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Othello

Othello

Envy, greed, jealousy and love.

1995123 minRMidcredits score: 70th percentile of all films
Director
Oliver Parker
Starring
Laurence Fishburne, Irène Jacob, Kenneth Branagh, Nathaniel Parker

The evil Iago pretends to be friend of Othello in order to manipulate him to serve his own end in the film version of this Shakespeare classic.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Othello?

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

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Othello?

Othello earns 7 badges, led by Standout acting and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Othello worth watching?

Othello's Midcredits score is the 70th percentile of all films, from 24K ratings across 4 sources. 67% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

70th percentile

Better received than 70% of films

72nd percentile among Drama72nd percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)63rd
Approval (how many liked it)75th

65 /100

63rd percentile of all films

65th percentile among Drama67th percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.0 — solid but not unanimous.

67% liked it

75th percentile of all films

77th percentile among Drama76th percentile among 1990s
67% rated it 7–1033% rated it 1–6

Critics 68% · Audience 64%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 3 noms overall

82nd percentile

24K ratings across platforms

85th percentile among Drama76th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 30% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$11M
Opening weekend$29K
Domestic gross$2.8M
Worldwide gross$2.8M

Returned 0.3× its budget — 73rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A stripped-down, visually polished adaptation anchored by strong lead performances that sacrifices text for accessibility.

Fans praised

  • Laurence Fishburne brings authority and vulnerability to Othello
  • Kenneth Branagh's Iago is chilling, human, and scene-stealing
  • Visual style and Venetian locations create rich atmosphere

Detractors panned

  • Heavy abridgment loses character depth
  • Irene Jacob's Desdemona is bland and underdeveloped
  • Pacing is rushed, lacking emotional build-up

What stands out

Acting85

Fishburne's restrained nobility and Branagh's magnetic villainy

Cinematography75

Handsome Venetian views and moody lighting

Atmosphere75

Dark, erotic, and opulent period mood

Dialogue70

Trimmed Shakespeare still effective if unevenly delivered

Plot and story60

Faithful story skeleton but compressed and rushed

Emotional impactDivisive60

Fishburne's anguish moves fans; detractors find it bloodless

Characters50

Desdemona and Emilia stripped of depth; Iago overshadows Othello

Pacing45

Too fast for character development; final scene overlong

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Othello like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Harrowing: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for a hard story that does not look away.

It is intense and leaves you devastated. Skip it when you want an easy night.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Harrowing.

Moods
TenseDreadMelancholic
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays the tragedy straight, delivering Shakespeare's language with solemn gravity.
The rideThe film builds sustained tension and dread as Iago's plot tightens, with the climax and its aftermath carrying the heaviest emotional weight.
StructureTold in a conventional three-act structure from Othello's arrival in Cyprus to the tragic conclusion.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Devastated.

The answer rests on this: Devastating · 3% of filmsHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe tragic inevitability and emotional brutality linger long after the credits.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic 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).Tragedy
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% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% (this title) · 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%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Obsession: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeIago's calculated revenge, driven by a perceived slight, manipulates Othello into destroying himself.

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 filmsSelfObsession
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • 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% (this title) · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Obsession · 3% of filmsPrejudice · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film is driven by Iago's obsessive envy and Othello's consuming jealousy, both rooted in insecurity and the racial prejudice surrounding Othello's identity.
StanceThe film examines jealousy and racial prejudice without endorsing or satirizing them, presenting them as destructive forces that ruin lives.

The world

Early modernInstitutionalUrbanRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Charlie Mole
SettingCyprus and Venice during the Venetian–Ottoman wars, an aristocratic military society.
MusicA stately orchestral score that underscores the drama's grandeur while keeping focus on the dialogue.

Content guide

Is Othello okay for kids?

R

Othello is rated R: “Rated R for some sexuality” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (46/100), sexual content at intense (64/100), language at minimal (12/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (31/100) and frightening material at moderate (38/100). Overall it is heavier than 9% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 3 other countries
  • Germany12
  • South Korea19
  • Czechia15+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 35% of all filmsHeavier than 9% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 25%
Sex & Nudity
Intense
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 79%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 1%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 22%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 21%

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

The reason to think twice is sexual content. 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 Othello have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Othello?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Laurence Fishburne
as Othello
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Irène Jacob
as Desdemona
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kenneth Branagh
as Iago
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Nathaniel Parker
as Cassio
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Michael Maloney
as Roderigo
Anna Patrick
as Emilia
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Nicholas Farrell
as Montano
Indra Ové
as Bianca
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Michael Sheen
as Lodovico
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
newcomer then · star now
John Savident
as 2nd Senator
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Othello?

Movies like Othello include Wuthering Heights (1992), Othello (1951) and The Gambler (1974). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films written by William Shakespeare, and most are period dramas.

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

9 of these 12 share its story type: obsession. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Othello?

4K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: soldier. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.