Overview
A late-night talk show host faces her toughest challenge yet: reinventing herself in a changing world.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- sharp
- warm
- lazy sunday
- career inspiration
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film lively and sharply performed, especially praising Emma Thompson and the chemistry between its central stars, while noting an uneven, scattershot script and tone.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Molly enters Katherine's all-male writers' room amid accusations that Katherine dislikes women, making gender and authority central to the professional conflict.
The plot unfolds around a late-night talk show, its writers' room, ratings pressures, and network replacement decisions.
Katherine is presented as a formidable legendary host whose sharp persona and declining ratings drive the central character transformation.
Molly's hiring and attempt to revitalize the show connect representation in the writers' room to broader change in entertainment.
Films like Late Night, and why
The Devil Wears Prada
shared workplace comedy, women in male-dominated professional spaces, and sharp but warm character banter
The Intern
shared show-business setting, comic professional rivalry, and an ensemble rebuilding a struggling entertainment enterprise
Broadcast News
shared backstage television workplace, fast verbal humor, and pressure from ratings and network executives
The Intern
shared female-led comedy-drama, career reinvention, and tension between public success and private vulnerability
Movie Details
- Director
- Nisha Ganatra
- Release Date
- 2019-01-25
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (901)
Cast
- Emma Thompson
- Mindy Kaling
- Max Casella
- Hugh Dancy
- Denis O'Hare
- Reid Scott
- Amy Ryan
- Paul Walter Hauser
- John Early
- John Lithgow
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Late Night about?
- A determined new comedy writer challenges a formidable late-night host to modernize her failing show and its deeply entrenched workplace culture.
- What is Late Night like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Late Night as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Late Night violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Late Night.
- What did critics think of Late Night?
- Critics broadly found the film lively and sharply performed, especially praising Emma Thompson and the chemistry between its central stars, while noting an uneven, scattershot script and tone.
- Which films are like Late Night?
- Films with a similar feel include The Devil Wears Prada, The Intern, Broadcast News, and The Intern.
- How long is Late Night?
- Late Night runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Late Night?
- In United States, Late Night streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
