Back to trending
Philomena

Philomena

Drama · 2013

A woman searches for her adult son, who was taken away from her decades ago when she was forced to live in a convent.

Movie details

Philomena

“These two unlikely companions are on a journey to find her long lost son.”

2013 Drama 1h 38m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.3 / 10

Community rating

A woman searches for her adult son, who was taken away from her decades ago when she was forced to live in a convent.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Philomena?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Fatima

Fatima

Drama · 2020

In 1917, outside the parish of Fátima, Portugal, a 10-year-old girl and her two younger cousins witness multiple visitations of the Virgin Mary, who tells them that only prayer and suffering will bring an end to World War I. As secularist government officials and Church leaders try to force the children to recant their story, word of the sighting spreads across the country, inspiring religious pilgrims to flock to the site in hopes of witnessing a miracle..

Lorenzo's Oil

Lorenzo's Oil

Drama · 1992

Lorenzo Odone, a Virginia 5-year-old, develops a degenerative nerve disease so rare that nobody is working on a cure, so his parents decide to immerse themselves in research and tackle the problem themselves.

The Cider House Rules

The Cider House Rules

Drama · 1999

Homer is an orphan who was never adopted, becoming the favorite of orphanage director Dr. Larch. Dr. Larch imparts his full medical knowledge on Homer, who becomes a skilled, albeit unlicensed, physician. But Homer yearns for a self-chosen life outside the orphanage. What will Homer learn about life and love in the cider house? What of the destiny that Dr. Larch has planned for him?

Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot

Sound of Hope: The Story of Possum Trot

Drama · 2024

Led by Donna and Reverend W.C. Martin, 22 families from a rural Black church in the small East Texas town of Possum Trot adopt 77 of the most difficult-to-place kids in the foster system and kickstart a movement in the process.

White Oleander

White Oleander

Drama · 2002

A teenager journeys through a series of foster homes after her mother goes to prison for committing a crime of passion.

Secrets & Lies

Secrets & Lies

Drama · 1996

After her adoptive mother dies, Hortense, a successful black optometrist, seeks out her birth mother. She's shocked when her research leads her to Cynthia, a working class white woman.

A Home of Our Own

A Home of Our Own

Drama · 1993

In 1960s Los Angeles an energetic widow and her six children try to make a dream of theirs come true: to have a home of their own. They leave L.A. and head for the countryside, all the while facing numerous difficulties and obstacles during their journey.

Short Term 12

Short Term 12

Drama · 2013

Grace, a compassionate young supervisor at a foster care facility, helps at-risk teens. But when a new charge dredges up memories of her own troubled past, Grace's tough exterior begins eroding.

The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ

Drama · 2017

Based on the true story of an award-winning investigative journalist -- and avowed atheist -- who applies his well-honed journalistic and legal skills to disprove the newfound Christian faith of his wife... with unexpected, life-altering results.

Lion

Lion

Drama · 2016

A five-year-old Indian boy gets lost on the streets of Calcutta, thousands of kilometers from home. He survives many challenges before being adopted by a couple in Australia; 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Stephen Frears

Written by

Jeff Pope · Steve Coogan

Judi Dench

Judi Dench

Philomena

Steve Coogan

Steve Coogan

Martin Sixsmith

Sophie Kennedy Clark

Sophie Kennedy Clark

Young Philomena

Mare Winningham

Mare Winningham

Mary Hess

Barbara Jefford

Barbara Jefford

Sister Hildegarde

Ruth McCabe

Ruth McCabe

Mother Barbara

Peter Hermann

Peter Hermann

Pete Olsson

Court is in session

Put Philomena on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Ambition earns the room.”

The film reaches for consequence and scale, accepting the risk of seriousness instead of shrinking from it.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Importance has entered the chat.”

The production keeps announcing its significance, as though awards-season posture were proof of insight.