Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- contemplative
- philosophical
- quiet evening
- literary film night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film handsomely photographed but dramatically dated, over-reliant on literary exposition, and lacking tension.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Raimund follows the clues in a Portuguese author's writings to reconstruct the author's life and fate.
The aging professor leaves his established life in Switzerland to investigate lives shaped by Salazar's dictatorship.
The story connects the author's friendships, love affairs, and moral choices to opposition against Salazar.
The plot is driven by a doctor-poet's writings and Raimund's meditation on identity, regret, and missed possibilities.
Films like Night Train to Lisbon, and why
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel
literary mystery, travel through European history, and reflective late-life self-discovery
Before Sunset
romantic melancholy, foreign travel, and an introspective protagonist seeking emotional renewal
The Lives of Others
period political history, morally conflicted intellectuals, and a contemplative European atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Bille August
- Release Date
- 2013-03-07
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (444)
Cast
- Jeremy Irons
- Mélanie Laurent
- Jack Huston
- Martina Gedeck
- Tom Courtenay
- August Diehl
- Bruno Ganz
- Lena Olin
- Beatriz Batarda
- Marco D'Almeida
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV 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 Night Train to Lisbon about?
- An isolated Swiss professor follows a Portuguese poet’s writings into Lisbon, where historical secrets rekindle his own appetite for life.
- What is Night Train to Lisbon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Night Train to Lisbon as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Night Train to Lisbon violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Night Train to Lisbon as mild.
- What did critics think of Night Train to Lisbon?
- Critics broadly found the film handsomely photographed but dramatically dated, over-reliant on literary exposition, and lacking tension.
- Which films are like Night Train to Lisbon?
- Films with a similar feel include The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Before Sunset, and The Lives of Others.
- How long is Night Train to Lisbon?
- Night Train to Lisbon runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch Night Train to Lisbon?
- In United States, Night Train to Lisbon streams on Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel, Starz Apple TV channel.
