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The Greatest Showman

Play trailer 2:15 Poster for The Greatest Showman PG Released Dec 20, 2017 1h 45m Musical Biography History Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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56% Tomatometer 263 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Growing up in the early 1800s, P.T. Barnum displays a natural talent for publicity and promotion, selling lottery tickets by age 12. After trying his hands at various jobs, P.T. turns to show business to indulge his limitless imagination, rising from nothing to create the Barnum & Bailey circus. Featuring catchy musical numbers, exotic performers and daring acrobatic feats, Barnum's mesmerizing spectacle soon takes the world by storm to become the greatest show on Earth.
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The Greatest Showman

The Greatest Showman

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Critics Consensus

The Greatest Showman tries hard to dazzle the audience with a Barnum-style sense of wonder -- but at the expense of its complex subject's far more intriguing real-life story.

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Audience Says

The story might not be anything special, but if it's a singing, dancing extravaganza you seek, The Greatest Showman delivers.

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Critics Reviews

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Chris Bennion The Times (UK) Give in. Roll up. Sing along. Aug 22, 2023 Full Review Sam Adams Slate Like Barnum himself, it's an elegant fraud, nice enough to look at as long as you don't look too close. Dec 4, 2018 Full Review Esther Zuckerman Marie Claire [This] kind of insanity is really fun to watch. The Greatest Showman is a lot of things, but it's not boring. Jan 12, 2018 Full Review Brian T. Carney Washington Blade The vivid cinematography by Seamus McGarvey and the exquisite costumes by Ellen Mirojnick capture the magic of Barnum’s circus and give the picture an attractive period feel. Dec 15, 2022 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Quite incongruously, The Greatest Showman suggests that Barnum is a heroic figure, a woke entertainer and family man, who also capitalized on animal suffering and the veritable prostitution of human oddity. Rated: 1/4 Mar 16, 2022 Full Review Cory Woodroof 615 Film The movie is a big, loud explosion of color and excitement but one the party's over, somebody's got to clean it all up. Rated: 2.5/4 Feb 11, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Willy First viewing, amazing film even better soundtrack. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/18/24 Full Review Mei THIS IS THE GREATEST SHOW Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/27/22 Full Review Katie D Such a great, fun, feel-good movie! I really enjoyed it - listen to the audience ratings, not the critic reviews! don't expect historical accuracy, but definitely expect a good time, heartfelt music and amazing performances! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/15/21 Full Review Edward W Soundtrack and story is superb. One of the best musical films in the 21st century. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/30/25 Full Review Ozbej M Best musical and Disney movie ever. A true modern masterpiece. The soundtrack is just perfect. 10/10. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/23/25 Full Review chris m an audiovisual spectacle lacking strong storytelling. first english, below spanish: english: from the very first chord, the soundtrack bursts forth with an energy that shakes the room, establishing with precision the ground on which the viewer will tread. it’s an opening that does not merely announce a story, but imposes a specific emotional state, almost as if the film decided to take the audience by the hand and immerse it, without hesitation, in its universe. the introduction is an authentic display of lights, colors and rhythm, where each visual element combines to enhance the impact of every image, reaffirming that here everything —from the costumes to the framing— responds to meticulous calculation. it is, without exaggeration, a beginning that sends shivers down the spine. the narrative, from these opening bars, conveys with clarity and force the emotions that will form the backbone of the work: hope, desire, longing and also a certain melancholy that seeps in at specific moments. the musical choices, measured to the millimeter, reinforce this atmosphere with a magnetism that instantly captures. for a sensitive viewer, the combination of image and sound in the opening minutes can border on a cathartic experience. in the acting department, ellis rubin delivers a memorable performance. it is not only the technical skill of his work, but the ability to imbue every gesture with truth, to infuse humanity into every glance. it is one of those cases where the actor seems more a channel for emotion than a mere performer. hugh jackman, by contrast, emerges as an absolute force of leadership; his presence not only supports the narrative, but drives it, becoming a dramatic and charismatic axis that sustains the film’s visual spectacle. the direction opts for a visual display that sits on the border between the theatrical and the cinematic. the cinematography and production design, through a precise choreography of light and color, create moving postcards that heighten the sensory experience. there are moments when the screen seems more like a living canvas than a simple film record, and therein lies part of its spell. however, the film does not shy away from moral dilemmas that simmer beneath its surface. its tale of overcoming and achieving one’s dreams coexists with an ethical tension that forces the viewer to take a stance: the delicate line between offering opportunities to those who have been marginalized and exploiting their difference as spectacle. this nuance gives depth to the proposal, though the work does not always delve deeply enough to resolve it. the structure, while it begins with a resounding pulse and maintains a dynamism that rarely falters, falters in its final stretch. the ending, hurried and with an abrupt change in tone, conveys a sense of closure that is too comfortable, almost sugarcoated, contrasting with the strength and daring of its beginning. it is a conclusion that, rather than culminating, seems to soften the experience, and therein lies one of the film’s few drawbacks. it dazzles as a sumptuous audiovisual spectacle, where music, color and staging reach hypnotic heights, but its narrative, treated in a superficial and scattered manner, tries to cover more than it can sustain; thus, despite its overwhelming start and undeniable ability to move, it ends without reaching a true point of destination. in conclusion, “the greatest showman” stands as a production overflowing in the visual and the sonic, a work that embraces emotion and artifice with equal intensity. its beginning dazzles, its development sustains the magic, and its ending, though less inspired, fails to tarnish the greatness of a spectacle that, as a whole, leaves its mark. a piece of cinema that, with its lights and shadows, proves that sometimes the journey is more unforgettable than the destination. spanish: desde el primer acorde, la banda sonora irrumpe con una energía que sacude la sala, estableciendo con precisión el terreno donde se moverá el espectador. es un arranque que no se limita a anunciar una historia, sino que impone un estado emocional concreto, casi como si la película decidiera tomar al público de la mano y sumergirlo, sin titubeos, en su universo. la introducción es un auténtico despliegue de luces, colores y ritmo, donde cada elemento visual se conjuga para potenciar el impacto de cada imagen, reafirmando que aquí todo —del vestuario al encuadre— responde a un cálculo meticuloso. es, sin exagerar, un inicio que eriza la piel. la narrativa, desde estos compases iniciales, transmite con claridad y contundencia las emociones que serán la columna vertebral de la obra: ilusión, deseo, anhelo y también cierta melancolía que se filtra en momentos concretos. la elección musical, medida al milímetro, refuerza esta atmósfera con un magnetismo que atrapa de inmediato. para un espectador sensible, la combinación de imagen y sonido en los primeros minutos puede rozar la experiencia catártica. en el apartado interpretativo, ellis rubin firma una actuación memorable. no es solo la destreza técnica de su trabajo, sino la capacidad de dotar de verdad a cada gesto, de insuflar humanidad en cada mirada. es uno de esos casos en los que el actor parece más un canal de emociones que un mero intérprete. hugh jackman, en cambio, irrumpe como fuerza de liderazgo absoluto; su presencia no solo sostiene la narrativa, sino que la impulsa, convirtiéndose en un eje dramático y carismático que sostiene la espectacularidad visual del film. la dirección apuesta por un espectáculo visual que se sitúa en la frontera entre lo teatral y lo cinematográfico. la fotografía y el diseño de producción logran, a través de una coreografía precisa de luz y color, crear postales en movimiento que refuerzan la experiencia sensorial. hay momentos en los que la pantalla parece más un lienzo vivo que un simple registro fílmico, y ahí radica parte de su hechizo. sin embargo, la película no esquiva dilemas morales que laten bajo su superficie. su relato de superación y de conquista de los propios sueños convive con una tensión ética que obliga al espectador a tomar posición: el delicado límite entre ofrecer oportunidades a quienes han sido marginados y explotar su diferencia como espectáculo. este matiz otorga densidad a la propuesta, aunque no siempre la obra profundiza lo suficiente para resolverlo. la estructura, si bien arranca con un pulso arrollador y mantiene un dinamismo que rara vez decae, se resiente en su tramo final. el desenlace, apresurado y con un cambio de tono brusco, transmite una sensación de cierre demasiado cómodo, casi edulcorado, que contrasta con la fuerza y el atrevimiento de su comienzo. es un final que, más que culminar, parece suavizar la experiencia, y en ello reside uno de los escasos lastres de la película. deslumbra como un fastuoso espectáculo audiovisual, donde la música, el color y la puesta en escena alcanzan cotas hipnóticas, pero su narrativa, tratada de forma superficial y dispersa, intenta abarcar más de lo que puede sostener; así, pese a su arrollador arranque y su innegable capacidad para emocionar, termina sin llegar a un verdadero punto de destino. en definitiva, “el gran showman” se erige como una producción desbordante en lo visual y lo sonoro, una obra que apuesta por la emoción y el artificio con igual intensidad. su inicio deslumbra, su desarrollo sostiene la magia y su cierre, aunque menos inspirado, no logra empañar la grandeza de un espectáculo que, en su conjunto, deja huella. una pieza de cine que, con sus luces y sombras, demuestra que a veces el viaje es más inolvidable que el destino. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/15/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Growing up in the early 1800s, P.T. Barnum displays a natural talent for publicity and promotion, selling lottery tickets by age 12. After trying his hands at various jobs, P.T. turns to show business to indulge his limitless imagination, rising from nothing to create the Barnum & Bailey circus. Featuring catchy musical numbers, exotic performers and daring acrobatic feats, Barnum's mesmerizing spectacle soon takes the world by storm to become the greatest show on Earth.
Director
Michael Gracey
Producer
Laurence Mark, Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping
Screenwriter
Jenny Bicks, Bill Condon
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox, TSG Entertainment, Chernin Entertainment
Rating
PG (Thematic Elements|A Brawl)
Genre
Musical, Biography, History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 20, 2017, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 22, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$174.0M
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
Dolby Atmos, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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