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Anna Karenina

Anna Karenina

An epic story of love.

2012129 minRMidcredits score: 69th percentile of all films
Director
Joe Wright
Starring
Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Matthew Macfadyen

In Imperial Russia, Anna, wife of the officer Karenin, goes to Moscow to visit her brother. On the way, she meets charming cavalry officer Vronsky, to whom she's immediately attracted. But in St. Petersburg’s high society, a relationship like this could destroy a woman’s reputation.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Anna Karenina?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Anna Karenina streaming on Paramount+ via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Anna Karenina?

Anna Karenina earns 8 badges, led by Oscar Winner and Awards magnet.

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

Reception

Is Anna Karenina worth watching?

Anna Karenina's Midcredits score is the 69th percentile of all films, from 354K ratings across 6 sources. 59% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

69th percentile

Better received than 69% of films

71st percentile among Drama69th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)71st
Approval (how many liked it)65th

67 /100

71st percentile of all films

74th percentile among Drama70th percentile among 2010s

Critics 63 · Audience 68

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.7 — solid but not unanimous.

59% liked it

65th percentile of all films

65th percentile among Drama65th percentile among 2010s
59% rated it 7–1041% rated it 1–6

Critics 63% · Audience 50%

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

Awards

1 Oscars won · 3 Oscar noms · 30 wins / 51 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Costume Design
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Cinematography

97th percentile

354K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Drama97th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 26% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$41M
Opening weekend$321K
Domestic gross$13M
Worldwide gross$69M

Returned 1.7× its budget — 96th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Joe Wright's adaptation is a lavishly designed, stylized theatrical experiment that prioritizes visual artifice over emotional immersion.

Fans praised

  • visually stunning and artistically bold theatrical staging
  • Keira Knightley's performance as a neurotic, modern Anna
  • Jude Law's restrained, sympathetic Karenin

Detractors panned

  • gimmicky theatre conceit overpowers substance and emotion
  • Aaron Taylor-Johnson miscast as a foppish, unconvincing Vronsky
  • flat, mechanical script lacking heart and character depth

What stands out

Cinematography82

lavish costumes, sumptuous production design, inventive camera work

OriginalityDivisive80

bold theatrical staging is innovative but divisive

AtmosphereDivisive65

theatrical world-building evokes artificiality of aristocracy

ActingDivisive58

Jude Law lauded; Keira Knightley divisive; Aaron Taylor-Johnson widely panned

PacingDivisive45

first half brisk, second half drags; stage gimmick slows momentum

CharactersDivisive42

thin character writing; less depth than novel; Levin/Kitty subplot somewhat engaging

Plot and storyDivisive40

rushed, mechanical storytelling; loses nuance of novel

Emotional impactDivisive35

cold, detached treatment; fails to move

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 14 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 8 points apart
  • Critics vs users 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is Anna Karenina like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Moving and bittersweet: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a story that moves you and leaves an ache.

It is intense and leaves you bittersweet. 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

Moving and bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: Moods
MelancholicTenseBittersweetElegiac
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Romantic · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film adopts a theatrical, stylized presentation while treating its tragic love story with solemn gravity.
The rideThe film sustains a melancholic and tense atmosphere from the start, but the emotional weight culminates in the tragic climax of the final act.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically, following Anna's rise and fall in a conventional three-act structure, despite the theatrical staging.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: BittersweetHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's exploration of forbidden love and its tragic consequences leaves a bittersweet and haunting impression.
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% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% (this title) · 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. · Doomed love: Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeAnna Karenina's affair and its tragic consequences follow the doomed_love tragedy arc, intensified by societal pressures.

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% (this title) · 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%
  • 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% (this title) · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Romantic love · 15% of filmsIdentity · 14% of filmsFate · 1% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the consuming and destructive nature of romantic love, set against the stifling constraints of aristocratic society, which forces Anna to confront her own identity and the inexorable pull of fate.
StanceThe film interrogates romantic love by portraying its intoxicating promise and its devastating social costs within a rigid aristocratic order, without fully condemning or celebrating it.

The world

19th centuryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Dario Marianelli
SettingSt. Petersburg and Moscow aristocratic ballrooms, theaters, and country estates
MusicMarianelli's score weaves sweeping, romantic themes that underscore Anna's emotional turmoil and the grandeur of the period setting.

Content guide

Is Anna Karenina okay for kids?

R

Anna Karenina is rated R: “Rated R for some sexuality and violence” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (63/100), sexual content at moderate (48/100), language at mild (29/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (40/100) and frightening material at moderate (44/100). Overall it is heavier than 14% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 25 other countries
  • UK12A
  • CanadaR
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceTP
  • Ireland12
  • South Korea15
  • Austria12
  • Belgium16
  • BGB
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-12
  • GreeceΚ
  • Hungary16
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO12
  • Russia12+
  • SK12
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 40% of all filmsHeavier than 14% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 40%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 50%
Profanity
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 5%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 48%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 27%

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

The reason to think twice is violence. 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 Anna Karenina have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Anna Karenina?

Cast

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

Keira Knightley
as Anna Karenina
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.
Jude Law
as Karenin
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.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
as Vronsky
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Matthew Macfadyen
as Oblonsky
Eric MacLennan
as Matvey
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Kelly Macdonald
as Dolly
Alicia Vikander
as Kitty
newcomer then · star now
Domhnall Gleeson
as Levin
newcomer then · star now
Olivia Williams
as Countess Vronsky
Ruth Wilson
as Princess Betsy Tverskoy

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Anna Karenina?

Movies like Anna Karenina include Anna Karenina (1997), Anna Karenina (1935) and Ali and Nino (2016). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films written by Lev Tolstoy, and all are forbidden-love stories.

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

All 12 share its story type: period drama. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Anna Karenina?

3.9K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: forbidden love. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.