Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- surreal
- theatrical
- mythic
- Shakespeare study
- arthouse fantasy night
What critics said
Critics broadly found Helen Mirren's commanding performance and Taymor's visual ambition stronger than the stagey, inert adaptation surrounding them.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Julie Taymor transforms Prospero into Prospera and reshapes Shakespeare's play for a visually stylized film.
Prospera's conflict with Caliban is explicitly framed as a contest of intellect rather than brawn.
The island, storm, spirits, and magical effects are presented through stage-inflected compositions and heightened spectacle.
Prospera's banishment is linked to the historical persecution of women practicing alchemy and magic.
Films like The Tempest, and why
Titus
stylized Shakespeare adaptation combining fantasy, theatricality, and heightened visual design
The Green Knight
mythic fantasy atmosphere, transformation, and director-driven visual spectacle
Pan's Labyrinth
literary fantasy centered on exile, power, and a magical island-like world
Movie Details
- Director
- Julie Taymor
- Release Date
- 2010-09-11
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 5.3 / 10 (138)
Cast
- Helen Mirren
- Felicity Jones
- Reeve Carney
- David Strathairn
- Tom Conti
- Alan Cumming
- Chris Cooper
- Ben Whishaw
- Russell Brand
- Alfred Molina
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Marquee TV Amazon Channel
- 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 Tempest about?
- A visually flamboyant gender-swapped Shakespeare adaptation follows an exiled sorceress who governs an island while confronting old betrayals and contested authority.
- What is The Tempest like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Tempest as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Tempest violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Tempest as mild.
- What did critics think of The Tempest?
- Critics broadly found Helen Mirren's commanding performance and Taymor's visual ambition stronger than the stagey, inert adaptation surrounding them.
- Which films are like The Tempest?
- Films with a similar feel include Titus, The Green Knight, and Pan's Labyrinth.
- How long is The Tempest?
- The Tempest runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Tempest?
- In United States, The Tempest streams on Marquee TV Amazon Channel.
