Overview
A group of retirees embarks on an unexpected journey to India, where they discover more than just a hotel.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- warm
- witty
- wistful
- lazy sunday
- comfort viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film charming and emotionally engaging, with its veteran ensemble carrying a conventional but appealing cross-cultural comedy-drama.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Evelyn, Graham, Douglas, Jean, Muriel, Madge, and Norman each pursue different forms of renewal at the hotel.
The elderly British guests must negotiate everyday life, social expectations, and economic realities in Jaipur.
Widowhood, retirement, financial loss, health concerns, and romantic disappointment lead the guests toward new possibilities.
Sonny's failing Marigold Hotel gathers the travelers and becomes the practical center of their changing lives.
Films like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, and why
Calendar Girls
shared ensemble comedy-drama structure, older protagonists, cross-cultural adjustment, and themes of reinvention
The Full Monty
shared warm character ensemble, British humor, personal renewal, and an uplifting response to life transitions
A Good Year
shared cross-cultural setting, optimistic emotional tone, and stories of people finding new purpose later in life
Ladies in Lavender
shared ensemble of adults confronting disappointment, friendship, and renewed possibility in an unfamiliar community
Movie Details
- Director
- John Madden
- Release Date
- 2012-02-23
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (1496)
Cast
- Bill Nighy
- Maggie Smith
- Tom Wilkinson
- Judi Dench
- Dev Patel
- Penelope Wilton
- Celia Imrie
- Ronald Pickup
- Tina Desai
- Lillete Dubey
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel
- 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 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel about?
- A newly widowed British woman and six fellow retirees discover unexpected work, friendship, romance, and renewal in a struggling Jaipur hotel.
- What is The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
- What did critics think of The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel?
- Critics broadly found the film charming and emotionally engaging, with its veteran ensemble carrying a conventional but appealing cross-cultural comedy-drama.
- Which films are like The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel?
- Films with a similar feel include Calendar Girls, The Full Monty, A Good Year, and Ladies in Lavender.
- How long is The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel?
- The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel?
- In United States, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel streams on Cinemax Amazon Channel, Cinemax Apple TV channel.
