The Bookshop
A determined widow risks her place in a tightly controlled 1950s town to make room for books, independence, and unexpected alliances.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- restrained
- witty
- quiet evening
- book club night
What critics said
Critics generally appreciated the film's meticulous literary world and performances but found its adaptation overly faithful, meandering, and tonally uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Florence Green risks her savings and social standing to establish a bookshop despite opposition from influential townspeople.
The shop's presence and controversial literary stock disrupt the town's preferred cultural order.
Florence encounters resistance expressed through manners, reputation, and institutional pressure rather than open confrontation.
The East Anglian town and its bookshop are presented through crafted mid-century interiors and contrasting pastoral exteriors.
Films like The Bookshop, and why
The Remains of the Day
shared literary setting, restrained period drama, and a principled outsider confronting small-town social pressure
Miss Potter
shared English period setting, understated emotional tension, class consciousness, and quiet resistance to convention
84 Charing Cross Road
shared book-centered premise, intimate character drama, and warm but melancholic reflection on reading and human connection
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
shared small-town social scrutiny, female independence, and meticulously observed period atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Isabel Coixet
- Release Date
- 2017-11-10
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (472)
Cast
- Emily Mortimer
- Bill Nighy
- Patricia Clarkson
- James Lance
- Hunter Tremayne
- Honor Kneafsey
- Frances Barber
- Reg Wilson
- Michael Fitzgerald
- Nigel O'Neill
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Bookshop about?
- A determined widow risks her place in a tightly controlled 1950s town to make room for books, independence, and unexpected alliances.
- What is The Bookshop like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Bookshop as slow, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Bookshop violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Bookshop.
- What did critics think of The Bookshop?
- Critics generally appreciated the film's meticulous literary world and performances but found its adaptation overly faithful, meandering, and tonally uneven.
- Which films are like The Bookshop?
- Films with a similar feel include The Remains of the Day, Miss Potter, 84 Charing Cross Road, and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.
- How long is The Bookshop?
- The Bookshop runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Bookshop?
- In United States, The Bookshop is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store.
