Poetry
An aging caregiver turns to poetry while confronting her grandson’s devastating crime and the erosion of her own memory.
Overview
A woman's journey into self-discovery unfolds through the power of words and creativity.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- contemplative
- restrained
- quiet evening
- reflective viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a profoundly absorbing and poignant drama that confronts an intricate moral crisis without sentimentality or easy answers.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mi-ja's enrollment in a poetry class gives her a framework for observing suffering and confronting her family's crime.
The family pressures Mi-ja to help conceal and financially settle the consequences of Jong-wook's involvement in the crime.
The film attends closely to Mi-ja's caregiving, poetry exercises, neighborhood life, and understated encounters rather than melodramatic spectacle.
Mi-ja's early Alzheimer's disease affects her daily life while she tries to preserve attention, language, and moral agency.
Films like Poetry, and why
Secret Sunshine
quietly devastating social drama centered on moral responsibility, family pressure, and emotional restraint
The Remains of the Day
poetic, contemplative character drama confronting grief, guilt, and difficult ethical choices
A Separation
unflinching literary drama about ordinary people navigating institutional and personal tragedy without easy answers
The Housemaid
slow-burning Korean social drama combining intimate family conflict with grave moral consequences
Movie Details
- Director
- Lee Chang-dong
- Release Date
- 2010-05-13
- Runtime
- 139 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (352)
Cast
- Yoon Jeong-hee
- David Lee
- Kim Hee-ra
- Ahn Nae-sang
- Kim Yong-taek
- Park Myung-shin
- Jang Hye-jin
- Kim Nam-jin
- Kim Jong-goo
- Kim Hye-jung
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- 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 Poetry about?
- An aging caregiver turns to poetry while confronting her grandson’s devastating crime and the erosion of her own memory.
- What is Poetry like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Poetry as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Poetry violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Poetry as mild.
- What did critics think of Poetry?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a profoundly absorbing and poignant drama that confronts an intricate moral crisis without sentimentality or easy answers.
- Which films are like Poetry?
- Films with a similar feel include Secret Sunshine, The Remains of the Day, A Separation, and The Housemaid.
- How long is Poetry?
- Poetry runs 139 minutes.
- Where can I watch Poetry?
- In United States, Poetry streams on Criterion Channel.
