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Trailer+1 trailer

House of Sand and Fog

2003Movie2 h 6 minR

Drama
74
GoodGoodWatch score
IMDb7.5Metacritic717.5Rotten Tomatoes74%83%

A deeply moving, relentlessly bleak drama movie about everyday modern life and the mind, with standout performances and characters.

Good for friends night · thought-provoking · adults

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood · you want fast pacing · you want to half-watch while scrolling

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Not for laughs, warmth or comfort.

Movies with

Story

Some dreams can't be shared.

Behrani, an Iranian immigrant buys a California bungalow, thinking he can fix it up, sell it again, and make enough money to send his son to college. However, the house is the legal property of former drug addict Kathy. After losing the house in an unfair legal dispute with the county, she is left with nowhere to go. Wanting her house back, she hires a lawyer and befriends a police officer. Neither Kathy nor Behrani have broken the law, so they find themselves involved in a difficult moral dilemma.

Feels like

  • Tragic Real Estate Dispute
  • Immigration & Cultural Clash
  • Psychological Drama
  • Moral Dilemma
  • Slow-Burn Tension
  • Desperate Measures
  • Class Conflict
  • Emotional Performances
  • Bleak & Unsettling

Cast

24 of 37

Crew

Directed by
Vadim Perelman
Written by
Vadim Perelman, Shawn Lawrence Otto, Andre Dubus III
Produced by
Vadim Perelman, Michael London
Music by
James Horner

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

December 19, 2003 · 2 h 6 min · R

Released
December 19, 2003
Runtime
2 h 6 min
Age rating
R
Content
Strong Language, Suicide Themes
Genres
Drama
Original language
English
Also spoken
Italian, Persian
Made in
United States, United Kingdom
Budget
$17 million
Box office
$17 million
Available in
22 countries

Tropes

Adaptation Distillation, Agony of the Feet, Artistic License – Law +9

  • Adaptation Distillation
  • Agony of the Feet
  • Artistic License – Law
  • Both Sides Have a Point
  • Dressing to Die
  • Downer Ending
  • Dead Sparks
  • Suicide Pact
  • Lighter and Softer
  • "Could Have Avoided This!" Plot
  • Diabolus ex Machina
  • Shoot the Shaggy Dog

12 of 19 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

4 questions, like "Where can I stream House of Sand and Fog?"

Questions about House of Sand and Fog

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream House of Sand and Fog?

Hoopla

In the United States, House of Sand and Fog is free with ads on Hoopla. You can rent or buy it from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It also streams in 13 other countries.

Is House of Sand and Fog worth watching?

74
GoodGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 74 (IMDb 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes 74%, and Metacritic 71).

Will I feel good after watching House of Sand and Fog?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for bleakness and 8 for melancholy, against 2 for hopefulness.

Is House of Sand and Fog plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on character depth (9 of 10) and pathos (9 of 10) more than on its plot.