The Goldfinch
After surviving a museum bombing that kills his mother, a grieving New York teenager becomes bound to a stolen masterpiece and the secrets surrounding it.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- serious
- ornate
- quiet evening
- literary adaptation night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film beautifully photographed but inert, over-compressed, and unable to translate the novel's complexity into compelling cinema.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Theo's life after the museum bombing remains organized around his mother's death and the stolen painting.
The Goldfinch painting becomes the enduring object through which Theo carries grief and secrecy.
Adult Theodore's account moves between his later life and the teenage experience that formed him.
The Metropolitan Museum bombing transforms Theo's family life and initiates the film's long emotional trajectory.
Films like The Goldfinch, and why
The Reader
shared non linear coming-of-age drama, literary adaptation, grief, and morally complicated protagonist
Atonement
shared art-centered drama, fractured chronology, trauma, and emotionally weighty literary storytelling
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
shared teenage protagonist, bereavement, family instability, and New York-centered character drama
Movie Details
- Director
- John Crowley
- Release Date
- 2019-09-12
- Runtime
- 149 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (961)
Cast
- Ansel Elgort
- Oakes Fegley
- Nicole Kidman
- Jeffrey Wright
- Luke Wilson
- Sarah Paulson
- Willa Fitzgerald
- Aneurin Barnard
- Finn Wolfhard
- Ashleigh Cummings
Where to watch in United States
- 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 The Goldfinch about?
- After surviving a museum bombing that kills his mother, a grieving New York teenager becomes bound to a stolen masterpiece and the secrets surrounding it.
- What is The Goldfinch like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Goldfinch as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Goldfinch violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Goldfinch as mild.
- What did critics think of The Goldfinch?
- Critics broadly found the film beautifully photographed but inert, over-compressed, and unable to translate the novel's complexity into compelling cinema.
- Which films are like The Goldfinch?
- Films with a similar feel include The Reader, Atonement, and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.
- How long is The Goldfinch?
- The Goldfinch runs 149 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Goldfinch?
- In United States, The Goldfinch is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex.
