Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Tess

Play trailer Poster for Tess PG 1979 2h 50m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
81% Tomatometer 77 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
In Roman Polanski's take on "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," impressionable young Tess is sent by her alcoholic father to visit her rich relatives and apply for a job. She's taken in and immediately seduced by her cousin, Alec, who leaves her pregnant. She keeps it to herself and, after the child dies, begins a relationship with a respectable farmer, Angel. They marry, but when Angel learns of her checkered past, he's not sure if he can live with it.
Watch on Fandango Stream Now

Where to Watch

Tess

Tess

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A reverent adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel, Tess marries painterly cinematography and unhurried pacing to create an epic ode to perseverance.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Judith Martin Washington Post Jun 17, 2022
This is cinematography at its best -- film used to present a view, in motion, of a reality that has been artistically ordered to reveal a greater-that-literal essence. Go to Full Review Gary Arnold Washington Post Jun 17, 2022
Watching this long, placid maddeningly subdued movie, you can't help wondering what became of Hardy's stark chronicle of crimes of passion. Go to Full Review Richard Schickel TIME Magazine Jun 17, 2022
One emerges from [Roman Polanski's] endless version of Thomas Hardy's Tess of the D'Urbervilles with a sense that one could have read the book in a shorter span and had more fun too. Go to Full Review Richard Freedman Newark Star-Ledger Jan 12, 2026
A haunting, richly rewarding recreation of one of the towering masterpieces of English fiction. Go to Full Review Lorien Haynes Radio Times Nov 11, 2025
4/5
Not as good as the novel, but still has much to recommend it, not least the evocative Oscar-winning photography. Go to Full Review Scott Sublett Washington Blade Jun 17, 2022
It does not shout and it does not speed; it rolls along effortlessly, at an even rate, like a country brook, and when it ends one wishes for more. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Muzaffar N @Muzaffar01 Mar 13, 2026 The Gold Standard of Visual Storytelling: A Review of Tess (1979) See more Matthew D @OceanSage Mar 3, 2026 Nastassja Kinski is incredibly moving and subtle in her expressive depiction of poor Tess. Polish director Roman Polanski’s English romance drama epic Tess (1979) is a heartbreaking tale. I do appreciate that his Tess feels like a feminist film capturing the empathy for women’s hardships, struggles, dangers, hopes, and love that English author Thomas Hardy wrote. Tess is a hard watch, but a rewarding one. Nastassja Kinski is outstanding as the sadly abused Tess Durbeyfield. Kinski is so genuine as the depressed, poor, and lonely Tess. She is so sweet and innocent, then dejected after she experiences how awful the world can be to young girls. This is one of the most touching performances I’ve ever seen by any actress. I keep thinking about her devastating line, "Once victim, always victim." Tess did not deserve all her pain. She did nothing wrong. Only men were cruel to her in a vicious world. A standout lead actress role from Nastassja Kinski that is dearly depressing. See more Vincent S. @Vin_E_At_The_Movies Sep 23, 2025 Nastassja Kinski is outstanding in this beautifully filmed, emotional, tragic story. One of the best adaptations! See more Marit Risto F @RT66247982 Aug 16, 2025 Same old story. Beautiful, innocent girl, being raped, tortured, and killed, by a heap of Christian, and other, assholes See more thiago s @Thiagostone Jun 16, 2025 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Leaburn O @RT35452347 Feb 15, 2025 Whilst Kinski is always essential viewing, the trouble isn’t the acting which is excellent, it’s just the turgid script that makes this a real Steve to get through. It is interminably tragic and slow paced. I’ve never read the book but this show has confirmed to me that I really don’t want to as a lot of the so called classics are just plain dull. Watched on DVD. See more Read all reviews
Tess

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Roman Polanski

Director

Nastassja Kinski

Tess

Peter Firth

Angel Clare

Leigh Lawson

Alec d'Urberville

John Collin

John Durbeyfield

David Markham

Reverend Mr. Clare

More Like This

View All
Fedora 72% 63% Fedora Watchlist The Last Metro 86% 80% The Last Metro Watchlist Kramer vs. Kramer 90% 89% Kramer vs. Kramer Watchlist TRAILER for Kramer vs. Kramer Urban Cowboy 71% 80% Urban Cowboy Watchlist Over the Edge 86% 85% Over the Edge Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Tess

Tess (1979) Tess (1979) Tess (1979) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In Roman Polanski's take on "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," impressionable young Tess is sent by her alcoholic father to visit her rich relatives and apply for a job. She's taken in and immediately seduced by her cousin, Alec, who leaves her pregnant. She keeps it to herself and, after the child dies, begins a relationship with a respectable farmer, Angel. They marry, but when Angel learns of her checkered past, he's not sure if he can live with it.
Director
Roman Polanski
Producer
Claude Berri
Screenwriter
Gérard Brach, Roman Polanski, John Brownjohn
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Burrill Productions
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 25, 1979, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 19, 2017
Runtime
2h 50m
Sound Mix
Surround
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings