---
title: "The Wife"
year: 2017
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-wife"
fi1m_id: "the-wife"
imdb_id: "tt3750872"
tmdb_id: 340613
wikidata_id: "Q28318271"
fi1m_score: 74
critics_score: 72
critics_reviews: 21
published: "2026-10-03T00:42:28.718793+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-03T00:42:29.335064+00:00"
region: "HK"
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."
---

# The Wife (2017)

Directed by Björn Runge · 1h 40m · Drama

## Identity

The Wife

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-wife
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** the-wife
- **IMDb ID:** tt3750872
- **TMDB ID:** 340613
- **Wikidata ID:** Q28318271
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3750872/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/340613, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28318271

**Fi1m score: 74** · Critics 72 from 21 reviews

*In a sentence:* Glenn Close makes listening to a husband look like a job with no annual leave

> *The Wife* is a good marriage drama with a familiar script and two actors worth watching closely. Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce make the relationship convincing even when the film insists on explaining too much.

## Synopsis

Joan Castleman (Glenn Close) faces renewed attention to her marriage as the success of her husband, Joe Castleman (Jonathan Pryce), brings their shared past into question. She tries to sustain the loyalty on which their partnership depends, while his need for recognition makes her position harder to maintain. Nathaniel Bone (Christian Slater), a biographer pursuing the couple’s story, gives that private strain an unwelcome audience. Between the public celebration of Joe and Nathaniel’s questions, Joan must decide how much of their life she is prepared to discuss, and on whose terms.

## Review

Björn Runge’s *The Wife* is a good marriage drama, made absorbing by two actors who suggest years of difficult accommodation. Joan Castleman has to contend with the success and neediness of her husband, Joe Castleman, and the strain is becoming harder to contain. Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce make that relationship convincing without making it comfortable. The writing is familiar, but the attention paid to the wife beside the celebrated man gives us a reason to stay.

Close gives Joan a watchfulness that makes us keep checking her face, even when someone else is speaking. A small change of expression can suggest irritation, then leave us unsure how much anger sits beneath it. We felt uneasy watching her listen to Pryce, because that careful attention begins to look like work she cannot put down. Close also allows room for loyalty, which prevents Joan becoming merely an example of a woman badly treated. She makes the character’s choices worth considering even when we wish she would choose differently.

Pryce helps by making Joe needy as well as accustomed to attention. His dependence on Joan is convincing enough to complicate our impatience with him. Their shared scenes allow affection to persist alongside resentment, so there is something at stake beyond deciding who is right. Christian Slater’s Nathaniel Bone, pursuing the couple’s story, introduces a different pressure: somebody wants their private history put into words. Slater gives the intrusion a welcome sharpness.

Ulf Brantås’s cinematography gives Close’s small reactions enough attention to make them count. Mark Leese’s production design remains discreet, keeping the people more interesting than their surroundings, which suits this intimate drama. Jocelyn Pook’s music is less persuasive than the pauses between the actors, where we have time to wonder what Joan might say next. Runge’s patient approach works best when he leaves us to study her rather than pushing for a stronger response.

The trouble is Jane Anderson’s screenplay, adapted from a novel by Meg Wolitzer, which is too ready to explain what Close has already suggested. The flashbacks make the marriage easier to read, but they also interrupt the more absorbing business of watching the older couple together. Lena Dahlberg-Runge’s editing cannot quite make those returns to the past feel necessary at each point they appear. Our curiosity slackens because the film begins supplying answers too neatly. The actors have made us interested enough to tolerate uncertainty.

As a marriage drama, it understands how much can remain unsettled between people who know each other well. Loyalty need not settle a grievance, and affection does not make an unequal partnership fair. Close and Pryce keep those difficulties present without asking us to decide which spouse deserves our sympathy in every scene. That gives the film a useful awkwardness, even when the script is too keen to settle things for us.

At 100 minutes, this is a manageable commitment, though it rewards close attention more than the urge to anticipate what comes next. There is enough in the performances to keep a conversation going afterwards, particularly about the compromises Joan appears willing to make. Choose it for an evening when a difficult marriage is more appealing than an elaborate plot.

*Fi1m score 74, published 3 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics find The Wife absorbing, with praise concentrated on Glenn Close’s restrained performance as Joan. The reviews repeatedly single out her small changes of expression and quiet reactions, which convey resentment, loyalty and strength without spelling everything out. Jonathan Pryce also earns praise, particularly for the convincing sense of accumulated affection and friction between the couple; for many critics, their scenes together give a familiar marriage drama its emotional force.

The disagreement concerns how well the writing and direction support that acting. Reservations cluster around predictable revelations, obvious or sluggish flashbacks and a conclusion that some find overstretched or unconvincing. Most reviews remain positive despite those weaknesses, but Slant Magazine offers a sharper dissent, arguing that conventional morality and unnecessary subplots weaken the central drama. Even that review praises Close, making her performance the clearest point of agreement across an otherwise fairly broad spread of responses.

## Straight answers

**Is The Wife worth watching?**

*The Wife* is worth watching for Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce’s convincing portrayal of a difficult marriage, and we score it 74 out of 100. We recommend it for an evening of closely observed acting, with the caveat that the familiar screenplay and explanatory flashbacks sometimes interrupt the more absorbing exchanges between the couple.

**How long is The Wife, and what is it rated?**

*The Wife* runs 1h 40m. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch The Wife in Hong Kong?**

*The Wife* is not on any streaming or rental service in Hong Kong at the moment. It is available in 36 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is The Wife, and is it suitable for children?**

*The Wife* carries a UK 15 certificate, making it unsuitable for children under 15 rather than a family viewing choice. We find its marital strain uneasy to watch, particularly Joan’s careful attention to her needy husband, but that emotional discomfort does not establish how much violence or frightening material it contains; the certificate remains the useful age guide.

**How does The Wife compare to 45 Years?**

*The Wife* is a good companion to [*45 Years*](https://film.one/film/45-years), though we give the latter the edge for its painfully convincing marriage and greater trust in small reactions. Both reward attention to pauses and glances, and both explain more than they need to; choose *The Wife* particularly for Close and Pryce’s mixture of affection, resentment and dependence.

**Is The Wife based on a true story or a book?**

*The Wife* is adapted by Jane Anderson from a novel by Meg Wolitzer, rather than presented as a true-story drama. No familiarity with the book is needed: we find the screenplay explains the couple’s shared past rather too readily through flashbacks, although that tells us nothing about how faithfully it follows the novel.

**What should I watch after The Wife?**

After *The Wife*, try [*45 Years*](https://film.one/film/45-years) (2015, Fi1m 88): Another marriage made troubling through pauses, glances and things left unsaid. Then [*The Heiress*](https://film.one/film/the-heiress) (1949, Fi1m 90): For another closely observed woman discovering the limits of other people’s affection; and [*A Separation*](https://film.one/film/a-separation) (2011, Fi1m 93): A marriage under pressure, with sympathy that refuses to stay comfortably put.

### Reviews we read (21)

- **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (85/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the film smart, entertaining and supremely watchable. He especially praises Glenn Close’s subtle, controlled performance as Joan. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2017/sep/12/the-wife-review-glenn-close-brilliant-toronto-film-festival-tiff-2017)
- **Vulture**, Emily Yoshida (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the marriage drama wrenching and says its climactic revelations feel earned. She singles out Glenn Close’s exquisitely realized performance and the lived-in chemistry between Close and Jonathan Pryce. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2018/08/movie-review-the-wife-glenn-close.html)
- **Evening Standard**, Matthew Norman (4/5): Norman praises the film as a showcase for Glenn Close, while finding its climax overlong and too predictable. He singles out Close’s precise, expressive performance as the film’s overwhelming strength. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-wife-review-glenn-close-should-be-seventh-time-lucky-at-the-oscars-for-this-star-turn-a3948036.html)
- **Little White Lies**, Manuela Lazic (3/4/4): Lazic praises the film as an intelligent drama that respects its disempowered heroine. She singles out Glenn Close’s enigmatic performance and the layered portrayal of Joan’s strength and choices. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/the-wife)
- **Time Out**, Anna Smith (4/5): Smith finds the film absorbing, praising Glenn Close’s performance as the titular wife. She highlights the marriage’s pressures of fame, neediness and revenge. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-wife)
- **Empire**, David Hughes (75/100, inferred): The review is positive, finding the film gripping when its lead actors share the screen. It singles out Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce’s performances for praise, while noting that the flashbacks lose energy. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wife-review/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Kenneth Turan (75/100, inferred): Turan finds the intimate marriage drama compelling despite an uncertain premise and some unconvincing plot reveals. He especially praises Glenn Close’s masterful, restrained performance and the strong acting that sustains the film. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-the-wife-review-20180815-story.html)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Sheila O'Malley (3/4): O'Malley finds the film compelling, with Glenn Close's performance as its standout. Her work gives the story of a wife confronting her husband's success and their shared past its emotional force. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-wife-2018)
- **The New Yorker**, Michael Schulman (75/100, inferred): Schulman finds the film an effective feminist parable, though its flashbacks are too obvious and its conclusion strains credibility. He particularly praises Glenn Close’s expressive restraint and ability to convey Joan’s ambiguity and will. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/glenn-close-grabs-the-limelight-in-the-wife)
- **IndieWire**, Ben Croll (B-): Croll finds the drama predictable and sedate, but considers Glenn Close exquisite. He singles out her tour-de-force performance of quiet reactions and subtle facial expressions for praise. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/the-wife-review-glenn-close-tiff-1201877245/)
- **Sight and Sound**, Kate Stables (70/100, inferred): Stables finds the film prosaic but absorbing, with a richly acted portrayal of a marriage strained by resentment and unequal recognition. She especially praises Glenn Close’s complex, restrained performance as Joan. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-wife-glenn-close-glowers-shadow-her-prize-lesser-half)
- **The AV Club**, Katie Rife (B-): The review finds the film’s familiar setup and heavy-handed symbolism are elevated by Glenn Close’s performance. It singles out her tightly controlled portrayal of Joan as extraordinary and the film’s greatest strength. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/the-wife-is-sick-and-tired-of-coddling-male-genius-1828344443)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Jon Frosch (70/100, inferred): Frosch finds the film ordinary but compelling because Glenn Close’s performance elevates it. He particularly praises her restrained, emotionally layered portrayal, while criticizing the direction as unimaginative. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/wife-review-1039862/)
- **The New York Times**, Jeannette Catsoulis (70/100, inferred): The review is positive about the film, with Glenn Close’s performance singled out for praise. The accessible page text is unavailable, so further specifics of the critic’s verdict cannot be confirmed. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/16/movies/the-wife-review.html)
- **Variety**, Andrew Barker (65/100, inferred): Barker finds the film solid but overly familiar, and says it never matches Glenn Close’s performance. He singles out Close’s layered portrayal of Joan and her charged scene with Christian Slater for praise. [Read](https://variety.com/2017/film/reviews/toronto-film-review-the-wife-1202560848/)
- **Screen Daily**, Wendy Ide (64/100, inferred): The review’s verdict is unavailable in the accessible page. No specific praise or complaint is visible. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/the-wife-toronto-review/5122311.article)
- **Radio Times**, Trevor Johnston (3/5): The critic describes it as a slow-burning drama that picks up at the Nobel Prize ceremony. The available review text highlights the tension around Joan’s loyalty and the biographer’s pursuit of the story. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-ja2f3h/the-wife/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Diego Semerene (1.5/4): Semerene finds the film weak, saying its conventional morality tale and unnecessary subplots dilute its central drama. He praises Glenn Close’s expressive performance, which conveys Joan’s anger and grief more subtly than the screenplay does. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-wife/)
- **The Skinny**, Kirsty Leckie-Palmer (★★★★): The critic calls the film a superb, thought-provoking character study. They single out Glenn Close’s brilliant performance as its anchor. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/dvd-reviews/the-wife)
- **The Wrap** (78/100, inferred): The critic finds the film compelling, with an intimate portrait of a marriage and professional partnership. Close and Pryce are singled out for making the couple’s accumulated affection and resentment feel lived-in. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/wife-film-review-glenn-close-steps-famous-husbands-shadow/)
- **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (70/100, inferred): Wilkinson finds the film familiar in places but ultimately rewarding, with its emotional journey mattering more than its destination. She especially praises Glenn Close’s nuanced performance and Runge’s patient camera work. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/the-wife-2017-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson)

## Details

- **Director:** Björn Runge
- **Director:** Björn Runge
- **Screenplay:** Jane Anderson
- **Novel:** Meg Wolitzer
- **Cinematography:** Ulf Brantås
- **Editor:** Lena Dahlberg-Runge
- **Music:** Jocelyn Pook
- **Production design:** Mark Leese
- **Costume design:** Trisha Biggar
- **Producer:** Claudia Bluemhuber, Jo Bamford, Piers Tempest
- **Cast:** Glenn Close as Joan Castleman; Jonathan Pryce as Joe Castleman; Christian Slater as Nathaniel Bone; Max Irons as David Castleman; Harry Lloyd as Young Joe; Annie Starke as Young Joan; Elizabeth McGovern as Elaine Mozell; Johan Widerberg as Walter Bark
- **Runtime:** 1h 40m
- **Release (Hong Kong):** 14 February 2019
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Budget:** $7 million
- **Box office:** $20 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d81IM0loH7o

## Where to watch in Hong Kong

Not streaming, renting or buying in Hong Kong at the last check.

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HU, IE, IN, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PL, SE, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *45 Years* (2015), Fi1m 88: Another marriage made troubling through pauses, glances and things left unsaid. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/45-years.md)
- *The Heiress* (1949), Fi1m 90: For another closely observed woman discovering the limits of other people’s affection. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-heiress.md)
- *A Separation* (2011), Fi1m 93: A marriage under pressure, with sympathy that refuses to stay comfortably put. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-separation.md)
- *The Assistant* (2019), Fi1m 81: Quietly furious about the work women do to protect powerful men. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-assistant.md)
- *An Autumn Afternoon* (1962), Fi1m 86: A patient domestic drama about duty, habit and the cost of accommodation. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/an-autumn-afternoon.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/the-wife