The Dead

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The Dead

PG,

1987,

1h 21m,

Drama

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94%

34 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

34 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

A festive holiday dinner in Ireland at the turn of the 20th century brings epiphanies for a married couple. At the home of his spinster aunts Kate (Helena Carroll) and Julia (Cathleen Delaney), the socially maladroit Gabriel Conroy (Donal McCann) and his reserved wife, Gretta (Anjelica Huston), reflect on their marriage, Gretta's memories of her first love and what it means both to live and to love. Director John Huston's final film is a faithful adaptation of the James Joyce short story.

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

Sep 11, 2023

The movie is a demonstration of what, in Huston’s terms, movies can give you that print can’t: primarily, the glory of performers -- performers with faces that have been written on by time and skill, performers with voices.

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Aug 23, 2017

3/4

Anjelica Huston is effective as a woman mourning a love lost.

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Joseph Jon Lanthier

Slant Magazine

Nov 2, 2009

3/4

What redeems Huston's last gasp is the observational framing and agile editing with which the Morkan sisters' soiree is captured.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Mar 30, 2026

5/5

‘…one of the greatest works of art in cinema history, a pitch perfect take on one of literature’s greatest writers by one of cinema’s best directors…a beautiful dream of a film crammed with love, personality and sadness…’

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Jan 20, 2026

... one of [Huston's] most exquisite works, a perfect cinematic short story attuned to the rituals and touchy relationships of family and friends gathering in early twentieth century Dublin to celebrate the Feast of the Epiphany.

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Justine Smith

Vague Visages

Jun 6, 2024

The environment turns to wintry Ireland, but it’s the warm interiors that still prevail.

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Ron P

Apr 2, 2018

Though the closing monologues are beautiful there isn't nearly enough going on dramatically in the main part of the film to make this work as cinema. No blame attaches to the actors for this - I rather suspect it was simply one of those doomed projects, where a director wants to honour a literary work that cannot transfer to the screen.

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Hermione W

Apr 25, 2017

Intelligent and deep last film of John Huston, sad and melancholic, but profoundly life-affirming nevertheless.

Albus M

Feb 20, 2017

This was a really wild hair recording made via TiVo that I finally watched during a period of housecleaning with the device, and I honestly didn't know what to expect. Knowing me, I saw the title and assumed a horror film, where in actuality, I got a drama piece about people ruminating on their lost loves and the somewhat melancholy party that that they attend with friends. It was an okay flick, but I have zero interest in returning to it anytime in the near future, as there's just too many other films out there to pursue. Rental?

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John Huston

Director

Anjelica Huston

Gretta Conroy

Donal McCann

Gabriel Conroy

Cathleen Delaney

Aunt Julia

Rachael Dowling

Lily

Helena Carroll

Aunt Kate

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Synopsis

A festive holiday dinner in Ireland at the turn of the 20th century brings epiphanies for a married couple. At the home of his spinster aunts Kate (Helena Carroll) and Julia (Cathleen Delaney), the socially maladroit Gabriel Conroy (Donal McCann) and his reserved wife, Gretta (Anjelica Huston), reflect on their marriage, Gretta's memories of her first love and what it means both to live and to love. Director John Huston's final film is a faithful adaptation of the James Joyce short story.

Director: John Huston
Producer: Wieland Schulz-Kiel, Chris Sievernich
Screenwriter: Walter Anthony Huston
Distributor: Vestron Pictures
Production Co: Delta Film, Vestron Pictures, Zenith Entertainment, Channel 4 Television Corporation, Liffey Films
Rating: PG
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 17, 1987, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA): $766.4K
Runtime: 1h 21m
Sound Mix: Surround

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