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The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

Play trailer 2:33 Poster for The Electrical Life of Louis Wain PG-13 Released Oct 22, 2021 1h 51m Biography Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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68% Tomatometer 157 Reviews 71% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
The extraordinary true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose playful, sometimes even psychedelic pictures helped to transform the public's perception of cats forever. Moving from the late 1800s through to the 1930s, we follow the incredible adventures of this inspiring, unsung hero, as he seeks to unlock the "electrical" mysteries of the world and, in so doing, to better understand his own life and the profound love he shared with his wife Emily Richardson (Claire Foy).
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The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

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Critics Consensus

Sparked by a pair of well-matched leads, The Electrical Life of Louis Wain honors its real-life subject by adding a dash of whimsy to the standard biopic formula.

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Critics Reviews

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Christina Newland iNews.co.uk This film about the eccentric Victorian artist famed for his cat portraits presents a far-too-quaint and romanticised vision of mental illness. Rated: 2/5 Sep 19, 2024 Full Review Hanna Flint Time Out It's an effervescent movie, one that reflects the colourful whimsy of Wain's work and a far more vivid image of Victorian and Edwardian England than your usual period film. Rated: 4/5 Jan 14, 2022 Full Review Lydia Figes Little White Lies There is rarely a dull moment in this colourful film. Rated: 3/5 Jan 5, 2022 Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia A biopic that offers a finely tuned performance from Benedict Cumberbatch, but that, apart from some visual constructions, becomes boring and a little redundant. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 5/10 Sep 10, 2023 Full Review Andrea Thompson A Reel of One's Own The more “Electrical Life” goes on, the more buried it becomes, sometimes literally, under a sea of quirk rather than delving into just how far Wain fell and how his vulnerability left him exploited. Rated: C- Dec 19, 2022 Full Review M.N. Miller Ready Steady Cut An overdose of whimsy that’s focus is often distracted like a cat chasing a laser. Rated: 2.5/5 Oct 21, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (93) audience reviews
Laurie An emotional yet inspirational story about art, love, mental illness, and finding your way through life using art. Good use of cinematic effects to capture the schizophrenic experience. Interesting to note that Wain popularized cats as pets, too. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/08/21 Full Review Linda A Delightful and very endearing movie - loved it! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/27/21 Full Review Vesuvi T I strongly resonated with the tale of this eccentric artist... his hardships... and his legacy. I don't think this is the type of movie for everyone, but it was certainly for me. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/27/21 Full Review Pamela J Interesting period piece Enjoyed it - well acted Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/24/21 Full Review jeffrey The most human and personable weve ever seen the characteristically diffident B Cumberbatch. The always present and sincere Claire Foy can draw tears from a stone. The film feels period-authentic and is well-constructed. Characters evolve, thoughts change, american-style emotional schtick is mostly avoided, and the film slaloms easily but scarily from comedy to tragedy and back. Production values are impressive and moving and support the progress of the story rather than being mere indulgence. The psychedelic mandalas picturing Wains subjective fall/rise to psychosis at the end is liberating and rather reminiscent of 2001s Star Gate sequence! I recommend the film, and look forward to re-visiting Ms Foys heroic face and Olivia Colmans assuaging voice again in future! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/24/21 Full Review Lori S Bring Kleenex. If you love cats, you must see this film. The acting was superb. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/23/21 Full Review Read all reviews
The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

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Cast & Crew

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain

The Electrical Life of Louis Wain: Movie Clip - Mr. Cat Man The Electrical Life of Louis Wain: Movie Clip - Mr. Cat Man 0:59 The Electrical Life of Louis Wain: Movie Clip - First Look The Electrical Life of Louis Wain: Movie Clip - First Look 1:54 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis The extraordinary true story of eccentric British artist Louis Wain (Benedict Cumberbatch), whose playful, sometimes even psychedelic pictures helped to transform the public's perception of cats forever. Moving from the late 1800s through to the 1930s, we follow the incredible adventures of this inspiring, unsung hero, as he seeks to unlock the "electrical" mysteries of the world and, in so doing, to better understand his own life and the profound love he shared with his wife Emily Richardson (Claire Foy).
Director
Will Sharpe
Producer
Adam Ackland, Ed Clarke, Leah Clarke, Guy Heeley
Screenwriter
Will Sharpe, Simon Stephenson
Distributor
Amazon Studios
Production Co
StudioCanal, Amazon Studios, Shoebox Films, Film 4, SunnyMarch
Rating
PG-13 (Strong Language|Some Thematic Material)
Genre
Biography, Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 22, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 5, 2021
Runtime
1h 51m
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