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The Human Stain

The Human Stain

How far would you go to escape the past?

2003106 minRMidcredits score: 46th percentile of all films
Director
Robert Benton
Starring
Anthony Hopkins, Nicole Kidman, Ed Harris, Gary Sinise

Coleman Silk is a worldly and admired professor who loses his job after unwittingly making a racial slur. To clear his name, Silk writes a book about the events with his friend and colleague Nathan Zuckerman, who in the process discovers a dark secret Silk has hidden his whole life. All the while, Silk engages in an affair with Faunia Farley, a younger woman whose tormented past threatens to unravel the layers of deception Silk has constructed.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Human Stain?

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

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Human Stain?

The Human Stain earns 6 badges, led by Award Winner and Box Office Flop.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Human Stain worth watching?

The Human Stain's Midcredits score is the 46th percentile of all films, from 44K ratings across 6 sources. 48% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

46th percentile

Better received than 46% of films

44th percentile among Drama45th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)43rd
Approval (how many liked it)49th

60 /100

43rd percentile of all films

41st percentile among Drama43rd percentile among 2000s

Critics 57 · Audience 60

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

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

48% liked it

49th percentile of all films

47th percentile among Drama47th percentile among 2000s
48% rated it 7–1052% rated it 1–6

Critics 41% · Audience 48%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 3 wins / 5 noms overall

93rd percentile

44K ratings across platforms

94th percentile among Drama87th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 30% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$30M
Opening weekend$1M
Domestic gross$5.4M
Worldwide gross$23M

Returned 0.8× its budget — 91st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A serious, adult drama driven by heavyweight performances that tackles racial passing and personal secrets, but struggles with plausibility and narrative cohesion.

Fans praised

  • compelling central performances from Hopkins and Kidman
  • thoughtful exploration of racial identity, secrecy, and loneliness
  • strong supporting work from Ed Harris and Gary Sinise

Detractors panned

  • implausible central romance and age-gap credibility
  • Anthony Hopkins miscast as a man of color passing for white
  • clunky, overstuffed script with disjointed flashbacks

What stands out

ActingDivisive75

Hopkins and Kidman praised for emotional depth; critics call Hopkins miscast and Kidman too glamorous for a janitor

CinematographyDivisive75

Winter landscapes and shadowy interiors praised; some find it visually dull

OriginalityDivisive65

Rare Hollywood treatment of racial passing; detractors call it derivative of earlier films

CharactersDivisive55

Coleman's secret and Faunia's trauma create depth, but detractors find them clichéd and underdeveloped

Emotional impactDivisive55

Fans feel moved by shared pain; detractors find it cold and unaffecting

Plot and storyDivisive45

Secret revealed early; overstuffed with subplots and clumsy flashback structure

PacingDivisive40

Frequent flashbacks and slow passages; some fans find it deliberately meditative

EndingDivisive40

Tragic conclusion seen as inevitable but anticlimactic; detractors call it pointless

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 14 points higher than users.

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

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Human Stain 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 to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want a story that moves you and leaves an ache.

It takes its time 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, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Moving and bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: Moods
MelancholicTenseBittersweetContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film plays its heavy material completely straight, with earnest emotional intensity and no ironic distance.
The rideThe film builds a sustained melancholy with intermittent tension, and the cumulative emotional weight lands most heavily in the final act with the deaths and revelations.
StructureThe story moves between Coleman's present-day life and extended flashbacks to his youth, gradually revealing the secret that defines his tragedy.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

The answer rests on this: BittersweetThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe tragic ending and the moral questions about identity and deception linger, leaving a sad yet intellectually engaging residue.
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).TragedyHubris
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% (this title) · 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%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Hubris: Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).

9% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe film follows Coleman Silk's self-destruction driven by his lifelong denial of his race, a classic hubris arc, while the false identity of passing as white is the central mechanism of the plot.

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% · 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%

Self

Identity · 14% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates the construction of identity—racial, professional, and romantic—and how a lifetime of concealment corrodes the self and those connected to it.
StanceThe film interrogates the cost of racial passing and the construction of identity, refusing to offer easy moral judgment while showing the personal devastation it causes.

The world

ContemporaryRuralInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Rachel Portman
SettingA small New England college town and a rural farm, with flashbacks to a 1940s/50s urban African-American community.
MusicPortman's score underscores the melancholy and tension with sparse, dark orchestral textures.

Content guide

Is The Human Stain okay for kids?

R

The Human Stain is rated R: “Rated R for language and sexuality/nudity” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (37/100), sexual content at moderate (60/100), language at intense (72/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (30/100) and frightening material at moderate (42/100). Overall it is heavier than 25% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 11 other countries
  • Germany12
  • Ireland18
  • JapanG
  • Austria12
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark11
  • FinlandK-16
  • Netherlands14
  • Norway18
  • Russia16+
  • Switzerland12
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 52% of all filmsHeavier than 25% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 17%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 74%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 60%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 18%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 25%

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

The reason to think twice is language. 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 The Human Stain have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Human Stain?

Cast

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

Anthony Hopkins
as Coleman Silk
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.
Nicole Kidman
as Faunia Farley
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.
Ed Harris
as Lester Farley
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.
Gary Sinise
as Nathan Zuckerman
Wentworth Miller
as Young Coleman Silk
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jacinda Barrett
as Steena Paulsson
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Harry Lennix
as Mr. Silk
Clark Gregg
as Nelson Primus
Anna Deavere Smith
as Mrs. Silk
Lizan Mitchell
as Ernestine
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Human Stain?

Movies like The Human Stain include The Swimmer (1968), Sommersby (1993) and The Little Girl Who Lives Down the Lane (1976). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films set in New England, and several are prestige dramas.

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

7 of these 12 share its feel: brooding. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Human Stain?

425 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: prestige drama. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.