The Pianist (2002)
Music was his passion. Survival was his masterpiece.
The true story of pianist Władysław Szpilman's experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. When the Jews of the city find themselves forced into a ghetto, Szpilman finds work playing in a café; and when his family is deported in 1942, he stays behind, works for a while as a laborer, and eventually goes into hiding in the ruins of the war-torn city.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 17 September 2002 |
| Genre | Drama, War |
| Director | Roman Polanski |
| Starring | Adrien Brody, Thomas Kretschmann and Frank Finlay |
| Runtime | 150 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.2/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 95% · Metacritic 85/100 · IMDb 8.5/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 95% · Letterboxd 4.4/5 · TMDB users 8.4/10 |
| Budget | $35 million |
| Box office | $120 million worldwide |
Where to watch The Pianist
The Pianist is streaming on Peacock ($16.99 a month) in the US. It is also on Tubi. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Peacock is $16.99 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 25 October 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 The Pianist on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch The Pianist in 19 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Andorra | Prime Video |
| Australia | ARD/ZDF |
| Austria | Netflix €10.99 |
| Belgium | Prime Video €4.99 |
| Canada | Prime Video $9.99 CAD |
| Denmark | Viaplay 159 kr DKK |
| Finland | Viaplay €13.99 |
| France | Max €10.99 |
| Germany | Netflix €15.99 |
| Iceland | Viaplay 799 kr ISK |
| Japan | U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
| Monaco | Max |
| Netherlands | Prime Video €4.99 |
| Norway | Viaplay 169 kr NOK |
| Poland | Prime Video 25.99 zł |
| South Korea | Watcha |
| Spain | Prime Video €4.99, Disney+ €10.99 |
| Sweden | Viaplay 169 kr SEK |
| Switzerland | Netflix CHF14.90 |
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
Roman Polanski directs a 150-minute drama that treats survival as a musical performance. The film follows Władysław Szpilman through the Warsaw ghetto, where music shifts from passion to practical necessity. It is a long, unflinching look at a man hiding in ruins while the city burns around him. The tension comes not from action, but from the quiet desperation of staying alive. It asks you to sit with the silence between the notes.
What the critics said
Critics didn’t just like it; they argued over how much of it was honest. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 95% as of 2022, with an 8.5 average. Metacritic lands on 85, a number that implies the film left no room for argument. Roger Ebert called the director’s choice to show survival rather than heroism a reflection of his own deepest feelings. Michael Wilmington went further, calling it a signal of artistic redemption. A.O. Scott, however, saw a walking punchline to a cosmic jest. He found the ending’s link between art and decency naive, an equation the Nazis had already refuted.
How it did with audiences
The budget was $35 million. It grossed $33 million in the United States and $120 million worldwide, turning a modest investment into a solid return. That is the kind of margin that keeps studio execs awake at night, mostly from relief. On TMDB, users rate it 8.4 out of 10. IMDb gives it an 8.5/10 as of December 2025.
Awards
It took home 8 awards from 11 nominations. Adrien Brody, Roman Polanski, and Ronald Harwood each won an Academy Award. Polanski also won the BAFTAs for Best Film and Best Direction. The film won the Palme d'Or. Paweł Edelman took home a European Film Award for his camera work. The National Board of Review placed it in their top 10.
What came next for the cast
Adrien Brody arrived after The Thin Red Line and Summer of Sam, then left for King Kong and Peaky Blinders. Thomas Kretschmann came from U-571 and Stalingrad, only to end up in Avengers: Age of Ultron. The film did not dictate their futures, but the path diverged sharply.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Pianist.
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Sources
- The Pianist on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q150804 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Pianist (2002 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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