Overview
A poignant tale of survival and love amidst the harsh realities of early 20th-century America.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- oppressive
- intimate
- quiet evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised James Gray’s beautiful period filmmaking and Marion Cotillard’s powerful performance, while finding the restrained melodrama occasionally divisive.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ewa reaches Ellis Island seeking a new start but is separated from Magda, stranded in Manhattan, and forced into exploitative circumstances.
James Gray favors broad-canvas widescreen imagery and historically authentic public and private spaces around Ewa's isolation.
Ewa is controlled by Bruno while Orlando becomes an emotionally and practically complicated route away from prostitution.
Critics repeatedly identify the film as an ode to older melodrama, while Cotillard's haunted performance carries much of its emotional force.
Films like The Immigrant, and why
Brooklyn
shared period melodrama, immigrant struggle, visual grandeur, and tragic romantic tension
The Godfather Part II
shared historical immigration setting, intimate family stakes, and emotionally restrained romance
Days of Heaven
shared morally pressured romance, social marginalization, and classical melodramatic style
Voyage to Italy
shared Italian neorealist influence, post-arrival displacement, and intimate emotional realism
Movie Details
- Director
- James Gray
- Release Date
- 2013-11-27
- Runtime
- 117 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (897)
Cast
- Marion Cotillard
- Joaquin Phoenix
- Jeremy Renner
- Dagmara Dominczyk
- Yelena Solovey
- Jicky Schnee
- Maja Wampuszyc
- Ilia Volok
- Angela Sarafyan
- Antoni Corone
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Immigrant about?
- A Polish immigrant’s pursuit of family and freedom becomes a bruising test of survival, desire, and moral escape in 1921 New York.
- What is The Immigrant like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Immigrant as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Immigrant violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Immigrant as mild.
- What did critics think of The Immigrant?
- Critics broadly praised James Gray’s beautiful period filmmaking and Marion Cotillard’s powerful performance, while finding the restrained melodrama occasionally divisive.
- Which films are like The Immigrant?
- Films with a similar feel include Brooklyn, The Godfather Part II, Days of Heaven, and Voyage to Italy.
- How long is The Immigrant?
- The Immigrant runs 117 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Immigrant?
- In United States, The Immigrant streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel.
