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Freud's Last Session

Freud's Last Session

September 3, 1939. The world is on the brink. A monumental session with two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century over the future of mankind and the existence of God.

2023110 minPG-13Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Director
Matt Brown
Starring
Anthony Hopkins, Matthew Goode, Liv Lisa Fries, Jodi Balfour

On the eve of the Second World War, two of the greatest minds of the twentieth century, C.S. Lewis and Sigmund Freud converge for their own personal battle over the existence of God. The film interweaves the lives of Freud and Lewis, past, present, and through fantasy, bursting from the confines of Freud’s study on a dynamic journey.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Freud's Last Session?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Freud's Last Session streaming on Hulu and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Freud's Last Session?

Freud's Last Session earns 4 badges, led by Box Office Flop and Nonlinear.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Freud's Last Session worth watching?

Freud's Last Session's Midcredits score is the 45th percentile of all films, from 29K ratings across 6 sources. 45% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

45th percentile

Better received than 45% of films

43rd percentile among Drama46th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)45th
Approval (how many liked it)45th

60 /100

45th percentile of all films

43rd percentile among Drama47th percentile among 2020s

Critics 48 · Audience 61

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.3 — solid but not unanimous.

45% liked it

45th percentile of all films

42nd percentile among Drama47th percentile among 2020s
45% rated it 7–1055% rated it 1–6

Critics 43% · Audience 66%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

85th percentile

29K ratings across platforms

87th percentile among Drama85th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 11% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$46K
Domestic gross$906K
Worldwide gross$4.2M

77th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a talky, stage-y two-hander with strong lead performances but a script that never fully delivers on its promising premise.

Fans praised

  • Hopkins and Goode carry the film with magnetic performances
  • intellectually stimulating debate on faith and reason
  • thought-provoking philosophical content for mature audiences

Detractors panned

  • flat, uninspired script fails to deliver real argument or depth
  • clumsy flashbacks and Anna Freud subplot distract from the core debate
  • stagy execution with pedestrian direction and dull pacing

What stands out

ActingDivisive80

Hopkins and Goode praised as compelling; detractors call Hopkins mannered or miscast

CinematographyDivisive60

handsomely mounted period look but visually uninspired

DialogueDivisive45

witty in spots but overall flat and lacking penetrating insight

Characters45

Freud and Lewis feel like caricatures rather than fully realized people

Emotional impactDivisive40

moments of pathos undercut by intellectual detachment and shallow character work

Plot and story35

meandering structure with forced interruptions and subplots

PacingDivisive30

sluggish and repetitive; flashbacks and side plots break momentum

Originality30

familiar atheist-vs-believer debate without fresh perspectives

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Freud's Last Session like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you can only half-watch or you want things to move fast.

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

What it asks of you

Your full attention, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Food for thought.

Moods
ContemplativeMelancholicBittersweet
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film presents its philosophical debate with weight and sincerity, treating both sides seriously.
The rideThe mood is primarily contemplative and melancholic, with the heaviest emotional weight toward the end as the characters confront mortality and loss.
StructureThe film interweaves present debate, flashbacks, and fantasy sequences, breaking chronological order.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingWistful · 8% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's philosophical debate and intimate character revelations leave the viewer with lingering questions and a gentle melancholy.
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 is a dialogue-driven character study rather than a narrative following 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 filmsSelfFaithSociety
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · 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%
  • 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% (this title) · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9% (this title): Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% (this title) · 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%

Society

Faith · 3% of filmsMortality · 2% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe central debate over God's existence is framed by Freud's terminal illness and impending war, making the search for belief a matter of life and death.
StanceThe film asks whether faith can survive in the face of suffering and death, presenting both viewpoints without settling the debate.

The world

Early 20th centuryDomesticInstitutionalStylized realism
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score
SettingFreud's London study on the eve of WWII, with flashbacks to Oxford and wartime trenches
MusicScore likely underscores the intellectual tension and emotional flashbacks.

Content guide

Is Freud's Last Session okay for kids?

PG-13

Freud's Last Session is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for thematic material, some bloody/violent images, sexual material and smoking” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (41/100), sexual content at moderate (43/100), language at moderate (41/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (58/100) and frightening material at mild (29/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 12 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • New ZealandM
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil14
  • LTN-13
  • PortugalM/12
  • PRPG-13
  • RO15
  • Russia18+
  • Spain12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 79%
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (8 votes)

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

Too few votes to rank this title overall (48 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

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 Freud's Last Session have?

MovieCove's classifier found 6 depicted content warnings in Freud's Last Session: Addiction or relapse (moderate), Gore or body horror (moderate), Medical procedures (moderate), Incest (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.

ModerateAddiction or relapseGore or body horrorMedical procedures
MildIncest

Cast and crew

Who is in Freud's Last Session?

Cast

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

Anthony Hopkins
as Sigmund Freud
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.
Matthew Goode
as C. S. Lewis
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.
Liv Lisa Fries
as Anna Freud
Jodi Balfour
as Dorothy Burlingham
Jeremy Northam
as Ernest Jones
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Stephen Campbell Moore
as J.R.R. Tolkien
Orla Brady
as Janie Moore
David Shields
as Weldon
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Tarek Bishara
as Jacob Freud
Pádraic Delaney
as Warren Lewis

Crew

Directed by

Matt Brown

Written by

Mark St. GermainArmand M. Nicholi Jr.Matt Brown

Produced by

Sharon Harel, Hannah Leader, David Lipper, Tristan Lynch, Simon Moseley, Jeff Rice
+56 more, Meg Thomson, Kayvan Mashayekh, Manuela Noble, Robert Stillman, Jia Honglin, Morwin Schmookler, Rachel Damiani, Rick Nicita, Huw Penallt Jones, Tyler Neenan, Aoife O'Sullivan, Yuan Yang Shen, Ryan Klevens, Peter J. Campagna, Jeffrey M. Silverman, Nina Goldvin, Zarmin Noon Sekhon, Kevin Matusow, Paul Doyle, Matt Murphie, Michael Li, Patrick McGeehin, David Shrier, Mark Foligno, Enzo Zelocchi, Rock Jacobs, Norman Merry, Peter Hampden, Natalie Marciano, Margarethe Baillou, John L. Pitts, Maya Amsellem, Sinead Barry, Jonathan Evans, Tom George, Charles Dorfman, Lee Broda, Andrea Bucko, Alla Belaya, Camilla Borghesani, Natalya Tsvetkova, Manraj S. Sekhon, Marlon Vogelgesang, Craig Ryan, Dean Owen-Sims, Jonathan Gorner, Mitchell Hoog, Vladyslav Riashyn, Chris K. Daniels, J.D. Zacharias, Mary Aloe, Matt Brown, Robert A. Daly Jr., Niamh Fagan, Nadezhda Gorshkova, Alan Greisman

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Movies like Freud's Last Session include Rebel in the Rye (2017), Operation Mincemeat (2021) and Creation (2009). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films set during World War II, and all are period dramas.

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

11 of these 12 share its praise for acting. Those cards say what else they share.

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What else shares a premise, people or place with Freud's Last Session?

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