Overview
A haunting melody intertwines love and despair in a city on the brink of war.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- melancholic
- erotic
- ominous
- quiet evening
- arthouse romance night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film complicated and heartbreaking, while acknowledging imperfections in its execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ilona, László, and András form the central interdependent love triangle, later complicated by Hans's desire for Ilona.
András's composition, Gloomy Sunday, moves from intimate expression to a feared trigger associated with suicides.
The lovers' fragile arrangement unfolds in Budapest as Nazi power and the persecution and deportation of Jews intensify.
The restaurant's signature composition is repeatedly loved, feared, and linked to a chain of deaths.
Films like Gloomy Sunday, and why
The English Patient
melancholic wartime romance shaped by jealousy, moral compromise, and historical violence
Aimee & Jaguar
tragic period romance where intimate relationships collide with fascist persecution and political upheaval
The Pianist
emotionally intense love triangle set against the rise of Nazism, with music and doomed romantic longing
Movie Details
- Director
- Rolf Schübel
- Release Date
- 1999-10-21
- Runtime
- 112 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (73)
Cast
- Marozsán Erika
- Joachim Król
- Ben Becker
- Stefano Dionisi
- András Bálint
- Géza Boros
- Rolf Becker
- Ilse Zielstorff
- Ferenc Bács
- Júlia Zsolnai
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Chai Flicks, Strand Releasing Amazon Channel
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Gloomy Sunday about?
- A haunting Budapest romance turns a pianist’s melancholic song into the emotional center of a love triangle shadowed by Nazi persecution.
- What is Gloomy Sunday like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Gloomy Sunday as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Gloomy Sunday violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Gloomy Sunday as moderate.
- What did critics think of Gloomy Sunday?
- Critics broadly found the film complicated and heartbreaking, while acknowledging imperfections in its execution.
- Which films are like Gloomy Sunday?
- Films with a similar feel include The English Patient, Aimee & Jaguar, and The Pianist.
- How long is Gloomy Sunday?
- Gloomy Sunday runs 112 minutes.
- Where can I watch Gloomy Sunday?
- In United States, Gloomy Sunday streams on Chai Flicks, Strand Releasing Amazon Channel.
