Lolita
Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita is a mordantly comic and deeply unsettling portrait of a cultivated man who disguises predation as romance.
Overview
A summer of obsession unfolds in a small New England town, where desire knows no bounds.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- morbid
- witty
- provocative
- classic film night
- kubrick retrospective
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the adaptation as stylistically distinctive and powerfully acted, while debating its uneven tone and limited erotic force amid the controversial subject matter.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Humbert's retrospective account filters his pursuit of Dolores through literary language and self-serving interpretation.
Kubrick stages Humbert, Charlotte, and their social circles with broad comic behavior while preserving the underlying menace of obsession.
Humbert enters a relationship with Charlotte and manipulates domestic circumstances to remain near Lolita.
The film combines black-and-white imagery, broad performances, and carefully composed interiors to turn ordinary social settings into unsettling comic tableaux.
Films like Lolita, and why
The Servant
shared psychological drama, morally compromised protagonist, blackly comic tone, and sexual obsession
The Night Porter
shared controversial literary adaptation, oppressive desire, social performance, and unsettling dark humor
The Talented Mr. Ripley
shared unreliable self-presentation, obsessive romance, tragicomic alienation, and stylized psychological tension
Movie Details
- Director
- Stanley Kubrick
- Release Date
- 1962-06-13
- Runtime
- 154 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (2307)
Cast
- James Mason
- Shelley Winters
- Sue Lyon
- Gary Cockrell
- Jerry Stovin
- Diana Decker
- Lois Maxwell
- Cec Linder
- Bill Greene
- Shirley Douglas
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Lolita about?
- Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita is a mordantly comic and deeply unsettling portrait of a cultivated man who disguises predation as romance.
- What is Lolita like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Lolita as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Lolita violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Lolita as mild.
- What did critics think of Lolita?
- Critics broadly regarded the adaptation as stylistically distinctive and powerfully acted, while debating its uneven tone and limited erotic force amid the controversial subject matter.
- Which films are like Lolita?
- Films with a similar feel include The Servant, The Night Porter, and The Talented Mr. Ripley.
- How long is Lolita?
- Lolita runs 154 minutes.
- Where can I watch Lolita?
- In United States, Lolita is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
