Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
It's scrumdidilyumptious!
When eccentric candy man Willy Wonka promises a lifetime supply of sweets and a tour of his chocolate factory to five lucky kids, penniless Charlie Bucket seeks the golden ticket that will make him a winner.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 29 June 1971 |
| Genre | Family, Fantasy, Comedy |
| Director | Mel Stuart |
| Starring | Peter Ostrum, Gene Wilder and Jack Albertson |
| Runtime | 100 min |
| Rated | G |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 7.8/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 92% · Metacritic 67/100 · TMDB users 7.5/10 |
| Budget | $3 million |
Where to watch Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory 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.
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
You can rent or buy Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory in 16 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Australia | ARD/ZDF, Max $15.99 AUD |
| Austria | Max €11.99 |
| Belgium | Max €10.99 |
| France | Max €10.99 |
| Germany | Max €11.99 |
| Ireland | Max |
| Italy | Netflix €13.99, Skygo, Now TV, Max €11.99 |
| Liechtenstein | Max |
| Luxembourg | Max |
| Monaco | Max |
| New Zealand | Max |
| Portugal | Max €9.99 |
| San Marino | Netflix |
| Spain | Filmin |
| Switzerland | Netflix CHF14.90, Max CHF16.90 |
| United Kingdom | Max £9.99 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
Mel Stuart’s 1971 film treats a candy factory tour like a descent into madness. Gene Wilder plays the man who turns industrial sugar into surreal threat, his grin never quite matching the danger in his eyes. The movie runs 100 minutes, which is plenty of time for five children to meet their matches. It leans into the absurd, making every chocolate square feel like a trap. The tone is playful until it suddenly isn’t, a shift that keeps the audience off balance. It is a story about innocence walking right into a machine designed to consume it.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes assigns it a 92% Tomatometer score as of October 2024, with an average rating of 7.8/10 from October 2021. Metacritic lands on 67/100 as of October 2025, which it labels generally favorable. The scores suggest a film that works for many but not all. Roger Ebert called it "probably the best film of its sort since The Wizard of Oz." He saw a fantasy that works on all kinds of minds. Not everyone shared that enthusiasm. Howard Thompson of The New York Times found it "tedious and stagy," arguing it lacked both sparkle and humor.
How it did with audiences
It cost $3 million and made $4 million, a margin that keeps the accounting department smiling rather than screaming. On TMDB, users rate it 7.5 out of 10. The numbers suggest a film that paid for itself with a little room to spare, which in this business is the only kind of victory that sticks.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.
Read more: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Sources
- Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q936327 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory” 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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