Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- melancholic
- intimate
- period drama night
- literary film evening
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Stephen Fry's uncannily convincing, nuanced performance and the film's lush authentic period craftsmanship, while finding its conventional structure and preachy final act less successful.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film follows Oscar Wilde's public career, intimate relationships, prosecution, and imprisonment as a dramatized account of his life.
Wilde's homosexuality is treated as criminal by Victorian society, culminating in legal action and hard-labor imprisonment.
Critics specifically praised the film's lush period costumes, decor, settings, and high degree of historical authenticity.
Stephen Fry's performance emphasizes Wilde's mixture of superciliousness, gentleness, vulnerability, and conflicting responsibilities.
Films like Wilde, and why
The Imitation Game
shared biographical drama, literary subject, period setting, and exploration of sexuality under social repression
A Single Man
shared lgbtq historical drama, forbidden desire, legal persecution, and emotionally restrained period atmosphere
Bright Star
shared literary biography, flamboyant central artist, romantic entanglements, and witty period dialogue
Maurice
shared historical lgbtq drama, social intolerance, intimate character focus, and tragic emotional stakes
Movie Details
- Director
- Brian Gilbert
- Release Date
- 1997-09-01
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (297)
Cast
- Stephen Fry
- Jude Law
- Vanessa Redgrave
- Jennifer Ehle
- Gemma Jones
- Judy Parfitt
- Michael Sheen
- Zoë Wanamaker
- Tom Wilkinson
- Ioan Gruffudd
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, 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 Wilde about?
- A richly staged biographical drama traces Oscar Wilde’s dazzling wit, forbidden love, and collision with Victorian law.
- What is Wilde like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Wilde as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Wilde violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Wilde as mild.
- What did critics think of Wilde?
- Critics broadly praised Stephen Fry's uncannily convincing, nuanced performance and the film's lush authentic period craftsmanship, while finding its conventional structure and preachy final act less successful.
- Which films are like Wilde?
- Films with a similar feel include The Imitation Game, A Single Man, Bright Star, and Maurice.
- How long is Wilde?
- Wilde runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Wilde?
- In United States, Wilde is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, Google Play Movies, YouTube.
