Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- bleak
- harrowing
- melancholic
- serious drama night
- quiet evening
What critics said
Critics broadly viewed the film as an ambitious but confused and poorly scripted treatment of grief, guilt, and terrorism undermined by one-dimensional characters and sentimental plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The young mother's mourning, guilt, delusions, and possible suicidality shape how she experiences the aftermath of the bombing.
The attack and its consequences generate revenge, betrayal, and suspicious developments through the mother's subjective experience.
The mother's affair with Jasper occurs alongside the attack and becomes a source of guilt, betrayal, and conflicted desire.
London is explicitly associated with the Great Fire and Hitler's bombardment while enduring a modern terrorist attack.
Films like Incendiary, and why
The Reader
Shared focus on grief, guilt, adultery, and emotionally damaged characters within a serious romantic drama.
Breaking the Waves
Shared psychological intensity, moral ambiguity, and a protagonist struggling with trauma and self-destructive impulses.
London River
Shared London setting, terrorism-related trauma, romantic entanglements, and bleak contemporary drama.
Movie Details
- Director
- Sharon Maguire
- Release Date
- 2008-01-20
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Rating
- 5.4 / 10 (189)
Cast
- Michelle Williams
- Ewan McGregor
- Matthew Macfadyen
- Nicholas Gleaves
- Sidney Johnston
- Usman Khokhar
- Sasha Behar
- Ed Hughes
- Alibe Parsons
- Stewart Wright
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, 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 Incendiary about?
- A bereaved North London mother spirals through guilt, betrayal, and revenge after a terrorist attack destroys her family.
- What is Incendiary like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Incendiary as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Incendiary violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Incendiary as graphic.
- What did critics think of Incendiary?
- Critics broadly viewed the film as an ambitious but confused and poorly scripted treatment of grief, guilt, and terrorism undermined by one-dimensional characters and sentimental plotting.
- Which films are like Incendiary?
- Films with a similar feel include The Reader, Breaking the Waves, and London River.
- How long is Incendiary?
- Incendiary runs 113 minutes.
- Where can I watch Incendiary?
- In United States, Incendiary streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
