The Reader

Name: The Reader
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: 2008-12-10
Duration: 2 h 4 min
Rating: 7.5
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet, David Kross, Lena Olin, Bruno Ganz

2008·Movie·R·124 min·★ 7.5(3,399)

Drama Romance More English titles

“Behind the mystery lies a truth that will make you question everything you know.”

The story of Michael Berg, a German lawyer who, as a teenager in the late 1950s, had an affair with an older woman, Hanna, who then disappeared only to resurface years later as one of the defendants in a war crimes trial stemming from her actions as a concentration camp guard late in the war. He alone realizes that Hanna is illiterate and may be concealing that fact at the expense of her freedom.

▶ Watch trailer

Where to watch The Reader in United States

Stream

fuboTV

Paramount Plus Premium

Britbox Apple TV Channel

Paramount+ Amazon Channel

YouTube TV

Curiosity Stream

Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel

CuriosityStream Apple TV Channel

MovieSphere+ Amazon Channel

CuriosityStream Amazon Channel

Rent

Buy

Click a service to open The Reader there. Availability last verified on June 28, 2026.

Where is The Reader streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Britbox Apple TV Channel , Paramount+ Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
India	Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads	Amazon Video
United Kingdom	Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
Canada	Hollywood Suite, Curiosity Stream, Hollywood Suite Amazon Channel, Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video
Australia	—	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	—	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Canal VOD
Spain	Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Amazon Video
Brazil	Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels	—
Japan	U-NEXT	Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies
South Korea	wavve	—

About The Reader

The Reader is a 2008 English-language drama and romance film directed by Stephen Daldry. The cast is led by Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet, David Kross. It has a runtime of 2h 4m. Viewers rate it 7.5/10 across 3400 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Britbox Apple TV Channel .

The Reader was produced by The Weinstein Company, Mirage Enterprises, and Studio Babelsberg and made in Germany and United States of America. It was released on December 10, 2008, and carries a R certification. Made on a budget of about $32 million, it went on to gross $109 million worldwide.

Director: Stephen Daldry
Writers: David Hare
Release date: December 10, 2008
Original language: English
Age rating: R
Status: Released
Country: Germany, United States of America
Budget: $32 million
Box office: $109 million
Production: The Weinstein Company, Mirage Enterprises, Studio Babelsberg

#based on novel or book#germany#war crimes#world war ii#women's prison#trial#female prisoner#reading aloud#love affair#cynical#law student#teenage sexuality#older woman younger man relationship#reading to someone

The Reader cast & crew

The Reader was directed by Stephen Daldry and written by David Hare.

The cast features Ralph Fiennes as Michael Berg, Kate Winslet as Hanna Schmitz, David Kross as Young Michael Berg, Lena Olin as Rose Mather, Bruno Ganz as Professor Rohl, and Jeanette Hain as Brigitte.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Nico Muhly, cinematography is by Roger Deakins, and it was produced by Donna Gigliotti and Anthony Minghella.

Is The Reader worth watching?

The Reader holds an audience score of 7.5/10 from 3,399 ratings, marking it as well-reviewed drama films.

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

If you enjoy drama and romance, The Reader is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch The Reader

In United States, you can stream The Reader on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Britbox Apple TV Channel , Paramount+ Amazon Channel, and YouTube TV, or rent and buy it on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. 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.