Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- surreal
- tense
- melodramatic
- twist thriller night
- cult movie viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the high-concept mystery as incoherent and unsatisfying, especially after its central twist.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Baker Dill’s tropical island life is progressively reframed by clues that the world is not what it appears to be.
The virtual setting externalizes a child’s distress and his attempt to confront domestic violence and loss.
The ex-wife’s desperate plea, abusive husband, tropical noir atmosphere, and virtual-reality premise produce an intentionally heightened register.
Plymouth Island’s tranquil fishing-tour setting is shadowed by domestic abuse, manipulation, and an increasingly uncanny reality.
Films like Serenity, and why
The Game
high-concept reality manipulation, emotionally charged family drama, and a divisive speculative twist
Shutter Island
surreal mystery structure, unstable reality, and a protagonist struggling to distinguish perception from truth
eXistenZ
virtual-reality premise, psychological suspense, and a constructed world hiding a painful personal conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- Steven Knight
- Release Date
- 2019-01-24
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 5.5 / 10 (1666)
Cast
- Matthew McConaughey
- Anne Hathaway
- Jason Clarke
- Diane Lane
- Djimon Hounsou
- Jeremy Strong
- Charlotte Butler
- David Butler
- Rafael Sayegh
- Michael Richard
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Serenity about?
- A troubled fishing captain on a tropical island is drawn into an abusive family crisis that cracks open the reality he thought he knew.
- What is Serenity like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Serenity as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Serenity violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Serenity as moderate.
- What did critics think of Serenity?
- Critics broadly regarded the high-concept mystery as incoherent and unsatisfying, especially after its central twist.
- Which films are like Serenity?
- Films with a similar feel include The Game, Shutter Island, and eXistenZ.
- How long is Serenity?
- Serenity runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Serenity?
- In United States, Serenity streams on fuboTV.
