--- title: "A Dangerous Method" year: 2011 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/a-dangerous-method" fi1m_score: 70 critics_score: 66 critics_reviews: 20 published: "2026-09-17T12:14:53.206982+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T12:15:13.788293+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # A Dangerous Method (2011) Directed by David Cronenberg · 1h 39m · MPA R · Drama **Fi1m score: 70** · Critics 66 from 20 reviews *In a sentence:* Freud and Jung argue about sex for ninety minutes while Keira Knightley is the only one having any > David Cronenberg’s account of the quarrel between Freud and Jung is cool, exact and better company than its reputation for talk suggests. Mortensen and Fassbender are excellent; Knightley takes some getting used to, and the letters slow everything down. ## Synopsis Zurich, 1904. Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), a young Russian woman, is carried screaming into the Burghölzli hospital run by Professor Eugen Bleuler (André Hennicke). The young doctor Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) decides to try a new treatment on her: he sits behind her, out of sight, and asks her to talk. It works well enough that Jung writes to Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) in Vienna, and the two men begin a correspondence, then a friendship. At home Jung’s wealthy wife Emma (Sarah Gadon) is pregnant. Spielrein, recovering, wants to study medicine herself. Freud sends Jung a difficult patient, the doctor Otto Gross (Vincent Cassel), who believes nothing should ever be repressed and says so at every opportunity. ## Review David Cronenberg has spent more than thirty years filming what goes wrong with bodies. Here he films what goes wrong with a friendship, and nearly all of the damage is done in words. *A Dangerous Method* is Christopher Hampton’s account, from his own play and John Kerr’s book, of the years in which Carl Jung (Michael Fassbender) took on a screaming Russian patient, Sabina Spielrein (Keira Knightley), wrote to Sigmund Freud (Viggo Mortensen) about her, and started the quarrel that split psychoanalysis in two. It is cool, clever and precisely made. It is also, for long stretches, people reading letters aloud, and it never pretends otherwise. Mortensen’s Freud is the best thing in it. He plays the man as a Viennese host, cigar always lit, courteous to the edge of menace, who has decided in advance what everything means and is amused rather than threatened when the younger man disagrees. Fassbender gives Jung a stiff Swiss rectitude with appetite moving underneath it, and watches Freud the way a clever son watches a father he intends to outlast. Their first meeting, a conversation that runs deep into the night, is the most enjoyable talk we have heard in a period drama in years. Neither man raises his voice. Both are fighting. Knightley is the argument. She arrives thrashing in a carriage, jaw shoved forward, hands clawing at her face, and for her first two scenes we did not know where to look. We were embarrassed, and we could not tell whether for Spielrein or for the actress. Then Jung sits behind her and asks his questions, and the performance settles as the character does. By the middle Knightley is playing a woman who wants to be a doctor and knows more about her own case than either man treating it, and she plays that plainly, without the jaw. We ended up on her side. Vincent Cassel’s Otto Gross comes through the film like a draught through an open door, preaching against repression, and the picture is more alive while he is in it. Peter Suschitzky shoots Zurich in flat white lake light and Vienna in brown. James McAteer’s Freud study is packed to the ceiling with statuettes and books, while Jung’s house on the water is pale, ordered and too large for its furniture. Denise Cronenberg dresses Knightley first in a hospital shift and then in high collars that look like a decision she has made. Howard Shore’s score is built out of Wagner, whom Jung and Spielrein discuss at length, and it is used sparingly, mostly under the letters. Cronenberg keeps the camera at conversational distance and lets the actors do the work. The letters are the problem. Hampton sends the film to the post every ten minutes: Jung writes to Freud, Freud writes back, Spielrein writes to both, and Ronald Sanders cuts each one as a face in voiceover, so the argument we most want to see happen face to face happens on paper. Sarah Gadon’s Emma Jung is given a pregnancy, a fortune and about six lines, and the film knows it is short-changing her. The scenes in which Jung and Spielrein act out her fantasies are shot with the same dry composure as the dinners. That is honest and it flattens them; the film treats desire as one more topic on the agenda. Against Cronenberg’s own record this is a quiet, odd entry. [*Dead Ringers*](https://film.one/film/dead-ringers) (1988) and *Spider* (2002) put the damage on the actors’ bodies; here nobody bleeds and nearly everybody talks. Some critics have taken that as a loss of nerve. We think it is deliberate, and there is one moment that proves it: a bookcase in Freud’s study cracks, loudly, on its own, while Jung insists the sound is a message, and it unsettled us more than anything in his louder work, because nobody reacts as if it matters. See it for Mortensen, for the dinner, and for the way Knightley climbs out of a performance that starts badly. Bring patience for the correspondence. It runs 99 minutes and carries a 15, largely for a few scenes involving a belt that are handled, like everything else here, with the lights on. *Fi1m score 70, published 17 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics come down in favour, thirteen of the twenty, though the warmth is cooler than the count suggests. The praise clusters on the acting: Keira Knightley’s Sabina Spielrein is singled out again and again as bold and physically committed, with several reviews calling it her finest work, while Viggo Mortensen and Michael Fassbender are credited with making Freud and Jung feel like men rather than footnotes. Christopher Hampton’s script is admired for the quality of its talk, and a number of reviews rank the film among Cronenberg’s most mature and disciplined. The reservations cluster around that same talk. The dissenters find the film stiff, stagy and repressed, with the Financial Times likening it to a radio drama with pictures and The Wrap calling it a prestige bore. The spread is wide, from 90 at festival to 30 on release, and the coolest notices are largely British. Even they tend to exempt Knightley, though the Los Angeles Times thinks her miscast early on. ### Reviews we read (20) - **Sight and Sound**, Barbara Wurm (90/100, inferred): Cronenberg’s masterly period piece uncovers the historical and philosophical backbone of modernity through the triangle of Freud, Jung and Spielrein. It offers a charming feminist touch in portraying Spielrein as the most credible figure in both bed and psychoanalysis. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/newsandviews/festivals/blog/venice-2011-09-03-sexual-healing.php) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy (90/100, inferred): The critic praises the film as precise, lucid and thrillingly disciplined, highlighting outstanding performances by Knightley, Mortensen and Fassbender in exploring the relationship between Freud and Jung. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/a-dangerous-method-venice-film-230566/) - **Film Comment**, Amy Taubin (85/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a poignant, witty, intellectual adventure movie focused on the early years of psychoanalysis and the relationship between Freud and Jung. She singles out Keira Knightley's bold, risk-taking performance as Sabina Spielrein for particular praise. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/david-cronenbergs-a-dangerous-method/) - **Little White Lies**, DJ (80/100, inferred): A fascinating and fine film that dives into the minutiae of early psychoanalytic inquiry and ranks among Cronenberg’s most mature works. It earns extra marks for Knightley’s career-best performance while exploring sexual dynamics and intellectual transcendence. [Read](https://lwlies.com/top-ranking/david-cronenberg-ranked) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (80/100, inferred): The film succeeds through smart, satisfying talk and excellent performances by Mortensen and Fassbender, who bring compelling life to Freud and Jung. Knightley is miscast in key early scenes, but the script and direction make it a strong thematic match for Cronenberg. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-xpm-2011-nov-23-la-et-dangerous-method-20111123-story.html) - **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): An elegant and absorbing chamber piece driven by thoughtful, stylish performances from Knightley, Fassbender and Mortensen. It is a cool, mannered, perfectly structured film with sublime cinematography, costumes and production design, resolutely about the mind despite its sensual core. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/-a-dangerous-method/5031509.article) - **Slant Magazine**, Simon Abrams (70/100, inferred): The critic highlights Cronenberg's teasing sense of humor and use of loaded gestures and images to heighten the drama, calling it his finest since Spider for its witty exploration of Freud and Jung's philosophical differences. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/new-york-film-festival-2011-a-dangerous-method/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (70/100, inferred): Cronenberg steps back from body horror to deliver an objective, historical drama about the early days of psychoanalysis and the complex relationships between Freud, Jung, and Sabina Spielrein. The film is engrossing and admirably acted, with a piercingly intelligent screenplay that explores the intertwined personal, theoretical, and sexual tensions among the characters. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2012/feb/12/dangerous-method-david-cronenberg-review) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (Critic’s Pick): The film is a subtle and intellectually thrilling true story about the emergence of psychoanalysis and the struggle between unruly desires and efforts to contain them. It highlights the erotic power of ideas and the performances that restore human dimensions to Freud and Jung. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/23/movies/a-dangerous-method-by-david-cronenberg-review.html) - **The Times**, Kate Muir (70/100, inferred): The film is a clever period drama about the Freudian triangle, with plenty of fascination in the intellectual debates and relationships. Knightley's gutsy, intense performance as the hysterical yet brilliant Spielrein stands out as possibly her finest, though the spanking scenes may provoke laughter for some viewers. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/a-dangerous-method-cj69kddv8k8) - **Total Film**, Kevin Harley (70/100, inferred): Cronenberg delivers a well-upholstered chamber drama that teases a droll dissection of mind-body divides from the source play. The talkiness may seem atypical but the elegant surface ripples with characteristic conceits. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/a-dangerous-method-review/) - **Vulture** (70/100, inferred): The critic initially found the film wordy but on rewatch appreciates its classical restraint and Freudian humor, contrasting it favorably with more despairing films while noting strong performances and the central themes of sex and repression. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2011/12/movie-reviews-on-a-dangerous-method-the-michael-fassbender-double-feature.html) - **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (3/5): An unusual, bloodless but effective précis of Jung and Freud’s ideas and their evolution, with strong performances from Fassbender, Mortensen and especially Knightley. It struggles with theatrical roots, stuffy historical reconstruction and affected accents. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/a-dangerous-method) - **The New Yorker**, David Denby (55/100, inferred): Cronenberg’s most polished and bourgeois film depicts the split between Freud and Jung through calm discussion of desire and repression, with strong performances from Mortensen and Fassbender. It feels thematically apt but too tame and repressed compared to the director’s earlier visceral works. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/david-cronenberg-mild-canadian-his-weirdly-repressed-freud-movie) - **Empire**, William Thomas (50/100, inferred): The film is a precisely made but buttoned-up and somewhat dull account of the intellectual rivalry between Freud and Jung, with too little of the expected fireworks. Knightley's intense physical performance stands out as both disquieting and brave, though the overall result feels austere and repressed. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/dangerous-method-review/) - **Evening Standard** (40/100, inferred): Cronenberg's film is surprisingly plodding and inert, a talky and earnest biopic that fails to dramatise its profound ideas effectively. Knightley's star turn as the troubled Spielrein is the highlight, showing real acting range and making the film worth seeing despite its flaws. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/a-dangerous-method-review-7446804.html) - **Financial Times**, Nigel Andrews (30/100, inferred): Cronenberg directs the story of Freud and Jung's rivalry as if he has suppressed his former self, resulting in a stiff, genteel, and well-behaved film that feels like a radio drama with pictures. Little breathes or convinces amid the period trappings and biopic dialogue, though Knightley provides a brief bright spot. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/c8b4b2b4-5308-11e1-950d-00144feabdc0) - **Collider**, Matt Goldberg (B): The critic finds the film a wickedly smart exploration of Freudian concepts and the clash between Jung and Freud, but notes that its heavy use of psychobabble inadvertently cuts off emotional connection to the audience. [Read](https://collider.com/a-dangerous-method-movie-review/) - **Digital Spy**, Stella Papamichael (3/5): The critic finds the film an intriguing but restrained Cronenberg effort that is more talk than action and ultimately not deeply moving. She praises the strong performances, especially from Mortensen and Fassbender, and the tasteful handling of the material. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a363530/a-dangerous-method-review/) - **The Wrap** (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a stagy and interminably talky prestige bore that fails to generate drama despite its historical subject matter. Technical elements like cinematography and score are singled out as strong points even when the storytelling falls short. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/dangerous-method-promotes-talking-talking-talking-cure-33019/) ## Details - **Director:** David Cronenberg - **Director:** David Cronenberg - **Screenplay:** Christopher Hampton - **Novel:** John Kerr - **Cinematography:** Peter Suschitzky - **Editor:** Ronald Sanders - **Music:** Howard Shore - **Production design:** James McAteer - **Costume design:** Denise Cronenberg - **Producer:** Jeremy Thomas - **Cast:** Keira Knightley as Sabina Spielrein; Viggo Mortensen as Sigmund Freud; Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung; Sarah Gadon as Emma Jung; Vincent Cassel as Otto Gross; André Hennicke as Professor Eugen Bleuler; Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey as Sándor Ferenczi; Mignon Remé as Jung's Secretary - **Runtime:** 1h 39m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 23 November 2011 - **Genres:** Drama - **Budget:** $15 million - **Box office:** $27 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhunuJRo8jA ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $12.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AU, BE, DK, FI, FR, GB, JP, NL, NO, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *Spider* (2002), Fi1m 78: Cronenberg’s other film about a mind coming apart, with Ralph Fiennes and almost no dialogue. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/spider-man.md) - *Freud* (1962): John Huston’s dark, strange biopic of the young Freud, with Montgomery Clift at his most haunted. - *Dangerous Liaisons* (1988), Fi1m 84: Christopher Hampton’s other screenplay about desire conducted by letter, and far crueller. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/dangerous-liaisons.md) - *Augustine* (2012): Charcot and a hysteric in 1880s Paris; the same doctor-patient trap, from her side. - *Persona* (1966): Bergman’s two women, a nurse and a patient, and the talk that swallows them both. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/a-dangerous-method