Overview
A young man's journey of self-discovery unfolds through the power of music and dreams.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- uplifting
- earnest
- witty
- feel good movie night
- music movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an exuberant, heartfelt, and life-affirming music-driven coming-of-age drama that addresses race, politics, family, and aspiration with confidence.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Javed repeatedly uses Bruce Springsteen's music to articulate feelings, interpret events, and pursue a new identity.
Javed's British Pakistani identity is shaped by family expectations, racism in Luton, and his desire for an expressive life of his own.
Javed's artistic aspirations and changing worldview repeatedly confront his father's traditional authority and unemployment-related anxiety.
Springsteen lyrics and Javed's inner responses are rendered through heightened musical sequences and kinetic transitions.
Films like Blinded by the Light, and why
Sing Street
music-driven coming of age story about a young person finding identity and purpose through a beloved artist
Yesterday
uplifting British coming of age drama combining family conflict, cultural identity, romance, and a transformative popular-music soundtrack
Bend It Like Beckham
warm, energetic cultural coming of age film about youthful ambition confronting family and social expectations
Billy Elliot
earnest feel-good drama in which music helps a young protagonist navigate class, family, and personal aspiration
Movie Details
- Director
- Gurinder Chadha
- Release Date
- 2019-08-09
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (625)
Cast
- Viveik Kalra
- Nell Williams
- Hayley Atwell
- Kulvinder Ghir
- Aaron Phagura
- Dean-Charles Chapman
- Meera Ganatra
- Nikita Mehta
- Tara Divina
- Rob Brydon
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 Blinded by the Light about?
- A British Pakistani teenager discovers a vocabulary for resistance and self-expression in Bruce Springsteen while challenging his father's expectations in 1980s Luton.
- What is Blinded by the Light like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Blinded by the Light as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Blinded by the Light violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Blinded by the Light as mild.
- What did critics think of Blinded by the Light?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an exuberant, heartfelt, and life-affirming music-driven coming-of-age drama that addresses race, politics, family, and aspiration with confidence.
- Which films are like Blinded by the Light?
- Films with a similar feel include Sing Street, Yesterday, Bend It Like Beckham, and Billy Elliot.
- How long is Blinded by the Light?
- Blinded by the Light runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch Blinded by the Light?
- In United States, Blinded by the Light is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex.
