Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- abrasive
- sardonic
- volatile
- dark comedy night
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film over-plotted and self-consciously odd despite a strong cast and inventive criminal schemes.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Barkley’s abduction and the ransom demand initiate the film’s chain of schemes and counter-schemes.
Eli’s Nobel Prize and its money intensify family resentment, greed, and the kidnapping crisis.
The Michaelson household is structured around Eli’s philandering, Sarah’s strained marriage, and Barkley’s resentment.
The plot pairs ransom, revenge, and betrayal with grotesque jokes and the recurring cannibalistic Montaigne quotation.
Films like Nobel Son, and why
The Ice Harvest
darkly comic crime plotting, family dysfunction, betrayal, and morally corrosive characters
Very Bad Things
acidic humor, criminal schemes, volatile relationships, and an aggressively stylized tone
Ruthless People
twisty kidnapping narrative, black comedy, and dysfunctional interpersonal dynamics
The Informant!
crime-driven satire, revenge motives, and eccentric characters caught in escalating schemes
Movie Details
- Director
- Randall Miller
- Release Date
- 2007-04-28
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (145)
Cast
- Alan Rickman
- Bryan Greenberg
- Shawn Hatosy
- Eliza Dushku
- Bill Pullman
- Mary Steenburgen
- Danny DeVito
- Ted Danson
- Ernie Hudson
- Lindy Booth
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 Nobel Son about?
- A struggling doctoral student’s kidnapping exposes the vicious appetites, sexual betrayals, and revenge schemes festering inside his Nobel-winning family.
- What is Nobel Son like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Nobel Son as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Nobel Son violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Nobel Son as moderate.
- What did critics think of Nobel Son?
- Critics broadly found the film over-plotted and self-consciously odd despite a strong cast and inventive criminal schemes.
- Which films are like Nobel Son?
- Films with a similar feel include The Ice Harvest, Very Bad Things, Ruthless People, and The Informant!.
- How long is Nobel Son?
- Nobel Son runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch Nobel Son?
- In United States, Nobel Son streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
