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The Great Gatsby

The Great Gatsby

Dream dangerously.

2013143 minPG-13Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Director
Baz Luhrmann
Starring
Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton

Nick Carraway arrives in New York in 1922, an era of loose morals, glittering jazz and bootleg kings. Chasing his own American Dream, Nick encounters the mysterious millionaire Gatsby and his bewitching cousin Daisy. Soon, Nick is drawn into the captivating world of the super-rich, their illusions, loves and deceits. Bearing witness to this new world, Nick pens a tale of impossible love, incorruptible dreams and unforgettable tragedy -- mirroring our own times and struggles.​

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Great Gatsby?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Great Gatsby 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 The Great Gatsby?

The Great Gatsby earns 9 badges, led by Oscar Winner and Cultural touchstone.

Show 1 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Great Gatsby worth watching?

The Great Gatsby's Midcredits score is the 86th percentile of all films, from 2.3M 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 7.4 — 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 49% · Audience 67%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

2 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 31 wins / 67 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Costume Design
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Production Design

99th percentile

2.3M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 21% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$105M
Opening weekend$50M
Domestic gross$145M
Worldwide gross$354M

Returned 3.4× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a visually spectacular, anachronistic interpretation that prioritizes style and excess over subtle character development.

Fans praised

  • visual extravagance capturing Jazz Age opulence
  • DiCaprio's multi-dimensional charisma and vulnerability as Gatsby
  • faithful adaptation preserving Fitzgerald's themes and prose

Detractors panned

  • anachronistic rap/hip-hop soundtrack shattering period immersion
  • overblown CGI and hyperkinetic editing that overwhelms the story
  • miscast leads (Maguire's Nick, Mulligan's Daisy) lacking depth

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive82

Stunning sets, costumes, and 3D; some call it gaudy overkill

ActingDivisive74

DiCaprio praised for depth and charm; Maguire and Mulligan often called miscast or wooden

Effects and spectacleDivisive70

Lavish CGI parties and backdrops; often criticized as fake and cartoonish

AtmosphereDivisive68

Roaring Twenties excess vividly recreated; but immersion broken by music/CGI

Plot and storyDivisive57

Faithful but thin; moral commentary feels lost in spectacle

Emotional impactDivisive55

Tragic core reaches some viewers; others find it hollow spectacle

CharactersDivisive53

Gatsby's obsession well-portrayed; other characters deemed shallow or caricatured

Sound and musicDivisive28

Modern hip-hop/rap universally panned as jarring and anachronistic; few exceptions

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 12 points higher than US viewers.

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

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 6 points apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Great Gatsby 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 is intense and leaves you bittersweet. 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
MelancholicRomanticTenseElegiac
Heaviest: late
Register
Romantic · 8% of filmsMelodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.Epic · 2% of films: Vast in scale: big landscapes, big stakes, a long span.
The answer rests on this: Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneBaz Luhrmann treats Fitzgerald's tragic romance with extravagant sincerity, heightening emotion and spectacle while never undercutting the story's mournful core.
The rideThe film builds from giddy, romantic parties to a tense, tragic climax, with the emotional weight landing in the final stretch.
StructureNick's present-day recollections in a sanatorium frame the main 1922 narrative, which unfolds in a conventional three-act structure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's lavish spectacle gives way to a devastating conclusion, leaving the viewer with a haunting sense of lost dreams and the cruelty of the American aristocracy.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic endingTwist

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 archetypeGatsby's obsessive quest to recapture his past love leads to his tragic downfall, built on a fabricated identity and an unattainable dream.

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 filmsSelfRomanticlove
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% (this title) · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: 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% (this title) · 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% · 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%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsObsession · 3% of films: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Class · 3% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores Gatsby's all-consuming love for Daisy as a force that drives both his grand aspirations and his tragic end, set against the rigid class divisions of 1920s America.
StanceThe film mourns the death of the American Dream as embodied by Gatsby, while simultaneously critiquing the emptiness of the wealthy elite.

The world

Early 20th centuryUrbanSuburbanDomesticStylized realism
Orchestral modernElectronicPopForeground music · hybrid · Craig Armstrong
SettingLong Island's West Egg and East Egg during the 1920s, with lavish mansions and a decaying industrial valley
MusicThe soundtrack blends modern hip-hop and electronic music with a classical score, creating an anachronistic yet immersive Jazz Age atmosphere.

Content guide

Is The Great Gatsby okay for kids?

PG-13

The Great Gatsby is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for some violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying and brief language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (43/100), sexual content at moderate (47/100), language at moderate (41/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (60/100) and frightening material at moderate (38/100). Overall it is heavier than 65% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 29 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland12A
  • New ZealandM
  • JapanG
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • Belgium16
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-12
  • GreeceΚ-12
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO15
  • Russia16+
  • Spain12
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland12
  • Taiwan6+
  • Türkiye13A
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 40% of all filmsHeavier than 65% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 45%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 86%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 49%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 97%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 39%

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

The reason to think twice is drug and alcohol content.

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 The Great Gatsby have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Great Gatsby?

Cast

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

Leonardo DiCaprio
as Jay Gatsby
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.
Tobey Maguire
as Nick Carraway
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.
Carey Mulligan
as Daisy Buchanan
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.
Joel Edgerton
as Tom Buchanan
Elizabeth Debicki
as Jordan Baker
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Isla Fisher
as Myrtle Wilson
Jason Clarke
as George Wilson
Amitabh Bachchan
as Meyer Wolfshiem
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.
Callan McAuliffe
as Teen Jay Gatsby
Adelaide Clemens
as Catherine
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Great Gatsby?

Movies like The Great Gatsby include Memoirs of a Geisha (2005), The Luzhin Defence (2000) and Passing (2021). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films by Baz Luhrmann, and half are stories of obsession.

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

11 of these 12 share its world: high society. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Great Gatsby?

2.4K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: soulmates separated. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.