Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- irreverent
- warm
- date night
- light period drama night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film charming and entertaining, though its conventional romantic-comedy approach limited its impact.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Mortimer's repetitive medical treatments lead to a power-operated device that becomes a vibrator and a commercial opportunity.
Charlotte is a suffragette who runs a home for disadvantaged women while challenging the assumptions of Victorian medicine.
The film frames hysteria treatments, female orgasm, and the discreet development of a vibrator through irreverent period humor.
The power-operated feather duster, transformed into a vibrator, resolves Mortimer's professional crisis and drives the latter part of his journey.
Films like Hysteria, and why
Shakespeare in Love
shares a witty period romantic comedy tone, social convention satire, and a romance shaped by changing gender roles
The Duchess
combines a historical setting, irreverent humor, romantic entanglements, and a socially outspoken heroine
Belle
pairs period comedy with feminist themes, sexual politics, and a determined woman challenging patriarchal institutions
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day
offers a warm historical romance centered on unconventional women, class pressures, and social reform
Movie Details
- Director
- Tanya Wexler
- Release Date
- 2011-06-06
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (888)
Cast
- Maggie Gyllenhaal
- Hugh Dancy
- Jonathan Pryce
- Felicity Jones
- Rupert Everett
- Ashley Jensen
- Sheridan Smith
- Gemma Jones
- Tobias Menzies
- Malcolm Rennie
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- 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 Hysteria about?
- A Victorian doctor’s accidental invention of the vibrator sparks a playful romance and a challenge to patriarchal medicine.
- What is Hysteria like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hysteria as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Hysteria violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Hysteria.
- What did critics think of Hysteria?
- Critics generally found the film charming and entertaining, though its conventional romantic-comedy approach limited its impact.
- Which films are like Hysteria?
- Films with a similar feel include Shakespeare in Love, The Duchess, Belle, and Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day.
- How long is Hysteria?
- Hysteria runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch Hysteria?
- In United States, Hysteria streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
