Overview
Two misfits challenge the norms of ballroom dancing and discover their true selves.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- exuberant
- irreverent
- dance movie night
- feel good weekend
What critics said
Critics generally found the film energetic, entertaining, and stylistically distinctive, while noting its predictable story and occasional tonal or amateurish excesses.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Baz Luhrmann frames ballroom culture through flamboyant staging, heightened performances, and deliberately theatrical presentation.
Scott rejects the Ballroom Confederation's prescribed steps and insists on creating his own dance style.
Scott and Fran develop from mismatched outsiders into collaborators pursuing the Pan Pacific Championships.
Scott and inexperienced dancer Fran attempt to defeat the entrenched ballroom establishment at its premier competition.
Films like Strictly Ballroom, and why
Dirty Dancing
romantic dance competition, outsider partnership, exuberant comic tone
Shall We Dance
dance-centered romantic comedy with competitive performance and underdog energy
Blades of Glory
stylized sports comedy built around an unconventional team and heightened performance
Movie Details
- Director
- Baz Luhrmann
- Release Date
- 1992-08-20
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (398)
Cast
- Paul Mercurio
- Tara Morice
- Bill Hunter
- Pat Thomson
- Gia Carides
- Peter Whitford
- Barry Otto
- John Hannan
- Sonia Kruger
- Kris McQuade
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 Strictly Ballroom about?
- A flamboyant Australian ballroom underdog story where an unconventional champion and an unlikely partner dance their way past tradition.
- What is Strictly Ballroom like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Strictly Ballroom as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Strictly Ballroom violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Strictly Ballroom.
- What did critics think of Strictly Ballroom?
- Critics generally found the film energetic, entertaining, and stylistically distinctive, while noting its predictable story and occasional tonal or amateurish excesses.
- Which films are like Strictly Ballroom?
- Films with a similar feel include Dirty Dancing, Shall We Dance, and Blades of Glory.
- How long is Strictly Ballroom?
- Strictly Ballroom runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Strictly Ballroom?
- In United States, Strictly Ballroom streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
