Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- tender
- whimsical
- quiet evening
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics generally praised Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper's nuanced, distinctive performances while finding the romantic drama overly twee, predictable, and less compelling than its themes.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Annabel's terminal cancer and Enoch's grief make the couple's love inseparable from the prospect of loss.
Enoch attends funerals with Hiroshi, the ghost of a Japanese kamikaze pilot, who functions as his sole friend.
The funeral attendance, ghost friendship, nature study, and quirky youthful romance frame serious subjects through deliberately whimsical details.
Hiroshi's identity as a World War II Japanese kamikaze pilot gives Enoch's supernatural companion a specific historical burden.
Films like Restless, and why
The Fault in Our Stars
Shared tender young-adult romance, terminal illness, wistful atmosphere, and emotionally direct treatment of mortality.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl
Shared melancholic romance, youthful protagonists confronting death, and bittersweet emotional intensity.
Harold and Maude
Shared unconventional romance, grief, eccentric characterization, and an intimate indie-drama sensibility.
Sweet November
Shared poetic young-love story, terminal illness, and gentle contemplation of impermanence.
Movie Details
- Director
- Gus Van Sant
- Release Date
- 2011-09-16
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (448)
Cast
- Mia Wasikowska
- Henry Hopper
- Ryo Kase
- Schuyler Fisk
- Jane Adams
- Lusia Strus
- Jesse Henderson
- Kyle Justin Leatherberry
- Victor Morris
- Christopher D. Harder
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- 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 Restless about?
- A grieving teenager and a terminally ill young woman find an urgent, unconventional love through funerals, ghosts, and the fragile beauty of nature.
- What is Restless like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Restless as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Restless violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Restless as mild.
- What did critics think of Restless?
- Critics generally praised Mia Wasikowska and Henry Hopper's nuanced, distinctive performances while finding the romantic drama overly twee, predictable, and less compelling than its themes.
- Which films are like Restless?
- Films with a similar feel include The Fault in Our Stars, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Harold and Maude, and Sweet November.
- How long is Restless?
- Restless runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Restless?
- In United States, Restless is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
