The Elephant Man

Name: The Elephant Man
Genre: Drama, History
Released: 1980-10-09
Duration: 2 h 4 min
Rating: 8
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller

1980·Movie·PG·124 min·★ 8.0(3,942)

DramaHistoryMore English titles

“A true story of courage and human dignity.”

A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity. Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London.

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Where to watch The Elephant Man in United States

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Click a service to open The Elephant Man there. Availability last verified on June 21, 2026.

Where is The Elephant Man streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Criterion Channel	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
India	—	Amazon Video
United Kingdom	MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Studiocanal Presents Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video
Canada	Criterion Channel	Apple TV Store
Australia	MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Germany	MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Amazon Arthaus Channel, Arthaus+ Apple TV channel	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	Canal+, MUBI, LaCinetek, Sooner	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Canal VOD
Spain	Amazon Prime Video, Movistar Plus+, Movistar Plus+ Ficción Total , Filmin	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video
Brazil	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
Japan	U-NEXT	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, FOD

About The Elephant Man

The Elephant Man is a 1980 English-language drama and history film directed by David Lynch. The cast is led by Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft. It has a runtime of 2h 4m. Viewers rate it 8.0/10 across 3900 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Criterion Channel.

The Elephant Man was produced by Brooksfilms and made in United States of America. It was released on October 9, 1980, and carries a PG certification. Made on a budget of about $5 million, it went on to gross $26 million worldwide.

Director: David Lynch
Writers: David Lynch, Christopher De Vore, Eric Bergren
Release date: October 9, 1980
Original language: English
Age rating: PG
Status: Released
Country: United States of America
Budget: $5 million
Box office: $26 million
Production: Brooksfilms

#friendship#london, england#escape#nurse#exploitation#biography#based on true story#tragedy#hospital#black and white#period drama#social injustice#physical abuse#curiosity

The Elephant Man cast & crew

The Elephant Man was directed by David Lynch and written by David Lynch, Christopher De Vore, and Eric Bergren.

The cast features Anthony Hopkins as Frederick Treves, John Hurt as John Merrick, Anne Bancroft as Mrs Kendal, John Gielgud as Carr Gomm, Wendy Hiller as Mothershead, and Freddie Jones as Bytes.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by John Morris, cinematography is by Freddie Francis, and it was produced by Jonathan Sanger and Stuart Cornfeld.

Is The Elephant Man worth watching?

The Elephant Man holds an audience score of 8.0/10 from 3,942 ratings, ranking it among the most acclaimed drama films.

At 2h 4m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama and history, The Elephant Man is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Elephant Man

In United States, you can stream The Elephant Man on Criterion Channel, or rent and buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.