Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- intimate
- tender
- quiet evening
- romance night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film sincere and emotionally engaging as a period lesbian romance, though its conventional melodrama limited its impact.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jean and Lydia's relationship develops under the scrutiny and prejudice of a small Scottish community in the 1950s.
Charlie’s fascination with Jean’s bees and Jean’s beekeeping recur as a connective motif between the characters.
Lydia’s inadequate wages and eviction force her and Charlie to rely on Jean’s hospitality.
The village setting makes Lydia and Jean’s growing relationship vulnerable to gossip, hostility, and social condemnation.
Films like Tell It to the Bees, and why
Carol
historical lesbian romance shaped by social repression and intimate emotional conflict
The Handmaiden
period-set queer romance emphasizing forbidden desire, class pressures, and restrained melodrama
Disobedience
tender lesbian relationship drama confronting family judgment and social convention
God's Own Country
working-class romantic drama with emotionally direct performances and restrictive social context
Movie Details
- Director
- Annabel Jankel
- Release Date
- 2019-05-03
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 7.5 / 10 (479)
Cast
- Anna Paquin
- Holliday Grainger
- Emun Elliott
- Steven Robertson
- Lauren Lyle
- Gregor Selkirk
- Kate Dickie
- Billy Boyd
- Euan Mason
- Zara Howell
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- 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 Tell It to the Bees about?
- In 1950s Scotland, an embattled mother finds emotional refuge and forbidden love with the village doctor who shelters her and her son.
- What is Tell It to the Bees like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Tell It to the Bees as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Tell It to the Bees violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Tell It to the Bees as mild.
- What did critics think of Tell It to the Bees?
- Critics broadly found the film sincere and emotionally engaging as a period lesbian romance, though its conventional melodrama limited its impact.
- Which films are like Tell It to the Bees?
- Films with a similar feel include Carol, The Handmaiden, Disobedience, and God's Own Country.
- How long is Tell It to the Bees?
- Tell It to the Bees runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch Tell It to the Bees?
- In United States, Tell It to the Bees streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
