Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- mythic
- romantic
- melancholic
- musical theater night
- mythology-themed viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the musical as an accomplished and emotionally resonant adaptation of Anaïs Mitchell's acclaimed stage work.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Orpheus and Eurydice as well as Hades and Persephone myths are presented through a post-apocalyptic future setting.
The plot explicitly juxtaposes the Orpheus and Eurydice story with the Hades and Persephone relationship.
The production is identified as a live recording of a stage musical involving National Theatre and theatrical performers.
The characters pursue a perfect world and enduring love against the backdrop of a post-apocalyptic future and the underworld.
Films like Hadestown, and why
Moulin Rouge!
mythic romance, lavish musical storytelling, and tragic emotional stakes
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
stage-derived musical drama combining doomed love, theatrical stylization, and moral darkness
The Last Five Years
intimate romantic musical centered on artistic idealism, separation, and bittersweet longing
Movie Details
- Director
- Brett Sullivan
- Release Date
- 2026-07-23
- Runtime
- 142 min
- Rating
- 8.9 / 10 (7)
Cast
- Reeve Carney
- Eva Noblezada
- André De Shields
- Patrick Page
- Amber Gray
- Bella Brown
- Madeline Charlemagne
- Allie Daniel
- Lauren Azania
- Tiago Dhondt Bamberger
Common questions
- What is Hadestown about?
- A visually theatrical mythic musical where doomed lovers and immortal partners confront the cost of pursuing an ideal world.
- What is Hadestown like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hadestown as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Hadestown violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Hadestown.
- What did critics think of Hadestown?
- Critics broadly regard the musical as an accomplished and emotionally resonant adaptation of Anaïs Mitchell's acclaimed stage work.
- Which films are like Hadestown?
- Films with a similar feel include Moulin Rouge!, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and The Last Five Years.
- How long is Hadestown?
- Hadestown runs 142 minutes.
