Overview
A former minister grapples with his past while navigating complex relationships in a remote Mexican hotel.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- brooding
- erotic
- melancholic
- classic film night
- literary drama evening
What critics said
Critics broadly recognized a sensual, powerfully cast Tennessee Williams adaptation, though some found its emotional communication and central performance uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Shannon, Maxine, and Hannah are isolated figures whose encounters force difficult emotional recognition.
Shannon is a former minister reduced to guiding tourists after losing his church and struggling with alcohol and desire.
The Mexican hotel concentrates the tour group, its proprietor, Hannah, and Shannon in an isolated environment.
The west coast of Mexico is presented as visually alluring while the hotel guests endure repression, loneliness, and volatility.
Films like The Night of the Iguana, and why
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
shared Tennessee Williams melodrama, sexual repression, and emotionally volatile outsiders
Suddenly, Last Summer
shared coastal setting, troubled desire, and psychologically intense literary drama
The Sweet Bird of Youth
shared Southern-gothic sensibility, damaged characters, and claustrophobic interpersonal conflict
Under the Volcano
shared lyrical romantic drama, expatriate alienation, and moral ambiguity in Mexico
Movie Details
- Director
- John Huston
- Release Date
- 1964-08-06
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (175)
Cast
- Richard Burton
- Ava Gardner
- Deborah Kerr
- Sue Lyon
- Skip Ward
- Grayson Hall
- Cyril Delevanti
- Mary Boylan
- Gladys Hill
- Emilio Fernández
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- 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 The Night of the Iguana about?
- A defrocked minister guiding tourists along Mexico’s coast confronts desire, alcoholism, and spiritual ruin at an isolated hotel.
- What is The Night of the Iguana like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Night of the Iguana as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Night of the Iguana violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The Night of the Iguana.
- What did critics think of The Night of the Iguana?
- Critics broadly recognized a sensual, powerfully cast Tennessee Williams adaptation, though some found its emotional communication and central performance uneven.
- Which films are like The Night of the Iguana?
- Films with a similar feel include Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Suddenly, Last Summer, The Sweet Bird of Youth, and Under the Volcano.
- How long is The Night of the Iguana?
- The Night of the Iguana runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Night of the Iguana?
- In United States, The Night of the Iguana streams on YouTube TV.
