Tolkien

"A life of love, courage & fellowship."

2019 1h 52m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 1,590

WarDramaRomance

Synopsis

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England, early 20th century. The future writer and philologist John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) and three of his schoolmates create a strong bond between them as they share the same passion for literature and art, a true fellowship that strengthens as they grow up, but the outbreak of World War I threatens to shatter it.

“A life of love, courage & fellowship.”

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Cast

Nicholas Hoult
J.R.R. Tolkien
Lily Collins
Edith Bratt
Colm Meaney
Father Francis Morgan
Derek Jacobi
Professor Joseph Wright
Harry Gilby
Young J.R.R. Tolkien
Mimi Keene
Young Edith Bratt
Anthony Boyle
Geoffrey Bache Smith
Adam Bregman
Young Geoffrey Bache Smith

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Dome Karukoski
Writers: Jonathan Millward, Mark Nuttall, Stephen Beresford
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 43% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 7 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Dome Karukoski, shot by Lasse Frank Johannessen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Thomas Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Harri Ylönen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins and Colm Meaney carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "A life of love, courage & fellowship.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt3361792 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Dome Karukoski directs. Lasse Frank Johannessen behind the camera. Thomas Newman scores. Harri Ylönen cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 43% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 7 years ago.
3Directed by Dome Karukoski, shot by Lasse Frank Johannessen. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Thomas Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Harri Ylönen shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Nicholas Hoult and Lily Collins and Colm Meaney carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "A life of love, courage & fellowship.".
8IMDB entry: tt3361792 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 13 themes, including "world war i", "male friendship", "biography", "based on true story".

The technical file

Cinematography: Lasse Frank Johannessen
Original score: Thomas Newman
Editing: Harri Ylönen
Production design: Grant Montgomery
Makeup / hair: Nadia Stacey
VFX supervisor: Rupert Davies
Sound: Martin Cantwell
Stunt coordinator: David Garrick
Runtime: 112 min · 1h 52m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $20,000,000
Box office: $8,654,322
Return: 43% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG-13
IMDB: Tolkien (2019)

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Dome Karukoski

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Community reviews

What people are saying

SWITCH.2019-06-04
★ 4/10
For the literary fans of JRR Tolkien, this film will serve as a very exciting chapter of your fandom; when you get to see a character called Sam you'll be sure to gasp with glee - and let me assure you they really emphasise his name, along with a myriad of other moments just like it. You can’t miss them. They know who this movie is for, because it sure as hell won't be appealing to anyone else. - Jess Fenton Read Jess' full article... https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-tolkien-lord-of-the-rings-and-hobbit-fans-this-ones-for-you
Gimly2019-12-30
★ 4/10
I'll admit I had some interest when I heard that a Tolkien biopic was in the works, but now that I've actually seen it, I'm very unsure about who was supposed to want this movie? It's just an unbearably clichéd biopic that makes sure it ticks all the boxes a biopic for some reason must. I don't understand how this formula gets forced in to the real-life story of every person who has ever lived a time that was put to screenplay. It's so boring, and it's so done. Who was crying out for a movie that examined famed author J. R. R. Tolkien when he... went from mildly unpopular at fancy pants school, to mildly popular at fancy pants school? Not when he was writing the most famous fantasy series of all time. Not when he was at war (or at least not more than about a cumulative 6 minutes of flashforwards at war). Not his relationship with C. S. Lewis. Not even about going to codebreaking school. Nope, a young Tolkien whose not very likeable and rather lofty for someone who supposedly comes from such a poor background. It does touch on some references to his future writing, adding a little bit of a fantastical element, but it's so afraid of this, its best element, that really only seems to imply that old mate Jirt wouldn't have come up with a single idea for Lord of the Rings unless some sort of external stimulus for it fell in his lap. Another biopic cliché. Final rating:★★ - Had some things that appeal to me, but a poor finished product.
CinemaSerf2024-05-29
★ 7/10
This is a well-written, gentle telling of the early life of JRR Tolkien; his relationships, studies and terrifying experiences in the First World War. Nicholas Hoult plays the role sensitively and convincingly. Colm Meaney, Sir Derek Jacobi and Lily Collins all support ably. The subtle detailing of the scenes from the war are told using light and sound rather than blood and gore - and prove surprisingly effective. Insofar as there are any attempts to draw comparisons between his life and any of the Middle Earth concepts; this doesn't really address any of that and that can leave the narrative a little lacking but it's a good looking piece of cinema.