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Cloud Atlas

Cloud Atlas

Everything is connected.

2012172 minRMidcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Directors
Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Lilly Wachowski
Starring
Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving

A set of six nested stories spanning time between the 19th century and a distant post-apocalyptic future. Cloud Atlas explores how the actions and consequences of individual lives impact one another throughout the past, the present and the future. Action, mystery and romance weave through the story as one soul is shaped from a killer into a hero and a single act of kindness ripples across centuries to inspire a revolution in the distant future. Based on the award winning novel by David Mitchell. Directed by Tom Tykwer and the Wachowskis.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Cloud Atlas?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Cloud Atlas to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Cloud Atlas?

Cloud Atlas earns 11 badges, led by Cultural touchstone and Star-studded.

Show 3 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Cloud Atlas worth watching?

Cloud Atlas' Midcredits score is the 86th percentile of all films, from 610K ratings across 6 sources. 76% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

86th percentile

Better received than 86% of films

88th percentile among Drama86th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)82nd
Approval (how many liked it)86th

71 /100

82nd percentile of all films

85th percentile among Drama81st percentile among 2010s

Critics 55 · Audience 72

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.5 — solid but not unanimous.

76% liked it

86th percentile of all films

87th percentile among Drama87th percentile among 2010s
76% rated it 7–1024% rated it 1–6

Critics 65% · Audience 66%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 15 wins / 79 noms overall

  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Original Score - Motion Picture

99th percentile

609K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 14% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$102M
Opening weekend$9.6M
Domestic gross$27M
Worldwide gross$131M

Returned 1.3× its budget — 98th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is an audacious, technically impressive attempt to weave six disparate stories across centuries, but its complexity and length can overwhelm viewers.

Fans praised

  • ambitious scope and groundbreaking storytelling
  • spectacular makeup and transformative performances
  • exhilarating editing and seamless intercutting across time

Detractors panned

  • convoluted narrative and confusing structure
  • distracting race- and gender-bending makeup
  • overlong and emotionally stilted despite technical ambition

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive85

audaciously unique narrative structure and genre fusion

Sound and musicDivisive80

powerful, haunting score that enhances emotional resonance

ActingDivisive75

ensemble cast relishes multiple roles, standout performances by Doona Bae and Jim Broadbent

AtmosphereDivisive70

immersive world-building across diverse eras, sometimes broken by distracting makeup

CinematographyDivisive70

visually stunning in parts, flat and artificial in others

CharactersDivisive55

richly drawn in some stories, shallow and formulaic in others

Plot and storyDivisive50

six interwoven stories with thematic connections but often bewildering structure

Pacing50

frenetic jumps between stories create both momentum and frustration

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 10 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Cloud Atlas like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Mind-bender: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a puzzle and can give it your full attention.

It leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Mind-bender.

Moods
ContemplativeHopefulMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Adventurous · 11% of filmsEpic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.
The answer rests on this: Told as
Hyperlink · 1% of films: Separate storylines that intersect by coincidence.Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film treats its interconnected stories with earnest gravity, balancing epic scope with intimate drama.
The rideThe mood shifts across eras but sustains a contemplative, hopeful weight punctuated by moments of melancholy, with the emotional pressure spread evenly across the film.
StructureThe film cuts rapidly between six timelines, building thematic connections across eras.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves viewers pondering the ripples of human kindness across centuries while uplifting them with a sense of cosmic hope.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 22% of films: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeThe film weaves six distinct stories of individuals resisting oppressive systems, each with its own narrative shape; as a whole, it is an ensemble drama without a single plot archetype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfLoyaltyBonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% (this title) · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Loyalty · 4% of filmsFreedom · 5% of filmsHope · 5% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Cosmic stakes: Consequences reach beyond the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how acts of loyalty across time ripple through interconnected lives, and how the struggle for freedom and enduring hope shape human destiny.
StanceThe film celebrates the endurance of loyalty across time and the cosmic interconnectedness of human souls, presenting reincarnation as a hopeful cycle.

The world

Far futureUrbanRuralInstitutionalOuter spaceScience fiction
Orchestral modernAmbientForeground music · original score · Tom Tykwer
SettingSix interconnected stories spanning the 19th-century Pacific, 1930s Europe, 1970s San Francisco, present-day UK, a futuristic corporate dystopia, and a post-apocalyptic Hawaii
MusicThe 'Cloud Atlas Sextet' serves as a musical motif that recurs across centuries, mirroring the film's theme of interconnection.

Content guide

Is Cloud Atlas okay for kids?

R

Cloud Atlas is rated R: “Rated R for violence, language, sexuality/nudity and some drug use” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (83/100), sexual content at intense (71/100), language at intense (69/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (42/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). Overall it is heavier than 72% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 25 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland15A
  • New ZealandR16
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea18
  • Brazil16
  • Argentina18
  • Denmark15
  • Hong KongIII
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland15
  • PortugalM/12
  • Russia16+
  • Spain16
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
  • Türkiye13+
  • UA16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 83% of all filmsHeavier than 72% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 69%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 89%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 55%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 54%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 60%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Heavy almost across the board: violence, sexual content, language, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Cloud Atlas have?

MovieCove's classifier found 8 depicted content warnings in Cloud Atlas: Gore or body horror (severe), Gun violence (severe), War atrocities (severe), Kidnapping or confinement (moderate), Animal cruelty (mild), Animal death (mild), plus 2 withheld here because they would spoil the plot. Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

SevereGore or body horrorGun violenceWar atrocities
ModerateKidnapping or confinement
MildAnimal crueltyAnimal death

Cast and crew

Who is in Cloud Atlas?

Cast

5 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Tom Hanks
as Dr. Henry Goose
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Halle Berry
as Native Woman
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jim Broadbent
as Captain Molyneux
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Hugo Weaving
as Haskell Moore
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Jim Sturgess
as Adam Ewing
Bae Doona
as Tilda
Ben Whishaw
as Cabin Boy
James D'Arcy
as Young Rufus Sixsmith
Xun Zhou
as Talbot (Hotel Manager)
Keith David
as Kupaka
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Cloud Atlas?

Movies like Cloud Atlas include The Matrix (1999), The Matrix Reloaded (2003) and Jupiter Ascending (2015). Of the 6 closest matches, most are films set in the far future, and half are films about freedom.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Lana Wachowski wrote and directed 3 of these 6. Those cards say what else they share.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Cloud Atlas?

140 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: cyberpunk. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.