Overview
A sweeping tale of love and loss against the backdrop of the African wilderness.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- sweeping
- wistful
- quiet weekend viewing
- romantic movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the film's sumptuous cinematography and Meryl Streep and Robert Redford's performances, while finding its romantic epic overlong and slow-paced.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Karen's plantation, relationships, and schooling efforts unfold within colonial Kenya and its unequal social order.
Karen's devotion to the African land is presented alongside her attachment to Denys and her struggle to preserve the plantation.
Karen confronts marital betrayal, illness, plantation troubles, and economic pressures while sustaining her life in Africa.
Safari country, open plains, and expansive Kenyan vistas are central to the film's visual identity.
Films like Out of Africa, and why
The English Patient
sweeping period romance shaped by longing, social constraint, and sumptuous landscapes
A Passage to India
prestige historical romance centered on forbidden desire, colonial settings, and emotional restraint
The Way We Were
melancholic epic romance pairing a strong-willed woman with an elusive adventurer
The Last Emperor
biographical period drama combining intimate relationships with expansive natural cinematography
Movie Details
- Director
- Sydney Pollack
- Release Date
- 1985-12-20
- Runtime
- 161 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (1587)
Cast
- Robert Redford
- Meryl Streep
- Klaus Maria Brandauer
- Michael Kitchen
- Malick Bowens
- Michael Gough
- Suzanna Hamilton
- Rachel Kempson
- Graham Crowden
- Leslie Phillips
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, YouTube TV, Netflix Standard with Ads
- 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 Out of Africa about?
- A Danish plantation owner’s turbulent life in colonial Kenya becomes a sweeping meditation on love, independence, and belonging.
- What is Out of Africa like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Out of Africa as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Out of Africa violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Out of Africa as mild.
- What did critics think of Out of Africa?
- Critics broadly admired the film's sumptuous cinematography and Meryl Streep and Robert Redford's performances, while finding its romantic epic overlong and slow-paced.
- Which films are like Out of Africa?
- Films with a similar feel include The English Patient, A Passage to India, The Way We Were, and The Last Emperor.
- How long is Out of Africa?
- Out of Africa runs 161 minutes.
- Where can I watch Out of Africa?
- In United States, Out of Africa streams on Netflix, YouTube TV, Netflix Standard with Ads.
