The French Lieutenant's Woman

Name: The French Lieutenant's Woman
Genre: Drama, Romance, History
Released: 1981-08-28
Duration: 2 h 4 min
Rating: 6.5
Cast: Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Hilton McRae, Lynsey Baxter, Emily Morgan

1981·Movie·R·124 min·★ 6.5(243)

Drama RomanceHistoryMore English titles

“She was lost from the moment she saw him.”

In this story-within-a-story, Anna is an actress starring opposite Mike in a period piece about the forbidden love between their respective characters, Sarah and Charles. Both actors are involved in serious relationships, but the passionate nature of the script leads to an off-camera love affair as well. While attempting to maintain their composure and professionalism, Anna and Mike struggle to come to terms with their infidelity.

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Click a service to open The French Lieutenant's Woman there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

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Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
India	MGM Plus Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Canada	MGM Amazon Channel, Hoopla, Tubi TV	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Australia	MGM Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Germany	MGM Plus Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
France	Molotov TV, MGM Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Canal VOD, Orange VOD
Spain	MGM Plus Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Brazil	Oldflix, MGM+ Apple TV Channel, MGM Plus Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video

About The French Lieutenant's Woman

The French Lieutenant's Woman is a 1981 English-language drama, romance and history film directed by Karel Reisz. The cast is led by Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Hilton McRae. It has a runtime of 2h 4m. Viewers rate it 6.5/10 across 200 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel.

The French Lieutenant's Woman was produced by Juniper Films and made in United Kingdom. It was released on August 28, 1981, and carries a R certification. At the box office it grossed around $3 million worldwide.

Director: Karel Reisz
Writers: Harold Pinter
Release date: August 28, 1981
Original language: English
Age rating: R
Status: Released
Country: United Kingdom
Box office: $3 million
Production: Juniper Films

#adultery#based on novel or book#lieutenant#love#tragedy#dorset

The French Lieutenant's Woman cast & crew

The French Lieutenant's Woman was directed by Karel Reisz and written by Harold Pinter.

The cast features Meryl Streep as Sarah / Anna, Jeremy Irons as Charles Henry Smithson / Mike, Hilton McRae as Sam, Lynsey Baxter as Ernestina, Emily Morgan as Mary, and Penelope Wilton as Sonia.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Carl Davis, cinematography is by Freddie Francis, and it was produced by Leon Clore.

Is The French Lieutenant's Woman worth watching?

The French Lieutenant's Woman holds an audience score of 6.5/10 from 243 ratings, a solidly received drama films.

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

If you enjoy drama, romance, and history, The French Lieutenant's Woman is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The French Lieutenant's Woman

In United States, you can stream The French Lieutenant's Woman on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, YouTube TV, and MGM Plus, 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.