--- title: "Green Book" year: 2018 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/green-book" fi1m_id: "green-book" imdb_id: "tt6966692" tmdb_id: 490132 wikidata_id: "Q48673898" fi1m_score: 64 critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 14 published: "2026-09-15" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:33.499807+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." --- # Green Book (2018) Directed by Peter Farrelly · 2h 10m · MPA PG-13 · Drama, Comedy, History ## Identity Green Book - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/green-book - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** green-book - **IMDb ID:** tt6966692 - **TMDB ID:** 490132 - **Wikidata ID:** Q48673898 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6966692/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/490132, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q48673898 **Fi1m score: 64** · Critics 68 from 14 reviews *In a sentence:* Mahershala Ali deserves a quieter travelling companion and a less helpful script > Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali make *Green Book* an engaging road comedy. Peter Farrelly’s reassuring treatment of racism is harder to accept, but the performances give interested viewers a reason to persist with its familiar lessons. ## Synopsis In 1962, Tony Lip (Viggo Mortensen), a white driver, travels through the segregated American South with Dr. Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali). The two men differ in class, culture and temperament, and sharing a journey means confronting each other’s assumptions as well as the discrimination around them. Tony’s blunt manner clashes with Shirley’s reserve as they negotiate an uneasy companionship. Their disagreements turn the road trip into a series of arguments about behaviour, identity and how to get along. Linda Cardellini also appears as Dolores. ## Review Peter Farrelly’s *Green Book* is an amiable road comedy with two performances worth watching and a treatment of racism that needs more scrutiny. It wants a friendship to develop through irritation, jokes and repeated exposure to someone else’s habits. Farrelly handles that gradual familiarity well, and the company is often pleasant. The problem is how readily the film invites us to feel satisfied with the changes in its white driver. Mortensen’s Tony Lip takes up a great deal of space, and the broadness is mostly a sound comic choice. He makes the driver’s bluntness entertaining without pretending it is always attractive, though sometimes the performance seems too pleased with itself. Ali’s Dr. Don Shirley is more contained, allowing irritation to show without surrendering his composure. We laughed at their banter, particularly the contrast between Mortensen’s noisy self-assurance and Ali’s patient irritation. The writing is less generous to Shirley. Nick Vallelonga, Brian Hayes Currie and Farrelly organise so much around Tony’s changing outlook that Shirley’s concerns can seem important chiefly for what they teach his companion. Ali makes that limiting arrangement bearable, giving Shirley’s dignity a sense of effort: maintaining his composure costs him something. We wanted the film to stay with him for longer, without checking what the driver had learnt. Sean Porter’s cinematography keeps the performances easy to read, which matters in a comedy whose pleasures depend on one man registering what the other has just said. The visual restraint is useful; nothing needs to compete with these two. Tim Galvin’s production design gives the historical setting a reassuring neatness, however, and the surroundings feel too comfortable for a journey shaped by segregation. The period decoration is persuasive, but it contributes to the sense that the film has made this journey easier to watch than it ought to be. Patrick J. Don Vito’s editing is alert to the actors’ comic timing, and the exchanges seldom feel laboured in themselves. Across 130 minutes, though, the repeated lessons become tiring: we can see the point of an encounter before the film has finished making it. Kris Bowers’s score contributes warmth but can be too keen to tell us that a moment matters. Farrelly could have trusted the actors to make a small improvement in understanding feel sufficient, without so much encouragement from the music. The odd-couple road comedy has room for broad characters and predictable quarrels; surprise is not a condition of enjoying it. Farrelly understands that repetition can become funny once we know how each man will react. But the writing repeatedly puts differences of class and culture alongside racial prejudice, then lets the warmth between the men soften the distinction. A dispute about manners is easier to settle than discrimination, and the film is too comfortable moving between the two. The film’s kindness is worth acknowledging, even when its judgement is doubtful. Farrelly wants us to enjoy these men together, and he gets enough from the actors to make that happen. Try it for their company, with a fair tolerance for being told what to think. *Fi1m score 64, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews lean towards qualified approval, with praise clustering around Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali rather than the story they are given. Most critics find their rapport, comic timing and contrasting performances engaging enough to carry a familiar account of unlikely friendship. The warmer notices see the banter and gradual changes between the two men as persuasive, while even several sceptical reviews credit the actors with making predictable material watchable. The divide is over how the film handles racism, and the responses range from enthusiastic approval to outright rejection. Reservations centre on sentimentality, racial clichés and the emphasis on the white driver’s perspective, with several critics finding that the reassuring tone simplifies the history. Slant Magazine argues that the comedy preserves the social context of discrimination; The Guardian finds the approach naive and ill-judged, while making an exception for Ali’s dignity and complexity. ## Straight answers **Is Green Book worth watching?** *Green Book* is worth watching for the company of Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali, and we scored it 64. It is an amiable road comedy whose treatment of racism is too reassuring, with lessons that repeat across 130 minutes. Try it if you enjoy odd-couple comedies and can tolerate being told what to think. **How long is Green Book, and what is it rated?** *Green Book* runs 2h 10m and is rated PG-13 by the MPA in the US. It is a drama and comedy film. **Where can I watch Green Book in the US?** *Green Book* is streaming on Netflix in the US, and it is also available to rent from Apple TV from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Green Book, and is it suitable for children?** *Green Book* carries a UK 12A certificate and is a comedy rather than a violent or frightening film. Its difficult material is the racial discrimination the two men meet in the segregated South, which the film handles gently rather than harshly. It suits teenagers and older children; younger ones may find the arguments about behaviour and prejudice slow going. **How does Green Book compare to The Defiant Ones?** *Green Book* is the warmer and more comfortable of the two, while [*The Defiant Ones*](https://film.one/film/the-defiant-ones) is the fiercer and the more honest about racism. Kramer's chase film spells out its message too, but its running is hard and its pair are chained together rather than sharing a car. Choose the earlier film for bite, and *Green Book* for an easier evening with two good performances. **What should I watch after Green Book?** After *Green Book*, try [*The Defiant Ones*](https://film.one/film/the-defiant-ones) (1958, Fi1m 74): Another mismatched pair confronts racism, with considerably less reassurance along the way. Then [*The Intouchables*](https://film.one/film/the-intouchables) (2011, Fi1m 72): Class friction and an unlikely friendship, carried by another carefully matched central pair. ### Reviews we read (24) - **Time Out**, Joshua Rothkopf (4/5): The critic praises the masterful lead performances and the film's rousing take on social change through banter and quiet transformations, while noting its sentimental and calculated elements. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/green-book) - **Vulture** (70/100, inferred): The critic notes that the film spoon-feeds its story of an unlikely friendship but goes down easy in a divisive political climate, appreciating the banter between the leads more than the plotting. It contrasts favorably with more confrontational recent films about racism for mainstream audiences. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2018/11/green-book-spoon-feeds-you-but-it-goes-down-easy.html) - **The AV Club**, A.A. Dowd (C+): The critic calls the film a damnably nice middlebrow race dramedy that flatters audiences by treating racism as a past-tense problem through its mismatched-buddy road trip. It features strong turns from Mortensen and Ali but lacks deeper nuance in its portrayal of cultural clashes. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/with-green-book-a-farrelly-brother-is-here-to-make-you-1830488675) - **Film Comment**, Jonathan Romney (60/100, inferred): The film is a well-meaning but old-fashioned and sugar-coated comedy-drama about race relations that feels like a benign dinosaur compared to sharper contemporaries. It benefits from strong performances by Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali but ultimately simplifies its themes around class and culture more than race. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/film-week-green-book/) - **Little White Lies**, Adam Woodward (3/3/3): The review calls it a crowd-pleasing buddy comedy with good intentions that subverts some stereotypes while reinforcing others, highlighting the superb performances of Ali and Mortensen. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/green-book) - **Radio Times** (★★★): Mortensen and Ali form an irresistible duo in this well-meaning but slightly misjudged biopic that lacks grit and anger in its portrayal of race relations, though it offers awards-friendly polish. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/green-book-review-mortensen-and-ali-are-an-irresistible-duo-in-a-biopic-boasting-awards-friendly-polish/) - **Screen Daily** (60/100, inferred): The film is predictable and conventional but benefits from the easy rapport between Mortensen and Ali and Farrelly's humanism; it is the sort of crowd-pleaser that hits expected beats about change and friendship. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/green-book-toronto-review/5132594.article) - **Empire**, John Nugent: It is a supremely likeable, crowd-pleasing film with a warm heart and two astoundingly good lead performances. The chemistry between Mortensen and Ali is highlighted as what makes it compelling despite familiar tropes. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/green-book-review/) - **Evening Standard**, Matthew Norman: It is a flawed but oddly joyful movie elevated far above its limitations by two sublime performances. The acting of Mortensen and Ali is praised for steering it expertly between sweet and saccharine despite unoriginality and naive optimism. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/green-book-review-a-flawed-film-elevated-by-two-sublime-actors-a4055031.html) - **Los Angeles Times**: The review highlights the strong chemistry between Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in this crowd-pleasing tale of an unlikely friendship, comparing it to The Odd Couple meets a modern Driving Miss Daisy. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-green-book-review-20181115-story.html) - **Sight and Sound**, Nick Pinkerton: The critic finds the film one-sided and awards-baiting but praises its handling of working-class white ethnic comedy and the lead performances, particularly Mortensen's physical transformation and the duo's chemistry. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/green-book-review-little-hoax-that-could) - **Slant Magazine**: The critic praises Farrelly for respecting the social context of discrimination while keeping the focus on the protagonists' relationship, turning thorny subject matter into a feel-good comedy without sanitizing it. The film draws on odd-couple dynamics similar to Planes, Trains and Automobiles. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/green-book/) - **The Guardian**: The film is at best naive and at worst jaw-droppingly ill-judged in its approach to race, with tone-deaf scenes that undermine its ambitions. Mahershala Ali’s superb performance as Don Shirley redeems it to some extent through its complexity and dignity. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/feb/03/green-book-review-peter-farrelly-viggo-mortensen-mahershala-ali) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Todd McCarthy: The critic describes the film as a lively and likable diversion featuring distinctive performances by Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in an odd-couple story set in the Jim Crow South. It offers a middle-of-the-road liberal approach to racial issues that could have been told anytime since the 1960s. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/green-book-review-1142433/) - **The New Yorker**, Richard Brody: The critic calls the film a bland, regressive Oscar-bait flip on Driving Miss Daisy that effaces cultural differences in favor of color-blind platitudes while offering a calculatedly heartwarming view of racism. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-front-row/green-book-reviewed-peter-farrellys-bland-regressive-flip-on-driving-miss-daisy) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott: The critic finds the film laden with predictable racial clichés and a white-savior narrative but praises the lead performances by Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali for making the story watchable. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/15/movies/green-book-review.html) - **Total Film**: The critic finds it a deftly disarming film about friendship and unity in divisive times. The note-perfect lead pairing of Mortensen and Ali is singled out for praise as it steers the film through any sentimentality. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/green-book-review/) - **HeyUGuys**, Amanda Keats (5/5): The review calls it moving, poignant, funny, and delightful, praising its story of belonging and the performances of Ali and Mortensen in a trip that is upsetting yet smile-inducing. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/green-book-review/) - **Collider**, Jeff Sneider (A): The critic describes the film as a moving and charming crowdpleaser about race relations that works as a family-friendly Thanksgiving release. Farrelly's direction and the two lead performances are singled out as major strengths. [Read](https://collider.com/green-book-review/) - **Film Stories**, Dan Cooper (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's deft handling of its odd-couple road movie material, creating an innately human story that avoids sentimentality, highlighting strong performances by Mortensen and Ali and effective scenes like the fried chicken one. They note it earns its conclusion through talent, script, and direction, making it one of the year's most sublime films. [Read](https://filmstories.co.uk/reviews/green-book-review/) - **The Wrap**, Steve Pond (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a charming, crowd-pleasing mainstream story of an unlikely friendship on a 1962 road trip through the segregated South. Mortensen's flamboyant, oversized performance as the gruff driver is singled out for particular praise alongside Ali's grounded work. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/green-book-film-review-viggo-mortensen-mahershala-ali-deep-south/) - **Consequence** (C+): The review calls the film an earnest but clichéd and misguided year-end dramedy about race that relies on stereotypes. It gets by on the strength of its leads and occasional humor but remains uneven overall. [Read](https://consequence.net/2018/11/film-review-green-book/) - **Den of Geek**, Rosie Fletcher (3/5): Green Book is a predictable, schmaltzy but warm and enjoyable bromance about an unlikely friendship that lifts itself through the two lead performances. It focuses too much on the white driver's arc, sidesteps deeper issues and controversies, and offers feel-good clichés without much substance to chew on. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/green-book-review-2/) - **The Ringer**, Jourdain Searles (30/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a simplistic and overly sentimental take on race relations that functions like a Hallmark movie with an inflated budget. It fails to create genuine common ground between characters or deliver meaningful commentary. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2018/11/27/movies/green-book-race-viggo-mortensen-mahershala-ali-peter-farrelly) ## Details - **Director:** Peter Farrelly - **Director:** Peter Farrelly - **Writer:** Nick Vallelonga, Brian Currie, Peter Farrelly - **Cinematography:** Sean Porter - **Editor:** Patrick J. Don Vito - **Music:** Kris Bowers - **Production design:** Tim Galvin - **Costume design:** Betsy Heimann - **Producer:** Jim Burke, Charles B. Wessler, Brian Currie - **Cast:** Viggo Mortensen as Tony Lip; Mahershala Ali as Dr. Don Shirley; Linda Cardellini as Dolores; Sebastian Maniscalco as Johnny Venere; Dimiter Marinov as Oleg; Mike Hatton as George; P.J. Byrne as Record Exec; Joseph Cortese as Gio Loscudo - **Runtime:** 2h 10m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 21 November 2018 - **Genres:** Drama, Comedy, History - **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 2018); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Nominee, 2018); [Golden Globe Best Musical or Comedy winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-comedy.md) (Winner, 2018) - **Budget:** $23 million - **Box office:** $322 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkZxoko_HC0 ## Where to watch in the US - Netflix: streaming - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-15.* Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, FI, FR, GB, HK, HR, HU, IE, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SI, TH, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2019: Best Picture (won); Best Supporting Actor (won); Best Writing, Original Screenplay (won) ## If you liked this - *The Defiant Ones* (1958), Fi1m 74: Another mismatched pair confronts racism, with considerably less reassurance along the way. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-defiant-ones.md) - *Alice in the Cities* (1974): A quieter road film that lets companionship develop without constant explanation. - *Planes, Trains and Automobiles* (1987): A travelling partnership built on irritation, with affection earned through comic detail. - *The Band's Visit* (2007): Strangers negotiate cultural differences through awkward conversation and small acts of kindness. - *The Intouchables* (2011), Fi1m 72: Class friction and an unlikely friendship, carried by another carefully matched central pair. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-intouchables.md) --- © 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/green-book