Mon Oncle
A gentle, meticulously staged comedy in which Monsieur Hulot's warmth collides with his relatives' automated vision of modern life.
Overview
A whimsical exploration of modern life through the eyes of an outsider.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- gentle
- warm
- lazy sunday
- classic film night
What critics said
Critics broadly celebrate Jacques Tati's accessible, inventive humanism, visual blocking, sound design, and gentle satire, while finding the extended mechanical routines occasionally monotonous.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hulot's informal neighborhood life contrasts with the Arpel family's automated house and plastics factory.
The film repeatedly organizes characters, machines, doors, and domestic spaces into precisely timed comic tableaux.
The Arpel home, automated conveniences, and managerial factory culture turn postwar prosperity into a source of comic alienation.
Hulot's influence on Gérard and later employment at the factory unsettle the Arpel family's attempts at conformity.
Films like Mon Oncle, and why
Playtime
shared gentle physical comedy, observational satire, and critique of mechanized modernity
Modern Times
shared humanistic visual humor, meticulous choreography, and resistance to industrial efficiency
À Nous la Liberté
shared surreal everyday comedy, urban observation, and playful anti-modernity
Movie Details
- Director
- Jacques Tati
- Release Date
- 1958-05-10
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (635)
Cast
- Jacques Tati
- Jean-Pierre Zola
- Adrienne Servantie
- Lucien Frégis
- Betty Schneider
- Jean-François Martial
- Dominique Marie
- Yvonne Arnaud
- Adelaide Danieli
- Alain Bécourt
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Mon Oncle about?
- A gentle, meticulously staged comedy in which Monsieur Hulot's warmth collides with his relatives' automated vision of modern life.
- What is Mon Oncle like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Mon Oncle as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Mon Oncle violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Mon Oncle.
- What did critics think of Mon Oncle?
- Critics broadly celebrate Jacques Tati's accessible, inventive humanism, visual blocking, sound design, and gentle satire, while finding the extended mechanical routines occasionally monotonous.
- Which films are like Mon Oncle?
- Films with a similar feel include Playtime, Modern Times, and À Nous la Liberté.
- How long is Mon Oncle?
- Mon Oncle runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Mon Oncle?
- In United States, Mon Oncle streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
