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Judy

Judy

The legend behind the rainbow.

2019118 minPG-13Midcredits score: 72nd percentile of all films
Director
Rupert Goold
Starring
Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell

Thirty years after starring in 'The Wizard of Oz', beloved actress and singer Judy Garland arrives in London to perform sold-out shows at the Talk of the Town nightclub. While there, she reminisces with friends and fans and begins a whirlwind romance with musician Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Judy?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Judy streaming on Cinemax via Prime Video and HBO Max and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Judy?

Judy earns 7 badges, led by Oscar Winner and Award-winning performance.

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

Reception

Is Judy worth watching?

Judy's Midcredits score is the 72nd percentile of all films, from 139K ratings across 6 sources. 65% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

72nd percentile

Better received than 72% of films

55th percentile among Biography72nd percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)70th
Approval (how many liked it)72nd

67 /100

70th percentile of all films

55th percentile among Biography69th percentile among 2010s

Critics 66 · Audience 67

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.9 — solid but not unanimous.

65% liked it

72nd percentile of all films

53rd percentile among Biography73rd percentile among 2010s
65% rated it 7–1035% rated it 1–6

Critics 82% · Audience 86%

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

Awards

1 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 22 wins / 68 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling

88th percentile

138K ratings across platforms

72nd percentile among Biography88th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Up 40% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$2.9M
Domestic gross$24M
Worldwide gross$46M

88th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Renée Zellweger delivers a committed, physically nuanced performance as Judy Garland in a biopic centered on her final year.

Fans praised

  • Renee Zellweger's transformative, Oscar-winning performance completely embodies Judy Garland
  • Emotionally resonant portrait of a troubled star balancing stage genius with personal demons
  • Moving tribute to Garland's enduring legacy and connection with her audience

Detractors panned

  • Zellweger's singing fails to capture Garland's legendary vocal power and uniqueness
  • Script focuses narrowly on tragic final months, omitting Garland's career triumphs
  • Frequent flashbacks and melodramatic tone make the film feel formulaic and depressing

What stands out

ActingDivisive82

Zellweger's transformative embodiment praised by fans; detractors call it a mannered impersonation

Emotional impactDivisive65

Many fans found it heartbreaking; detractors felt manipulated by pathos

Atmosphere65

Creates a somber, claustrophobic backstage mood; 1960s London well evoked

Sound and musicDivisive50

Zellweger's singing divisive: fans find it credible, detractors miss Garland's voice

Plot and storyDivisive48

Overly narrow focus on final months, meandering structure lacks dramatic tension

Pacing45

Slow and uneven, especially in middle sections; drags between musical numbers

Characters45

Supporting characters underdeveloped, script fails to deepen side figures

Originality35

Standard tragic-biopic tropes, formulaic rise-and-fall structure

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 19 points higher than under-30s.

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

  • Women vs men 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 6 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Judy 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, takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want things to move fast.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and patience.

What it feels like

Moving and bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: Moods
MelancholicElegiac
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
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.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats Judy Garland's final year with solemn respect and tender intimacy, never undercutting her pain or joy.
The rideThe film maintains a somber, emotional register, with moments of warmth and joy quickly undercut by Judy's struggles.
StructureThe narrative alternates between Judy Garland's 1968 London concerts and flashbacks to her traumatic childhood at MGM, creating a nonlinear structure that contrasts her past exploitation with her present struggles.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: BittersweetDevastating · 3% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a poignant mix of admiration for Judy Garland's talent and sadness for her suffering, with the final performance providing a bittersweet catharsis.
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).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% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • 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. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeJudy Garland's final year is portrayed as a series of personal and professional crises, culminating in a triumphant but tragic finale, fitting the tragedy archetype of a talent crushed by external forces and her own demons.

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 filmsSelfIdentitySelf
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% (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% (this title) · 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% (this title) · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsTrauma · 7% of filmsFame · 3% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeJudy Garland is a woman fractured between her public persona and her private self, struggling to reconcile who she was forced to become with who she wants to be.
StanceThe film mourns the loss of Judy's true self to the machinery of fame, treating her identity as something that was stolen and never fully recovered.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernPopForeground music · hybrid · Gabriel Yared
SettingLondon concert halls, hotel rooms, and backstage in the late 1960s
MusicThe score blends Yared's orchestral work with Judy Garland's original recordings, placing her voice at the emotional center.

Content guide

Is Judy okay for kids?

PG-13

Judy is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for substance abuse, thematic content, some strong language, and smoking” (MPAA). As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (13/100), sexual content at mild (21/100), language at moderate (51/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (75/100) and frightening material at mild (32/100). Overall it is heavier than 73% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 21 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany0
  • FranceU
  • Ireland12A
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil14
  • Belgium12
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark7
  • ItalyT
  • Norway6
  • Poland16
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporePG13
  • SK12
  • Spain12
  • Sweden7
  • TH13
  • UA12+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 45% of all filmsHeavier than 73% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 11%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 31%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 72%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 99%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 30%

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

The reason to think twice is drug and alcohol content. Everything else sits at or below what PG-13-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 Judy have?

MovieCove's classifier found 4 depicted content warnings in Judy: Addiction or relapse (moderate), Child abuse (moderate), Sexual harassment or grooming (moderate), plus 1 withheld here because it 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 relapseChild abuseSexual harassment or grooming

Cast and crew

Who is in Judy?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Renée Zellweger won the Oscar for this film.

Renée Zellweger
as Judy Garland
Oscar win: Academy Award — Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jessie Buckley
as Rosalyn Wilder
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Finn Wittrock
as Mickey Deans
Rufus Sewell
as Sid Luft
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Michael Gambon
as Bernard Delfont
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.
Richard Cordery
as Louis B. Mayer
Royce Pierreson
as Burt Rhodes
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Darci Shaw
as Young Judy
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Andy Nyman
as Dan
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Daniel Cerqueira
as Stan

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Judy?

Movies like Judy include Factory Girl (2006), Rocketman (2019) and Blonde (2022). Of the 12 closest matches, half are stories about singers, and most are biopics.

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

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

Explore by

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

2.8K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: biopic. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.