The Fountain
Across Mayan legend, medical science, and deep space, a man repeatedly confronts mortality while searching for a way to preserve his love forever.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Mild
- dreamy
- melancholic
- surreal
- reflective evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly divided over the film's striking visual ambition and emotional sincerity versus its convoluted, overblown storytelling and abrupt tonal shifts.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The conquistador, medical researcher, and space traveler narratives parallel and intersect across past, present, and future.
Trees, nebulae, bubbles, stars, and the fountain motif recur as visual bridges between love, death, and eternity.
The protagonists pursue immortality while confronting a loved one's terminal illness and the limits of bodily survival.
Mayan, biblical, Buddhist, Taoist, and New Age iconography are combined throughout the three narratives.
Films like The Fountain, and why
Cloud Atlas
ambitious science fiction, nonlinear storytelling, existential themes, and emotionally intense romance
2001: A Space Odyssey
arthouse science fiction, metaphysical imagery, mortality themes, and formally unconventional narrative
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
surreal visual style, romantic obsession, psychological intensity, and fractured realities
What Dreams May Come
romantic melodrama shaped by mortality, spiritual symbolism, and heightened visual design
Movie Details
- Director
- Darren Aronofsky
- Release Date
- 2006-11-22
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (3236)
Cast
- Hugh Jackman
- Rachel Weisz
- Ellen Burstyn
- Mark Margolis
- Stephen McHattie
- Fernando Hernández
- Cliff Curtis
- Sean Patrick Thomas
- Donna Murphy
- Ethan Suplee
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 The Fountain about?
- Across Mayan legend, medical science, and deep space, a man repeatedly confronts mortality while searching for a way to preserve his love forever.
- What is The Fountain like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Fountain as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is The Fountain violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Fountain as mild.
- What did critics think of The Fountain?
- Critics broadly divided over the film's striking visual ambition and emotional sincerity versus its convoluted, overblown storytelling and abrupt tonal shifts.
- Which films are like The Fountain?
- Films with a similar feel include Cloud Atlas, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and What Dreams May Come.
- How long is The Fountain?
- The Fountain runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Fountain?
- In United States, The Fountain is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
