Overview
A heartwarming tale of a man who steals a masterpiece to make a difference.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- warm
- sincere
- lazy sunday
- family movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a sweet, well-acted, engaging dramatization of an entertainingly improbable true story.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Kempton Bunton's real-life portrait theft is presented as an accessible, humorous, emotionally affirmative story.
Kempton uses the stolen Goya portrait and ransom demands to challenge government priorities and the justice system.
The Buntons' strained marriage is restored as Dorothy responds to Kempton's activism and criminal prosecution.
The story connects a northern English working-class family with the National Gallery, government welfare policy, and a 1961 courtroom.
Films like The Duke, and why
The Personal History of David Copperfield
warm british comedy-drama about an eccentric ordinary person challenging an institution through an improbable true story
Pride
uplifting period comedy-drama with class-conscious humor, eccentric characters, and a sympathetic social outsider
The Lady in the Van
charming british true-story comedy balancing public institutions, social justice, and heartfelt domestic relationships
Movie Details
- Director
- Roger Michell
- Release Date
- 2021-07-23
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (379)
Cast
- Jim Broadbent
- Helen Mirren
- Fionn Whitehead
- Anna Maxwell Martin
- Matthew Goode
- Jack Bandeira
- Aimee Kelly
- Charlotte Spencer
- Heather Craney
- Stephen Rashbrook
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Hulu, fuboTV, YouTube TV, FXNow
- 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 Duke about?
- A spirited true-story comedy-drama follows a rebellious taxi driver whose audacious art theft becomes both a welfare campaign and a last chance to save his marriage.
- What is The Duke like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Duke as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Duke violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Duke.
- What did critics think of The Duke?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a sweet, well-acted, engaging dramatization of an entertainingly improbable true story.
- Which films are like The Duke?
- Films with a similar feel include The Personal History of David Copperfield, Pride, and The Lady in the Van.
- How long is The Duke?
- The Duke runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Duke?
- In United States, The Duke streams on Hulu, fuboTV, YouTube TV, FXNow.
