The Fisher King

Play trailer

2:15

The Fisher King

R,

1991,

2h 17m,

Comedy/

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

The Fisher King: Trailer 1

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - Storming the Castle

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - The Greatest Thing Since Spice Racks

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - What Did I Get?

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - Made for Each Other

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - Men, Women, God and the Devil

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - The Red Knight

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - A Moral Traffic Light

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - The Janitor of God

Now Playing

View more videos

Watchlist

86%

65 Reviews

Tomatometer

85%

25,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

65 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

After shock jock Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) inadvertently provokes a caller into murdering a group of innocent people in a Manhattan bar, he grows depressed and turns to booze. As he's about to hit rock bottom, Lucas meets a homeless man named Parry (Robin Williams), whose wife was killed by the caller Lucas pushed to the brink. Mentally scarred by his loss, Parry spends his days searching for the Holy Grail. Lucas, feeling culpable for the poor man's plight, pledges to help him in his quest.

Critics Consensus

An odd but affecting mixture of drama, comedy and fantasy, The Fisher King manages to balance moving performances from Robin Williams and Jeff Bridges with director Terry Gilliam's typically askew universe.

Read Critics Reviews

Steve Murray

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sep 23, 2025

A lot of this works, but at 138 minutes, the flick comes on like a bully ordering your inner child to come out and play.

Go to Full Review

Jay Scott

Globe and Mail

Dec 7, 2022

It's a tenderly optimistic yet unsentimental tall tale, a Hollywood film in the best sense of the term.

Go to Full Review

Kate Muir

The Times (UK)

Jun 15, 2017

4/5

The search for the Holy Grail reaches peak insanity in this wild, redemptive ride through two men's interconnected lives.

Go to Full Review

Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

Dec 18, 2025

5/5

A gloriously enchanting adult fairy tale with five performances worthy of nominations for the Academy Award, not to mention the film itself and director Terry Gilliam.

Go to Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Jul 27, 2023

Not everyone in the world will be susceptible enough to fall under its surreal magic, but I've seen it three times, and each time I like it even more. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

Jun 19, 2023

3.5/4

weaves a uniquely intriguing web, balancing emotional realism with highly stylized artifice in a way that Gilliam has been largely unable to reproduce since

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Aug 20, 2018

This movie is pure art! Quixotic and Arthurian. Of course Terry Gilliam would have a quest for the Holy Grail! But sweet, romantic, with all the personal anguish of human tragedy, loss, guilt and redemption. Powerful performances by all four c haracters.

See more

Jun 8, 2018

More than twenty years later this film is still a masterpiece of poetry, imagination, performance and cinematography.

Anakin L

Feb 1, 2018

It is one of the most enjoyable, sad and touching films you will ever see. It is funny, it is heartbreaking, it is beautiful. These are the rare films, the ones that matter. for more: https://latetothegame.blog/2018/01/18/key-movies-in-my-life-the-fisher-king-1991/

See more

Albus S

Nov 30, 2017

The Fisher King is a movie by Terry Gilliam about a man who is in a depressed state meets a warm hearted homeless man and helps him to complete his quest. The whole cast gives fantastic performances and we still see how great Robbin Williams is to this day.

See more

Luke R

Oct 28, 2017

I avoided this movie for 25 years. I finally watched it today and I wish I didn't. If you like over the top acting (Bridges and Williams) and want to see Robin Williams Nude then this movie is for you. It does have some relevance today with Gun Violence (Mass Shooting), but the story is part Fantasy, part comedy and all a waste of time. What is Terry Gilliam's fascination with Insane characters?

See more

Hermione R

Apr 25, 2017

Odd and manic but ultimately engrossing thanks to the great two lead performances of Williams and Bridges and a solid supporting performance by Mercedes Ruehl. It also has a good plot and a well written script that nicely balances the more eccentric elements with the grounded real life romance and drama. It is also well shot, has a decent score and the design of the hallucinatory red knight is great.

See more

Read all reviews

Terry Gilliam

Director

Robin Williams

Henry Sagan, 'Parry'

Jeff Bridges

Jack Lucas

Amanda Plummer

Lydia

Mercedes Ruehl

Anne Napolitano

Michael Jeter

Homeless cabaret singer

The Fisher King: Official Clip - Storming the Castle

2:13

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - The Greatest Thing Since Spice Racks

2:07

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - What Did I Get?

2:12

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - Made for Each Other

2:13

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - Men, Women, God and the Devil

2:10

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - The Red Knight

2:11

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - A Moral Traffic Light

2:07

Now Playing

The Fisher King: Official Clip - The Janitor of God

1:59

Now Playing

View more videos

Wall Street

77%

81%

Wall Street

Watchlist

Bonnie and Clyde

91%

88%

Bonnie and Clyde

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Bonnie and Clyde

JFK

84%

88%

JFK

Watchlist

The Last Picture Show

98%

89%

The Last Picture Show

Watchlist

Malcolm X

89%

91%

Malcolm X

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

New On DVD and Blu-Ray: Survivor, Timbuktu, and More

Robin Williams’ 10 Best Movies

The Dude Teams Up With "Iron Man"

The Fisher King: Trailer 1

2:15

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

After shock jock Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) inadvertently provokes a caller into murdering a group of innocent people in a Manhattan bar, he grows depressed and turns to booze. As he's about to hit rock bottom, Lucas meets a homeless man named Parry (Robin Williams), whose wife was killed by the caller Lucas pushed to the brink. Mentally scarred by his loss, Parry spends his days searching for the Holy Grail. Lucas, feeling culpable for the poor man's plight, pledges to help him in his quest.

Director: Terry Gilliam
Producer: Debra Hill, Lynda Obst
Screenwriter: Richard LaGravenese
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 20, 1991, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 17, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $39.4M
Runtime: 2h 17m
Sound Mix: Surround

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings