Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- sensual
- confrontational
- arthouse film night
- jane campion double feature
What critics said
Critics broadly found the performances and visual beauty compelling but judged the screenplay and tonal shifts incoherent or heavy-handed.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ruth's attachment to an Indian guru is challenged by her family's hired deprogrammer, turning belief into a struggle over personal sovereignty.
The macho PJ expects to control Ruth, but her intelligence, sexuality, and iron will repeatedly destabilize his professional authority.
The early Indian journey is rendered through richly colored imagery and sensual, magical atmosphere associated with Ruth's religious awakening.
The deprogramming confrontation unfolds in a remote Australian desert hideaway, isolating Ruth and PJ from ordinary social structures.
Films like Holy Smoke, and why
The Piano
shared feminist confrontation, erotic tension, psychologically intense performances, and Jane Campion's challenging art-house sensibility
The Last Seduction
shared spiritual crisis, sexual politics, coercive relationships, and psychologically charged drama
Martha Marcy May Marlene
shared cult deprogramming premise, darkly comic discomfort, and conflict between personal autonomy and ideological control
Thelma & Louise
shared desert isolation, gender power struggles, and unconventional erotic drama
Movie Details
- Director
- Jane Campion
- Release Date
- 1999-09-04
- Runtime
- 115 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (231)
Cast
- Kate Winslet
- Harvey Keitel
- Julie Hamilton
- Sophie Lee
- Dan Wyllie
- Paul Goddard
- Tim Robertson
- George Mangos
- Kerry Walker
- Leslie Dayman
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, 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 Holy Smoke about?
- A spiritually charged Australian dramedy turns a cult deprogramming mission into an erotic battle over faith, autonomy, and gendered power.
- What is Holy Smoke like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Holy Smoke as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Holy Smoke violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Holy Smoke as mild.
- What did critics think of Holy Smoke?
- Critics broadly found the performances and visual beauty compelling but judged the screenplay and tonal shifts incoherent or heavy-handed.
- Which films are like Holy Smoke?
- Films with a similar feel include The Piano, The Last Seduction, Martha Marcy May Marlene, and Thelma & Louise.
- How long is Holy Smoke?
- Holy Smoke runs 115 minutes.
- Where can I watch Holy Smoke?
- In United States, Holy Smoke is available to rent or buy from JustWatch TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
