Dear Evan Hansen
A socially anxious high-school senior turns a mistaken letter and a classmate’s death into an emotionally costly path toward acceptance.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- earnest
- cathartic
- teen movie night
- musical movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the musical adaptation emotionally performed but inauthentic and shallow, with strong supporting work unable to overcome its uncomfortable moral premise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Evan's letter to himself is mistakenly treated as a message connected to Connor Murphy, driving the central conflict.
Evan gains social acceptance through a false narrative that turns Connor's death into a shared story of connection.
Evan's social anxiety and increasing acceptance are inseparable from the guilt produced by his concealment and deception.
The adaptation uses performance-centered musical numbers to express Evan's isolation, longing, grief, and desire for connection.
Films like Dear Evan Hansen, and why
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
teen musical drama centered on grief, identity, and emotionally heightened self-discovery
The Prom
high-school musical drama exploring belonging, performance, and social alienation
Everybody's Talking About Jamie
emotionally direct contemporary musical about troubled young people and connection
The Spectacular Now
teen drama about guilt, grief, and the consequences of hidden wrongdoing
Movie Details
- Director
- Stephen Chbosky
- Release Date
- 2021-09-24
- Runtime
- 137 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (386)
Cast
- Ben Platt
- Kaitlyn Dever
- Amy Adams
- Amandla Stenberg
- Nik Dodani
- Julianne Moore
- Danny Pino
- Colton Ryan
- DeMarius R. Copes
- Liz Kate
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Peacock Premium, YouTube TV, Peacock Premium Plus
- 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 Dear Evan Hansen about?
- A socially anxious high-school senior turns a mistaken letter and a classmate’s death into an emotionally costly path toward acceptance.
- What is Dear Evan Hansen like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dear Evan Hansen as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Dear Evan Hansen violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Dear Evan Hansen as mild.
- What did critics think of Dear Evan Hansen?
- Critics broadly found the musical adaptation emotionally performed but inauthentic and shallow, with strong supporting work unable to overcome its uncomfortable moral premise.
- Which films are like Dear Evan Hansen?
- Films with a similar feel include The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Prom, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, and The Spectacular Now.
- How long is Dear Evan Hansen?
- Dear Evan Hansen runs 137 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dear Evan Hansen?
- In United States, Dear Evan Hansen streams on Peacock Premium, YouTube TV, Peacock Premium Plus.
