The Princess Bride (1987)
It's as real as the feelings you feel.
In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can't stop these true lovebirds from triumphing.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 25 September 1987 |
| Genre | Fantasy, Comedy, Romance, Adventure |
| Director | Rob Reiner |
| Starring | Cary Elwes, Robin Wright and Mandy Patinkin |
| Runtime | 99 min |
| Rated | PG |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 8.4/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 96% · Q123434360 7.2/10 · Metacritic 78/100 · TMDB users 7.7/10 |
| Budget | $16 million |
| Box office | $31 million worldwide |
Where to watch The Princess Bride
The Princess Bride is streaming on Hulu ($21.49 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Hulu is $21.49 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 29 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
Rent or buy
It is for sale on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch The Princess Bride in 30 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Angola | Prime Video |
| Australia | Disney+ $17.99 AUD |
| Austria | Disney+ €10.99, Joyn free |
| Belgium | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Bulgaria | Disney+ €9.99 |
| Canada | Disney+ $15.99 CAD |
| Czechia | Disney+ 219 Kč |
| Denmark | Disney+ 119 kr DKK, Viaplay 159 kr DKK |
| Finland | Disney+ €11.99, Viaplay €13.99 |
| France | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Germany | Disney+ €10.99, Joyn free |
| Greece | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Hungary | Disney+ 2990 Ft |
| Ireland | Disney+ €11.99 |
| Italy | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Liechtenstein | Disney+ |
| Luxembourg | Disney+ €10.99 |
| Netherlands | Disney+ €10.99 |
| New Zealand | Disney+ $18.99 NZD |
| Norway | Disney+ 129 kr NOK, Viaplay 169 kr NOK |
| Poland | Disney+ 34.99 zł |
| Portugal | Disney+ €10.99, Filmin |
| Romania | Disney+ 34.99 lei |
| San Marino | Disney+ |
| Slovakia | Disney+ €9.99 |
| Spain | Disney+ €10.99, Filmin |
| Sweden | Disney+ 129 kr SEK, Viaplay 169 kr SEK |
| Switzerland | Disney+ CHF16.90 |
| Türkiye | Disney+ ₺449.90 |
| United Kingdom | Disney+ £11.99 GBP |
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
Rob Reiner’s 1987 film is a fairy tale that knows it is one. It runs 99 minutes and treats its own genre with a straight face, even while introducing rodents of unusual size. The hook is simple: a love story where the obstacles are genuinely absurd, from six-fingered swordsmen to murderous princes. It does not apologize for being silly. It just commits to the bit until the end. That is the kind of movie that makes you forgive the fifth wall.
What the critics said
Critics embraced the film, and the numbers back them up. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 96% Tomatometer score as of 2024, while Metacritic lands on 78 out of 100 as of 2025. That 78 sits in the "generally favorable" range, a polite way of saying it worked. Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert gave it a two thumbs up. Janet Maslin of The New York Times praised the cast and the film's sweetness. Dalton Mullins called the chemistry between the leads palpable. He argued that "as you wish" sums up the movie's philosophy, a line that does a lot of heavy lifting for a fantasy adventure.
How it did with audiences
$16 million in the bank, $31 million back at the box office. It opened as a modest hit, not a blockbuster, which meant the studio could breathe easy without having to explain why. Barry Diller, then head of Fox, reportedly told Rob Reiner not to panic. He believed the film would find its audience eventually, a strategy that prioritizes long-term shelf life over opening weekend fireworks. On TMDB, users give it a 7.7, a number that suggests the patience paid off.
Where it left its mark
The box office numbers were modest, but the home video release turned it into a cult classic. It is widely considered eminently quotable. Cary Elwes noted in 2017 that fans still approach him to say "As you wish," while Wallace Shawn gets "Inconceivable!" shouted at him for minor errors. The screenplay ranked 84th on the Writers Guild of America West's list of best screenplays. Mark Kermode calls it a model for similar films. Jason Reitman staged a live reading in 2011 with a cast that included Paul Rudd and Rob Reiner. Ari Folman’s The Congress referenced it directly in 2013. Elwes published a behind-the-scenes book in 2014.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched The Princess Bride.
Read more: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest
Sources
- The Princess Bride on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q506418 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “The Princess Bride” 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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