Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- provocative
- melancholic
- brooding
- serious movie night
- literary adaptation viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the performances and emotional complexity effective, while judging the adaptation unable to match Nabokov's wit and tonal cruelty.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Humbert frames his obsession and exploitation through romanticized language and personal justification.
The adaptation presents Humbert and Lolita's relationship through pretty, lyrical imagery that contrasts with its coercive implications.
Humbert marries Charlotte to access her thirteen-year-old daughter and pursues a sexually abusive relationship with Lolita.
Humbert takes Lolita on a cross-country automobile trip without honestly telling her about her mother's death.
Films like Lolita, and why
The Night of the Hunter
shared neo-noir atmosphere, morally compromised protagonist, obsessive desire, and destructive romantic entanglement
The Talented Mr. Ripley
shared psychological drama, sexual obsession, manipulation, and an unreliable moral perspective
Damage
shared literary adaptation, illicit desire, social transgression, and tragic relationship dynamics
The Piano Teacher
shared provocative drama, taboo sexuality, coercive intimacy, and emotionally destructive obsession
Movie Details
- Director
- Adrian Lyne
- Release Date
- 1997-09-27
- Runtime
- 137 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (2047)
Cast
- Jeremy Irons
- Dominique Swain
- Melanie Griffith
- Frank Langella
- Suzanne Shepherd
- Keith Reddin
- Erin J. Dean
- Joan Glover
- Pat Perkins
- Ed Grady
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, OVID, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Lolita about?
- A seductive but deeply disturbing road drama follows a literature professor whose obsession with his landlady’s adolescent daughter destroys everyone around them.
- What is Lolita like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lolita as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Lolita violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Lolita as mild.
- What did critics think of Lolita?
- Critics broadly found the performances and emotional complexity effective, while judging the adaptation unable to match Nabokov's wit and tonal cruelty.
- Which films are like Lolita?
- Films with a similar feel include The Night of the Hunter, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Damage, and The Piano Teacher.
- How long is Lolita?
- Lolita runs 137 minutes.
- Where can I watch Lolita?
- In United States, Lolita streams on Amazon Prime Video, OVID, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
