Overview
A dancer's fight for freedom unfolds in a world where trust is a luxury.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- earnest
- melancholic
- dance film night
- cold war movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the Cold War premise and script weak but praised the lead performances and dance choreography.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nikolai is pressured to return to the Kirov Academy while dance remains central to his desire for autonomy and escape.
The expatriate Russian dancer is forced onto Soviet territory and seeks to escape renewed state control.
Mikhail Baryshnikov's ballet is paired with Gregory Hines's tap dancing in major performance sequences.
Nikolai must determine whether Raymond, a Black American living in the Soviet Union, can help him escape.
Films like White Nights, and why
The Man Who Came in from the Cold
cold war escape thriller centered on an expatriate protagonist and divided loyalties
The Defector
political confinement, distrust, and attempts to cross an authoritarian border
The Turning Point
dance-driven drama pairing artistic performance with personal and political liberation
The Red Violin
emotionally charged drama about artists navigating repression and institutional power
Movie Details
- Director
- Taylor Hackford
- Release Date
- 1985-11-22
- Runtime
- 136 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (154)
Cast
- Mikhail Baryshnikov
- Gregory Hines
- Jerzy Skolimowski
- Helen Mirren
- Geraldine Page
- Isabella Rossellini
- John Glover
- Stefan Gryff
- William Hootkins
- Shane Rimmer
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Howdy Amazon Channel
- 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 White Nights about?
- A brilliant expatriate dancer is forced back into Soviet service and must risk an uneasy alliance to reclaim his freedom.
- What is White Nights like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of White Nights as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is White Nights violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in White Nights as mild.
- What did critics think of White Nights?
- Critics broadly found the Cold War premise and script weak but praised the lead performances and dance choreography.
- Which films are like White Nights?
- Films with a similar feel include The Man Who Came in from the Cold, The Defector, The Turning Point, and The Red Violin.
- How long is White Nights?
- White Nights runs 136 minutes.
- Where can I watch White Nights?
- In United States, White Nights streams on Howdy Amazon Channel.
