Dillane
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, 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 The Professor and the Madman about?
- A Victorian lexicographic project becomes an unlikely bridge between an Oxford scholar and a brilliant, troubled asylum patient.
- What is The Professor and the Madman like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Professor and the Madman as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Professor and the Madman violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Professor and the Madman as mild.
- What did critics think of The Professor and the Madman?
- Critics broadly found the real-life subject fascinating and the performances and cinematography strong, but judged the adaptation poorly handled and often sanctimonious.
- Which films are like The Professor and the Madman?
- Films with a similar feel include The Imitation Game, The Elephant Man, and The Man Who Invented Christmas.
- How long is The Professor and the Madman?
- The Professor and the Madman runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Professor and the Madman?
- In United States, The Professor and the Madman streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
