The Elephant Man (1980)
A true story of courage and human dignity.
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 9 October 1980 |
| Genre | Drama, History |
| Director | David Lynch |
| Starring | Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt and Anne Bancroft |
| Runtime | 124 min |
| Rated | PG |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.5/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 92% · Metacritic 78/100 · TMDB users 8.0/10 |
| Budget | $5 million |
Where to watch The Elephant Man
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Rent or buy
You can rent or buy The Elephant Man on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch The Elephant Man in 11 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Andorra | Prime Video |
| Australia | Max $15.99 AUD |
| France | Canal+ €19.99, Max €10.99 |
| Italy | Prime Video €4.99 |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Monaco | Max |
| Portugal | Prime Video €4.99, Filmin |
| San Marino | Prime Video |
| Spain | Prime Video €4.99, Filmin |
| Switzerland | Canal+ |
| Vatican City | Prime Video |
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
David Lynch directed this 1980 drama about a Victorian surgeon who rescues a disfigured man from a side-show. It runs 124 minutes. The hook is not the shock of the appearance, but the sudden, quiet reveal of a sharp mind behind the condition. John Hurt plays the role with a stillness that makes the cruelty around him feel louder. It is a film about dignity, told with a precision that refuses to let you look away.
What the critics said
The consensus is warm, though not universally so. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 92% approval rating as of August 2024, while Metacritic assigns a 78 out of 100 Metascore as of October 2025, a generally favorable mark. Vincent Canby praised the physical production, calling the black-and-white photography beautiful. Not everyone agreed. Roger Ebert gave it 2 out of 4 stars, admitting he kept drawing blanks on what the film was really trying to say about the human condition.
How it did with audiences
The Elephant Man cost $5 million to make and took $26 million in the United States. That is a solid return, the kind of arithmetic that keeps studio lights on without requiring a sequel. Its 8 out of 10 TMDB user score suggests audiences found the story worth their ticket price. In Japan, it was the second highest-grossing foreign film of the year, behind only The Empire Strikes Back, which is a rare feat for a film about a man in a cage.
What came next for the cast
Anthony Hopkins went from The Lion in Winter to the Thor franchise. John Hurt moved from Alien to the Harry Potter films. Anne Bancroft traded The Graduate for Dracula: Dead and Loving It. The credits list what followed, not what caused it. Those are just the next jobs.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Elephant Man.
Read more: The Greatest Showman
Sources
- The Elephant Man on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q272860 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Elephant Man (1980 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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