Overview
A delightful tale of chocolate and community that warms the heart and tantalizes the taste buds.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- whimsical
- warm
- sensual
- lazy sunday
- date night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film charming, well cast, and artfully crafted, though some considered its whimsy slight or indigestible.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Vianne arrives in a tradition-bound French village and changes its social relationships through her chocolate shop and open-minded values.
The village church, mayor, and inherited moral codes oppose Vianne's Sunday opening and her invitation to enjoy chocolate without guilt.
Pralines, chocolate-making, and the shop's sensory rituals help characters express longing, grief, affection, and social acceptance.
The chocolaterie, pralines, and abundant confectionery are presented as tactile, sumptuous focal points throughout the film.
Films like Chocolat, and why
The Cider House Rules
shared warm small-town setting, gentle romance, community transformation, and whimsical emotional tone
A Good Year
shared rural European atmosphere, restrained romance, tradition versus personal freedom, and period-flavored melodrama
Big Night
shared food-centered storytelling, intimate community relationships, sensual pleasures, and comforting feel-good drama
The Hundred-Foot Journey
shared romantic melodrama, outsider protagonist, village tradition, and softly magical social fable
Movie Details
- Director
- Lasse Hallström
- Release Date
- 2000-12-22
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (3580)
Cast
- Juliette Binoche
- Judi Dench
- Alfred Molina
- Lena Olin
- Johnny Depp
- Hugh O'Conor
- Carrie-Anne Moss
- John Wood
- Peter Stormare
- Leslie Caron
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, 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 Chocolat about?
- A wandering chocolatier brings sensual pleasure and unsettling freedom to a rigid French village, reshaping its ideas of morality, love, and community.
- What is Chocolat like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Chocolat as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Chocolat violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Chocolat.
- What did critics think of Chocolat?
- Critics broadly found the film charming, well cast, and artfully crafted, though some considered its whimsy slight or indigestible.
- Which films are like Chocolat?
- Films with a similar feel include The Cider House Rules, A Good Year, Big Night, and The Hundred-Foot Journey.
- How long is Chocolat?
- Chocolat runs 121 minutes.
- Where can I watch Chocolat?
- In United States, Chocolat streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
