Living
A rigid postwar London civil servant confronts mortality and searches for a more meaningful way to spend his remaining time.
Overview
A bureaucrat's mundane life takes a transformative turn when faced with a terminal diagnosis, prompting him to embrace the world around him.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- understated
- melancholic
- wistful
- quiet evening
- reflective viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Bill Nighy's restrained lead performance and the film's elegant, involving treatment of mortality, while noting its subdued pacing and an abrupt late structural turn.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Williams receives a grim diagnosis and begins seeking meaningful experiences beyond his bureaucratic routine.
Williams's transformation is expressed through quiet speech, methodical conduct, and subtle shifts in demeanor.
The London County Council office and Williams's emotionally rigid public-service culture embody postwar institutional restraint.
A late flashback revisits events and explains the film's apparent temporal rupture.
Films like Living, and why
Ikiru
shared themes of mortality, deferred living, and quiet personal transformation within restrained period drama
The Remains of the Day
shared melancholic tone, mid-century British setting, and emotionally contained character study
45 Years
shared understated drama, aging protagonists, and reflective confrontation with limited time
The Straight Story
shared gentle, bittersweet atmosphere and late-life awakening through human connection
Movie Details
- Director
- Oliver Hermanus
- Release Date
- 2022-11-04
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (543)
Cast
- Bill Nighy
- Aimee Lou Wood
- Alex Sharp
- Tom Burke
- Adrian Rawlins
- Oliver Chris
- Hubert Burton
- Zoe Boyle
- Barney Fishwick
- Patsy Ferran
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Plex
- 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 Living about?
- A rigid postwar London civil servant confronts mortality and searches for a more meaningful way to spend his remaining time.
- What is Living like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Living as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Living violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Living.
- What did critics think of Living?
- Critics broadly praised Bill Nighy's restrained lead performance and the film's elegant, involving treatment of mortality, while noting its subdued pacing and an abrupt late structural turn.
- Which films are like Living?
- Films with a similar feel include Ikiru, The Remains of the Day, 45 Years, and The Straight Story.
- How long is Living?
- Living runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Living?
- In United States, Living streams on fuboTV, YouTube TV.
