Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- wistful
- oppressive
- quiet evening
- literary film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film suspenseful, beautifully mounted, and well acted, while judging its compressed adaptation less nuanced than Evelyn Waugh's novel and the earlier television version.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Charles Ryder is stationed at Brideshead during World War II and reflects on his earlier involvement with the Flyte family.
Lady Marchmain imposes strict Catholic expectations on her children and obstructs Charles's intimate relationships with the Flytes.
The Brideshead estate, wealthy family milieu, excessive drinking, marital estrangement, and doomed relationships create an atmosphere of fading privilege.
Charles and Sebastian share an unusually intimate bond, while Charles later falls in love with Sebastian's sister Julia amid restrictive social norms.
Films like Brideshead Revisited, and why
Atonement
lavish british period drama exploring class, forbidden intimacy, religion, and repressed desire
The Remains of the Day
literary period romance centered on class division, family pressure, and emotionally destructive relationships
Maurice
ornate english period drama about friendship, sexuality, faith, and social privilege
The English Patient
romantic historical drama shaped by aristocratic family conflict, religious expectation, and doomed love
Movie Details
- Director
- Julian Jarrold
- Release Date
- 2008-07-25
- Runtime
- 133 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (170)
Cast
- Matthew Goode
- Ben Whishaw
- Hayley Atwell
- Emma Thompson
- Michael Gambon
- Patrick Malahide
- Ed Stoppard
- Greta Scacchi
- Anna Madeley
- Jonathan Cake
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Brideshead Revisited about?
- A young artist's entanglement with a wealthy Catholic family becomes a sumptuous meditation on desire, faith, class, and irreversible loss.
- What is Brideshead Revisited like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Brideshead Revisited as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Brideshead Revisited violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Brideshead Revisited as mild.
- What did critics think of Brideshead Revisited?
- Critics broadly found the film suspenseful, beautifully mounted, and well acted, while judging its compressed adaptation less nuanced than Evelyn Waugh's novel and the earlier television version.
- Which films are like Brideshead Revisited?
- Films with a similar feel include Atonement, The Remains of the Day, Maurice, and The English Patient.
- How long is Brideshead Revisited?
- Brideshead Revisited runs 133 minutes.
- Where can I watch Brideshead Revisited?
- In United States, Brideshead Revisited is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
