The Elephant Man (1980)

#2910 worldwide · charting in 3 countries

Movie · 124 min · VM14 · drm, hst

The Elephant Man poster

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.

  • 8.2 IMDb
  • 8.0 TMDB
  • 91% Rotten Tomatoes
  • 92 JustWatch

Where to watch The Elephant Man

Available on 24 platforms across 4 countries.

Chart positions today

Currently charting in 3 countries, best placed at #314 in Japan.

Available languages

Audio: English, French, Italian

Subtitles: Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Spanish, Swedish

Chart history

The Elephant Man has spent 1 days in a top 3, 4 days in a top 10 and 31 days in a top 100 across the markets we track. Its best position anywhere is #3.

Cast

Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Freddie Jones, Michael Elphick, Hannah Gordon, Helen Ryan, John Standing, Dexter Fletcher, Lesley Dunlop, Phoebe Nicholls, Pat Gorman, Claire Davenport, Orla Pederson, Patsy Smart, Frederick Treves

Crew

David Lynch (director), David Lynch (screenplay), Jonathan Sanger (producer), Christopher De Vore (screenplay), Eric Bergren (screenplay)

Awards

4 wins from 12 nominations.

  • National Board of Review: Top Ten Films — won
  • César Award for Best Foreign Film — won
  • National Board of Review: Top Ten Films — won
  • César Award for Best Foreign Film — won
  • Academy Award for Best Actor 1981 — nominated
  • Academy Award for Best Production Design 1981 — nominated
  • Academy Award for Best Picture 1981 — nominated
  • Academy Award for Best Film Editing 1981 — nominated
  • Academy Award for Best Director 1981 — nominated
  • Academy Award for Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay 1981 — nominated
  • Academy Award for Best Original Score 1981 — nominated
  • Academy Award for Best Costume Design 1981 — nominated