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The Painted Veil

The Painted Veil

Sometimes the greatest journey is the distance between two people.

2006125 minPG-13Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films
Director
John Curran
Starring
Edward Norton, Naomi Watts, Liev Schreiber, Toby Jones

A British medical doctor fights a cholera outbreak in a small Chinese village, while also being trapped at home in a loveless marriage to an unfaithful wife.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Painted Veil?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Painted Veil 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 Painted Veil?

The Painted Veil earns 7 badges, led by Universally Loved and Top 10% of films.

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

Reception

Is The Painted Veil worth watching?

The Painted Veil's Midcredits score is the 92nd percentile of all films, from 141K ratings across 6 sources. 83% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

92nd percentile

Better received than 92% of films

94th percentile among Drama91st percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)88th
Approval (how many liked it)93rd

73 /100

88th percentile of all films

90th percentile among Drama87th percentile among 2000s

Critics 69 · Audience 73

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A tight consensus around 7.6 — people broadly agree on this one.

83% liked it

93rd percentile of all films

94th percentile among Drama93rd percentile among 2000s
83% rated it 7–1017% rated it 1–6

Critics 74% · Audience 85%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 10 wins / 13 noms overall

  • WonGolden Globes· Best Original Score - Motion Picture

95th percentile

141K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Drama91st percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 17% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$19M
Opening weekend$51K
Domestic gross$8.1M
Worldwide gross$27M

Returned 1.4× its budget — 92nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A beautifully shot period drama about a troubled marriage set against a cholera epidemic in 1920s China, with strong performances but a deliberately slow, restrained pace.

Fans praised

  • Nuanced, emotionally deep performances from Norton and Watts
  • Stunning cinematography capturing 1920s Chinese landscapes
  • Intelligent, faithful adaptation of Maugham's novel with a moving redemption arc

Detractors panned

  • Slow, plodding pacing that tests patience
  • Lack of believable chemistry or passion between leads
  • Unconvincing British accents, especially from Schreiber and Norton

What stands out

Cinematography88

Lush, painterly landscapes of Guangxi and Guilin; praised even by detractors

Sound and music88

Award-winning Desplat score with Satie motifs, Langan piano work

ActingDivisive82

Norton and Watts praised as nuanced and believable; detractors find Norton wooden and accents unconvincing

Atmosphere82

Immersive period detail and cholera-stricken village authenticity

Emotional impactDivisive72

Deeply moving for fans; detractors feel cold and unmoved

CharactersDivisive68

Well-drawn leads with genuine growth; detractors find them unlikable or one-note

Plot and storyDivisive62

Predictable melodrama; fans love the redemption arc, detractors call derivative

Pacing42

Slow-burn for fans, interminably dull for detractors

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 8 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is The Painted Veil like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

No single mood: browse every movie of this kindNo one kind of watch fits it, so it is described by how heavy it is.

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark.

It 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

Moods
TenseMelancholicHopeful
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 treats its love story and setting with earnest gravity, never undercutting the emotional stakes or the historical context.
The rideThe mood shifts from marital tension and resentment to grim survival in the cholera zone, then to gentle reconciliation, capped by Walter's death and Kitty's bittersweet epilogue.
StructureThe story unfolds in a conventional three-act shape: the failed marriage and affair in Shanghai, the journey to and life in the cholera village, and the aftermath.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves a poignant mix of loss and renewal, with Kitty's transformation offering a hopeful note despite Walter's death.
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).Rebirth
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% (this title): Redemption 3% (this title) · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rebirth: A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed. · Redemption: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).

13% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeA marriage of convenience transforms when the couple is forced into a remote cholera outbreak, leading both to confront their flaws and find redemption through service and sacrifice.

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 filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% (this title) · 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% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% (this title) · 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%

Morality

Redemption · 6% of filmsMarriage · 2% of filmsSacrifice · 4% of films
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film traces a marriage fractured by betrayal and then redeemed through shared hardship and selfless work, showing that moral transformation is possible even at great cost.
StanceThe film ultimately affirms that redemption is possible through love and sacrifice, even if it comes at a terrible price.

The world

Early 20th centuryRuralInstitutionalUrbanRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Alexandre Desplat
Setting1920s China: British colonial Shanghai and a remote cholera-stricken village
MusicDesplat's score uses delicate piano and string motifs to underscore the emotional arc from estrangement to reconciliation.

Content guide

Is The Painted Veil okay for kids?

PG-13

The Painted Veil is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for some mature sexual situations, partial nudity, disturbing images and brief drug content” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (33/100), sexual content at moderate (39/100), language at minimal (5/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (30/100) and frightening material at moderate (49/100). Overall it is heavier than 27% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 13 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • Ireland12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil12
  • Czechia12
  • FinlandK-12
  • Greece13
  • PortugalM/12
  • Spain12
  • Sweden11
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 20% of all filmsHeavier than 27% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 28%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 73%
Profanity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 1%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 44%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 55%

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

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is frightening material, heavier than 55% of PG-13-rated films.

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 Painted Veil have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Painted Veil?

Cast

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

Edward Norton
as Walter Fane
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.
Naomi Watts
as Kitty Fane
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.
Liev Schreiber
as Charlie Townsend
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Toby Jones
as Waddington
Diana Rigg
as Mother Superior
Anthony Chau-Sang Wong
as Colonel Yu
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Yu Xia
as Wu Lien
Juliet Howland
as Dorothy Townsend
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Ian Renwick
as Geoffrey Denison
Bin Li
as Te-Ming
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

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What are movies like The Painted Veil?

Movies like The Painted Veil include The Danish Girl (2015), Spaceman (2024) and The Razor's Edge (1984). Of the 12 closest matches, several are redemption stories, and half are films set in the 1920s.

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

4 of these 12 share its world: medicine. Those cards say what else they share.

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