Overview
A charming yet reckless playboy navigates the swinging 60s London, where love and lust intertwine.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- witty
- sardonic
- raucous
- classic movie night
- british cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a raucous yet heart-rending portrait of Swinging London, led by Michael Caine's droll performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Alfie repeatedly breaks the fourth wall through candid over-the-shoulder asides to the camera.
Alfie treats women as interchangeable sources of sexual gratification while avoiding responsibility for their emotional and material needs.
The film situates Alfie's womanizing and fashion-conscious lifestyle within 1960s London sexual and social change.
Alfie's wit and confidence sustain his lifestyle until encounters with discarded partners and unwanted consequences expose its hollowness.
Films like Alfie, and why
Tom Jones
shared swinging-sixties setting, direct audience address, and comic portrait of sexual self-invention
Shampoo
shared womanizing protagonist, social satire, and bittersweet romantic comedy tone
The Graduate
shared sexually frank character comedy and critique of masculine self-interest
Movie Details
- Director
- Lewis Gilbert
- Release Date
- 1966-03-29
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (240)
Cast
- Michael Caine
- Shelley Winters
- Millicent Martin
- Julia Foster
- Jane Asher
- Shirley Anne Field
- Vivien Merchant
- Eleanor Bron
- Denholm Elliott
- Alfie Bass
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 Alfie about?
- A charming London womanizer addresses the audience while his carefree sexual routine gradually reveals its emotional and moral cost.
- What is Alfie like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Alfie as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Alfie violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Alfie.
- What did critics think of Alfie?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a raucous yet heart-rending portrait of Swinging London, led by Michael Caine's droll performance.
- Which films are like Alfie?
- Films with a similar feel include Tom Jones, Shampoo, and The Graduate.
- How long is Alfie?
- Alfie runs 114 minutes.
- Where can I watch Alfie?
- In United States, Alfie is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
