Ben-Hur (1959)
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In ancient Judea, a Jewish aristocrat opposing Roman occupation of his homeland reunites with his childhood friend, now a Roman commander — setting in motion a saga of betrayal, adventure, tragedy, revenge, and faith.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 18 November 1959 |
| Genre | History, Drama, Adventure |
| Director | William Wyler |
| Starring | Charlton Heston, Stephen Boyd and Hugh Griffith |
| Runtime | 212 min |
| Rated | G |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.3/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 87% · Metacritic 90/100 · IMDb 8.1/10 · Letterboxd 4.1/5 · TMDB users 7.9/10 |
| Budget | $15 million |
| Box office | $164 million worldwide |
Where to watch Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur is streaming on Tubi in the US.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 1 November 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
You can rent or buy Ben-Hur on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Ben-Hur in 5 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Australia | Max $15.99 AUD |
| Canada | Tubi |
| Italy | Skygo, Now TV |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| South Korea | Watcha |
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
William Wyler’s 1959 epic runs 212 minutes. It is a history, drama, and adventure that treats its scale as a personality trait. Charlton Heston and Stephen Boyd drive the narrative. The film does not whisper. It roars, collapses, and rebuilds itself until the audience is breathless. It is a commitment, not a casual watch.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes reports an 87% approval rating as of January 2026, while Metacritic gives it a 90. Crowther of The New York Times called it "a remarkably intelligent and engrossing human drama." Scheuer of the Los Angeles Times found it "magnificent" but noted the editing was sometimes abrupt. Not everyone was convinced. John Pym of Time Out dismissed it as a "four-hour Sunday school lesson.
How it did with audiences
Ben-Hur cost $15 million to make and took $164 million worldwide. That margin saved MGM from financial disaster. In the US, it pulled in $74 million, holding the number one spot for six straight months. It was the fastest-grossing and highest-grossing film of 1959, and the second-highest-grossing of all time behind Gone with the Wind. A 7.9 TMDB user score suggests audiences still see the value. The math worked out.
Awards
It swept 11 Academy Awards out of 12 nominations in 1960. The only miss was Best Adapted Screenplay, which went to Room at the Top. It also took 3 Golden Globes, a BAFTA, and the New York Film Critics Circle’s top prize. An unprecedented haul, shared only by Titanic and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King as of 2025. A technical Oscar for Camera 65 added another line to the ledger.
What came next for the cast
Charlton Heston arrived from The Ten Commandments and left for Planet of the Apes. Jack Hawkins stepped in from The Bridge on the River Kwai, then walked into Lawrence of Arabia. Hugh Griffith, fresh from Kind Hearts and Coronets, went on to Oliver! and Mutiny on the Bounty. The sequence suggests momentum, but credits do not prove causality. It is just what happened next.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Ben-Hur.
Sources
- Ben-Hur on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q180098 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Ben-Hur (1959 film)” 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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