Overview
Two men from vastly different backgrounds embark on a life-changing journey, proving that friendship can bloom in the most unexpected places.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- sentimental
- warm
- witty
- reflective evening
- friends movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the earnest performances and central friendship appealing but judged the script overly sentimental and clichéd.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Edward and Carter use their shared bucket list to determine the film's sequence of journeys and personal milestones.
Billionaire Edward Cole and working-class mechanic Carter Chambers form an unlikely bond after becoming hospital roommates.
The cancer ward, terminal diagnoses, and impending death are repeatedly balanced with banter, travel, and comic escapades.
The protagonists visit destinations including Africa and the Himalayas while confronting regrets and repairing damaged relationships.
Films like The Bucket List, and why
The Fault in Our Stars
shared terminal-illness premise, sentimental friendship, and reflective end-of-life journey
The Intouchables
shared unlikely male friendship, travel-driven self-discovery, and bittersweet emotional tone
Last Vegas
shared mortality themes, warm comedy-drama balance, and older protagonists confronting unfinished lives
Movie Details
- Director
- Rob Reiner
- Release Date
- 2007-12-25
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (4236)
Cast
- Jack Nicholson
- Morgan Freeman
- Sean Hayes
- Beverly Todd
- Alfonso Freeman
- Dawn Lewis
- Rob Morrow
- Brian Copeland
- Rowena King
- Annton Berry Jr.
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Bucket List about?
- Two terminally ill strangers turn a final list of dreams into a globe-spanning friendship and a reckoning with how they have lived.
- What is The Bucket List like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Bucket List as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Bucket List violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Bucket List.
- What did critics think of The Bucket List?
- Critics broadly found the earnest performances and central friendship appealing but judged the script overly sentimental and clichéd.
- Which films are like The Bucket List?
- Films with a similar feel include The Fault in Our Stars, The Intouchables, and Last Vegas.
- How long is The Bucket List?
- The Bucket List runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Bucket List?
- In United States, The Bucket List is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
