Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- absurdist
- philosophical
- literary adaptation night
- dark comedy night
What critics said
Critics generally found Noah Baumbach's ambitious adaptation witty, elegant, timely, and strongly performed, while acknowledging that its episodic structure and uneven screenplay can make the source material feel unwieldy.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jack and his family navigate mortality, happiness, and an airborne toxic event through witty, philosophical exchanges and escalating absurdity.
The Gladney household blends children and relationships from several previous marriages, making domestic life a constant negotiation of conflicting identities and loyalties.
The toxic airborne event is filtered through official euphemisms, evacuation procedures, and competing explanations rather than presented as a straightforward disaster spectacle.
The film contrasts colorful domestic and commercial environments with the ominous spectacle of toxic fallout and evacuation, reinforced by Danny Elfman's prominent score.
Films like White Noise, and why
The Squid and the Whale
shared absurdist comedy, dysfunctional family dynamics, and anxiety about mortality
The Royal Tenenbaums
shared eccentric ensemble comedy, stylized dialogue, and apocalyptic unease
American Beauty
shared darkly comic treatment of death, consumer culture, and suburban dysfunction
Being There
shared literary absurdism, existential dread, and comic confrontation with catastrophe
Movie Details
- Director
- Noah Baumbach
- Release Date
- 2022-11-25
- Runtime
- 136 min
- Rating
- 5.6 / 10 (842)
Cast
- Adam Driver
- Greta Gerwig
- Don Cheadle
- Raffey Cassidy
- Sam Nivola
- May Nivola
- Jodie Turner-Smith
- André 3000
- Sam Gold
- Carlos Jacott
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is White Noise about?
- A bickering New Hampshire family confronts toxic catastrophe, marital secrets, and the absurd struggle to make peace with death.
- What is White Noise like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of White Noise as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is White Noise violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in White Noise as mild.
- What did critics think of White Noise?
- Critics generally found Noah Baumbach's ambitious adaptation witty, elegant, timely, and strongly performed, while acknowledging that its episodic structure and uneven screenplay can make the source material feel unwieldy.
- Which films are like White Noise?
- Films with a similar feel include The Squid and the Whale, The Royal Tenenbaums, American Beauty, and Being There.
- How long is White Noise?
- White Noise runs 136 minutes.
- Where can I watch White Noise?
- In United States, White Noise streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
