Helen

Play trailer

Helen

R

2009

2h 0m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

44%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

49%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

A talented professor is forced to deal with her clinical depression.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Dave Calhoun

Time Out

Rated: 3/5

Jan 22, 2013

Full Review

Perri Nemiroff

CinemaBlend

Unless you're prepared to be needlessly drowned in another woman's problems for nearly two hours, stay away.

Rated: 1.5/5

Aug 13, 2010

Full Review

Jeannette Catsoulis

New York Times

In roles that could have devolved into arias of melodrama, the cast never overplays its hand, fighting the omnipresent melancholy in small ways rather than large.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 30, 2010

Full Review

Matthew Turner

ViewLondon

Rated: 3/5

Jan 22, 2013

Full Review

Jim Slotek

Jam! Movies

I wish the movie itself had mood swings as wild as Mathilda's. Judd's depression is relentless.

Rated: 2/5

Mar 5, 2010

Full Review

Larry Carroll

MTV

"Helen" is a very heavy film.

Aug 3, 2009

Full Review

Read all reviews

New Y

This movie was incredible. I’m not sure why people are saying it was not a good movie. I recently discovered this movie. Ashley Judd did an outstanding performance along with her co star. The acting was top-tier. She should have won an award for the great acting. The movie was based on a woman living with Clinical depression and how it destroys her family and home. It was worth watching!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/06/25

Full Review

bhuvanesh b

The film could have been better, but what the so-called critics miss is that this is a film about depression, so it is supposed to be "slow" and "relentless." I don't think those critics have ever tried looking at things from another person's perspective. I loved this quote from the film, in which Helen (Ashley Judd) emphasizes to a frustrated student the importance of silence in music: "Hold on to time. Suspension. Silence. That's where you'll find what you're looking for. In the distance between things."

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An okay story but with a very dry and lacklustre execution. Some fine performances here and there, but still uninspiring and cliched overall, closer to a LifeTime TV movie of the week than anything.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

An honest and difficult portrayal of the struggle on all sides of depression.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

As a sufferer of mental illness, I can deeply relate to these characters. For those who don't suffer or have someone in their life who does, they will not likely enjoy this movie.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Não gostei da forma que a atriz retrata a depressão, parece muito falsa pelo teor do drama, devia ser algo mais parado.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Sandra Nettelbeck

Director

Ashley Judd

Helen

Goran Visnjic

David

Lauren Lee Smith

Mathilda

Alexia Fast

Julie

Alberta Watson

Dr. Sherman

Death in Love

45%

34%

Death in Love

Watchlist

Virginia

11%

25%

Virginia

Watchlist

The Elephant King

18%

64%

The Elephant King

Watchlist

The Merry Gentleman

65%

51%

The Merry Gentleman

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Critics Consensus: Dinner for Schmucks Serves Up An OK Time

View more photos

Synopsis

A talented professor is forced to deal with her clinical depression.

Director: Sandra Nettelbeck
Producer: Judy Tossell, Christine Haebler
Screenwriter: Sandra Nettelbeck
Production Co: Egoli Tossell Film, Filmstiftung Nordrhein-Westfalen
Rating: R (Language|Brief Sexuality)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 4, 2016
Runtime: 2h 0m

Most Popular at Home Now