Les Misérables (2012)
Fight. Dream. Hope. Love.
An adaptation of the successful stage musical based on Victor Hugo's classic novel set in 19th-century France. Jean Valjean, a man imprisoned for stealing bread, must flee a relentless policeman named Javert. The pursuit consumes both men's lives, and soon Valjean finds himself in the midst of the student revolutions in France.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 18 December 2012 |
| Genre | History, Drama |
| Director | Tom Hooper |
| Starring | Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried |
| Runtime | 158 min |
| Rated | PG-13 |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 6.9/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 70% · Metacritic 63/100 · TMDB users 7.3/10 |
| Budget | $61 million |
Where to watch Les Misérables
Les Misérables is streaming on Max ($18.49 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Max is $18.49 at list price.
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Rent or buy
You can rent or buy Les Misérables on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Les Misérables in 25 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Australia | Binge $19.00 AUD, Foxtel |
| Burkina Faso | Prime Video |
| Cameroon | Prime Video |
| Chad | Prime Video |
| Congo - Kinshasa | Prime Video |
| Côte d’Ivoire | Prime Video |
| Equatorial Guinea | Prime Video |
| Ghana | Prime Video |
| Italy | Skygo, Now TV |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Kenya | Prime Video KSh560 |
| Madagascar | Prime Video |
| Malawi | Prime Video |
| Mali | Prime Video |
| Mozambique | Prime Video |
| Niger | Prime Video |
| Nigeria | Prime Video ₦2300 |
| Senegal | Prime Video |
| Seychelles | Prime Video |
| South Africa | Prime Video R79 ZAR |
| South Korea | Wavve ₩10900, Watcha |
| Tanzania | Prime Video |
| Uganda | Prime Video |
| Zambia | Prime Video |
| Zimbabwe | Prime Video |
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What kind of watch this is
Tom Hooper’s 2012 adaptation runs 158 minutes, a duration that demands you sit still for Hugo’s sprawling history. It is a film where the singing does not pause for breath, forcing the audience to wade through the noise of 19th-century France. Hugh Jackman plays a man trapped by a past crime, while Russell Crowe plays the officer who cannot let him go. Their collision drives the narrative, making the political revolution feel personal and claustrophobic. The score is relentless, leaving no quiet corner to hide. It is a test of endurance that rewards those willing to be overwhelmed.
What the critics said
Critics gave it a 70% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes as of August 2024. Metacritic scores it 63 out of 100 as of July 2025, which means generally favorable. The consensus was that the acting carried the weight, while the direction sometimes fought it. Robbie Collin of The Daily Telegraph called the effects "emotional." Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian admitted he was "battered into submission." Not everyone surrendered. Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter argued that a large, emotionally susceptible audience is ready to swallow this sort of thing, but that doesn't mean it's good.
How it did with audiences
It cost $61 million and took in $442 million, a margin that likely made the accountants feel personally validated. The film opened 25 December 2012, pulling $18.1 million in a single day to set a record for the highest opening day gross for a musical film. It held that title until 2024. On TMDB, users rate it 7.3 out of 10.
Awards
The film took home 4 of its 7 nominations. At the 2013 Academy Awards, it won for Best Supporting Actress, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Sound. Hugh Jackman received a nomination for Best Actor. It also landed a spot on the National Board of Review's Top Ten Films list.
What came next for the cast
Hugh Jackman returned to the X-Men franchise, a cycle that eventually closed with Logan. Russell Crowe drifted toward superhero spectacles like Man of Steel and Thor: Love and Thunder. Anne Hathaway shifted into sci-fi and heist films, including Interstellar and Ocean's Eight. Amanda Seyfried bounced between rom-coms and musicals. The timeline shows what followed, not necessarily what caused it. Credits are a map, not a confession.
Where it left its mark
Den of Geek called Tom Hooper’s staging a Herculean effort to marry Hugo’s grit with the stage’s grandeur. That same site singled out Eddie Redmayne’s a cappella "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables," noting how the grief sits in every breath while the camera cuts to a once-busy building, its absence choking. MovieWeb later crowned Anne Hathaway’s "I Dreamed a Dream" the film’s definitive highlight. These lists suggest the film survives as a benchmark for 21st-century musicals, though the hype around it has always felt a step ahead of the actual viewing experience.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Les Misérables.
Sources
- Les Misérables on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q28234 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Les Misérables (2012 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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