The Elephant Man
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily-disfigured and mistreated young man working as a sideshow freak, who gradually reveals his capacity for kindness, intelligence and sophistication.
Directed by David Lynch · Biography · Drama · 124 min · 1980
Trailer
Director
David Lynch
Studio
Brooksfilms
Release
10 Oct 1980
Runtime
124 min
Genres
Biography, Drama
Full Plot
In Victorian London, Dr. Frederick Treves with the London Hospital comes across a circus sideshow attraction run by a man named Bytes called "The Elephant Man". In actuality, the creature on display is indeed a man, twenty-one-year-old Joseph "John" Merrick, who has several physical deformities, including an oversized and disfigured skull, and an oversized and disfigured right shoulder. Brutish Bytes, his "owner", only wants whatever he can get economically by presenting Merrick as a freak. Treves manages to bring Merrick under his care at the hospital, not without several of its own obstacles, including being questioned by those in authority since Merrick cannot be cured. Treves initially believes Bytes' assertion that mute Merrick is an imbecile, but ultimately learns that Merrick can speak and is a well-read and articulate man. As news of Merrick hits the London newspapers, he becomes a celebrated curiosity amongst London's upper class, including with Mrs. Kendal, a famed actress. Despite treated much more humanely, the question becomes whether Treves' actions are a further exploitation of Merrick. And as Merrick becomes more famous, others try to get their two-cents worth from who still remains a curiosity and a freak to most, including to Bytes, who has since lost his meal ticket.
Cast & Characters
Frederick Treves, a surgeon who takes John from the freakshow to be his patient in the hospital.
Anthony Hopkins
John Merrick, an intelligent, friendly, kind-hearted man who is shunned by society due to his severe deformity.
John Hurt
Madge Kendal, a Victorian-era actress.
Anne Bancroft
Ann Treves, Frederick's wife and one of the few people who only knew Merrick as innocent, and treated him with kindness instead of being frightened over his deformity.
Hannah Gordon
Francis Carr Gomm, an administrator of London Hospital.
John Gielgud
Mrs. Mothershead, a matron for the nurses alongside Merrick.
Wendy Hiller
Mr. Bytes, a ruthless, alcoholic showman who exploits his acts and savagely abuses Merrick for his freak show. Bytes was based on Tom Norman.
Freddie Jones
Alderman.
Frederick Treves (grandnephew of Dr Frederick Treves)
Jim Renshaw, an unscrupulous, disgraced night porter of the hospital.
Michael Elphick
Bytes' boy
Dexter Fletcher
Alexandra, Princess of Wales
Helen Ryan
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $5.0M, The Elephant Man has grossed $26.0M worldwide — about 5.2x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Anthony Hopkins appears in 3 films in our catalog, including The Father, The Silence of the Lambs.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
The Elephant Man was a box office hit, grossing $26 million in the United States.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
The Elephant Man holds 8.2/10 on IMDb (279,177 votes), 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 78/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.2/10 on IMDb (279,177 votes), 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 78/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Elephant Man's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
The Elephant Man holds a 91% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is The Elephant Man's IMDb rating?+
The Elephant Man has a 8.2/10 rating on IMDb from 279,177 votes.
What is The Elephant Man's Metacritic score?+
The Elephant Man has a Metascore of 78/100 on Metacritic.
Is The Elephant Man good? What are critics saying?+
The Elephant Man holds 8.2/10 on IMDb (279,177 votes), 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 78/100 on Metacritic.
How long is The Elephant Man?+
The Elephant Man has a runtime of 124 min.
Who directed The Elephant Man?+
The Elephant Man was directed by David Lynch.
Where can I watch The Elephant Man?+
The Elephant Man is available to stream, rent, or buy on Criterion Channel, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, MUBI, MUBI Amazon Channel, Studiocanal Presents Amazon Channel, JustWatch TV, Rakuten TV, Sky Store, BFI Player.
Fan & Critic Buzz
Reviewers praised the movie's quality improvement at the London Film Festival and the performances of Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft. The trailer comments express a range of emotions, from sadness and reflection to joy and admiration for the film.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
_**The ultimate outcast**_ In 1884 London, a doctor (Anthony Hopkins) meets Joseph Merrick, aka The Elephant Man (wrongly called John Merrick in the film) who was being exploited as a freak show attraction. Treves (Hopkins) tries to help Merrick (John Hurt) for the last six years…
Wuchak · 7/10Saw this, recently up-converted to 4K at the London Film Festival and, apart from the clear improvements to the quality and detail of the image, I was reminded of just how good it is. Anthony Hopkins and Anne Bancroft play their roles with engaging sincerity - very ably supported…
CinemaSerf · 8/10
From the trailer's comments
It's hard to believe this was David Lynch's second film as a director. RIP David Lynch.
@drewsale7288 · 183 likesI remember seeing this film, a woman sitting next to me in the theatre,cried her heart out and walked away,great great film....
@calogerovenniri7868 · 337 likesThis is a rare film that will make you a better person
@cokerfilms2901 · 236 likesLynch's most affecting and heartbreaking film, about an extraordinary and tragic human being. R.I.P. JOSEPH MERRICK & DAVID LYNCH
@DoctorPretorious616 · 175 likesThis movie changed my worldview forever, it was a revelation to me. Wherever you are, thank you David.
@Jeromechassagnard · 76 likesI was a young kid when this movie first released in theaters. I saw the ads for it in newspapers and the first I saw any of it, was when it was nominated on the 1980 or 81 Oscars. Even the clips made me cry. It took me years, however, to work up the guts to watch the whole film (…
@mikeshaffer4912 · 31 likesRyan Gosling's love for this film is bringing a lot of the new generation to come take a gander at this incredible story.
@dylan3017 · 435 likesI remember first watching this movie when I was either 11 or 12. It was the first, and one of the few, movies that made me cry.
@RJ_0805 · 72 likes
