As Good as It Gets (1997)
A comedy from the heart that goes for the throat.
A misanthropic author, a single mother and waitress, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 19 December 1997 |
| Genre | Drama, Comedy, Romance |
| Director | James L. Brooks |
| Starring | Jack Nicholson, Helen Hunt and Greg Kinnear |
| Runtime | 139 min |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.3/10 · Metacritic 67/100 · Rotten Tomatoes 86% · TMDB users 7.4/10 |
| Budget | $50 million |
Where to watch As Good as It Gets
We could not find As Good as It Gets on any of the subscription services we track in the US right now. That changes often; open it in Binge Boss and we will show you where it lands.
Rent or buy
You can rent As Good as It Gets on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home and Spectrum On Demand. It is also for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch As Good as It Gets in 52 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Albania | Max |
| Andorra | Prime Video |
| Antigua & Barbuda | Max |
| Argentina | Max $9590 ARS |
| Bahamas | Max |
| Barbados | Max |
| Belize | Max |
| Bolivia | Max |
| Bosnia & Herzegovina | Max |
| Brazil | Max R$34.90 |
| Bulgaria | Max |
| Chile | Max $9590 CLP |
| Colombia | Max $24900 COP |
| Costa Rica | Max |
| Croatia | Max |
| Czechia | Max |
| Denmark | Netflix 109 kr DKK |
| Dominican Republic | Max |
| Ecuador | Max $8.29 |
| El Salvador | Max |
| Finland | Netflix €10.99 |
| Guatemala | Max |
| Guyana | Max |
| Honduras | Max |
| Hungary | Max |
| Iceland | Netflix about 1634 kr ISK |
| India | SonyLIV ₹299 |
| Jamaica | Max |
| Japan | Prime Video ¥600 JPY, U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Mexico | Max $149 MXN |
| Moldova | Max |
| Montenegro | Max |
| Nicaragua | Max |
| North Macedonia | Max |
| Norway | Netflix 119 kr NOK |
| Panama | Max $8.29 |
| Paraguay | Max |
| Peru | Max S/35.90 |
| Poland | Max 39.99 zł |
| Portugal | Netflix €8.99, Prime Video €4.99 |
| Romania | Max |
| Serbia | Max |
| Slovakia | Max |
| Slovenia | Max |
| South Korea | Watcha |
| Spain | Prime Video €4.99 |
| St. Lucia | Max |
| Sweden | Netflix 129 kr SEK |
| Trinidad & Tobago | Max |
| Turks & Caicos Islands | Max |
| Uruguay | Max $U399 |
| Venezuela | Max |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. "About" marks a price the service bills in another currency, converted at the day's rate. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
James L. Brooks directs a 1997 drama-comedy where three people who should not like each other end up saving each other. It runs 139 minutes, a long stretch for a movie that spends its first half making you want to throw your phone at the protagonist. The humor is sharp enough to cut, but the heart is soft enough to catch. It is a film that refuses to be just a joke or just a tearjerker. The tagline says it goes for the throat. It does.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes rates it 86% as of January 2026, based on 84 reviews. Metacritic sits at 67, which signals generally favorable reception. The consensus notes James L. Brooks and Jack Nicholson combine smart dialogue and flawless acting. Jonathan Rosenbaum called the struggle to connect "funny, painful, beautiful, and basically truthful." It was not universal praise. Roger Ebert gave 3 stars but called it a "compromise" that forces a smile. Desson Howe found it "bogged down in sentimentality.
How it did with audiences
It cost $50 million and earned $314 million, a ratio that turns a dry comedy into a financial engine. It opened at number three, tucked behind Titanic and Tomorrow Never Dies with $12.6 million in its first stretch. That initial stumble never seemed to matter, as the total climbed well past $148 million domestically. For Jack Nicholson, it ranks as his second-highest earner, trailing only Batman. The box office math worked out, even if the romantic plot didn't.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched As Good as It Gets.
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Sources
- As Good as It Gets on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q221594 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “As Good as It Gets” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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