Overview
A poignant exploration of family dynamics and the chaos of adolescence during a tumultuous divorce.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- acidly witty
- bittersweet
- intimate
- thoughtful movie night
- indie film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a piercingly honest, acidly witty, and convincingly tender portrait of divorce and its consequences.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film treats divorce, infidelity, and family embarrassment as both painful domestic tragedy and bitterly funny material.
Bernard dismisses nonreaders as philistines and rationalizes his selfish behavior through cultural and intellectual superiority.
Walt adopts Bernard's attitudes and falsely claims authorship of Roger Waters's song, while Frank performs transgressive behaviors amid the separation.
The Berkman family occupies a 1986 Brooklyn world of university teaching, literary ambition, museums, libraries, and private schooling.
Films like The Squid and the Whale, and why
The Royal Tenenbaums
Shared dysfunctional family dynamics, sharply observed divorce drama, uncomfortable humor, and coming-of-age perspective.
Happiness
Shared acerbic domestic comedy, emotionally damaged parents, literary pretensions, and dysfunctional family relationships.
Margaret
Shared intimate family rupture, adolescent alienation, naturalistic performances, and bittersweet dramatic comedy.
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
Shared semi-autobiographical family conflict, writerly self-absorption, and wry coming-of-age observation.
Movie Details
- Director
- Noah Baumbach
- Release Date
- 2005-10-05
- Runtime
- 81 min
- Rating
- 7.0 / 10 (1115)
Cast
- Jeff Daniels
- Laura Linney
- Jesse Eisenberg
- Owen Kline
- William Baldwin
- Halley Feiffer
- Anna Paquin
- David Benger
- Molly Barton
- Bo Berkman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Sony Pictures Core Amazon 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 Squid and the Whale about?
- A caustic, intimate coming-of-age comedy in which two Brooklyn sons absorb their parents’ divorce, pretensions, betrayals, and emotional damage.
- What is The Squid and the Whale like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Squid and the Whale as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Squid and the Whale violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Squid and the Whale.
- What did critics think of The Squid and the Whale?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a piercingly honest, acidly witty, and convincingly tender portrait of divorce and its consequences.
- Which films are like The Squid and the Whale?
- Films with a similar feel include The Royal Tenenbaums, Happiness, Margaret, and The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected).
- How long is The Squid and the Whale?
- The Squid and the Whale runs 81 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Squid and the Whale?
- In United States, The Squid and the Whale streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
