Great Expectations (1946)
Kernel Score: 82% · 366 ratings · Rated NR
Genres: Drama, Romance
Released: 1946-12-26
Runtime: 118 minutes
Where to watch Great Expectations
- Stream: Fubo, The Criterion Channel, FlixFling, HBO Max
- Free with ads: Fawesome, Artiflix, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, Shout! Factory TV
- Rent: Prime Video, Apple TV, FlixFling
- Buy: Prime Video, Apple TV, FlixFling
US availability, updated 2026-10-23.
Overview
In this Dickens adaptation, orphan Pip discovers through lawyer Mr. Jaggers that a mysterious benefactor wishes to ensure that he becomes a gentleman. Reunited with his childhood patron, Miss Havisham, and his first love, the beautiful but emotionally cold Estella, he discovers that the elderly spinster has gone mad from having been left at the altar as a young woman, and has made her charge into a warped, unfeeling heartbreaker.
Great Expectations parents' guide: ages 6+
Parents need to know that Great Expectations (1946) is an unrated classic Dickens adaptation dealing with themes of an escaped convict, an orphan's upbringing, and emotional cruelty.
- Violence & scariness: A little — Includes a frightening escaped convict encounter early on, but violence is largely restrained per classic-era filmmaking.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official NR rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like Great Expectations
If you liked Great Expectations, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- A Room with a View (1986) — 76%
- Breathe (2017) — 83%
- Labor Day (2013) — 79%
- Me Before You (2016) — 89%
- Night and the City (1950) — 84%
- The Heiress (1949) — 88%
- Now, Voyager (1942) — 81%
- The Duchess (2008) — 78%
Director
Cast
- John Mills as Pip
- Valerie Hobson as Estella
- Tony Wager as Young Pip
- Jean Simmons as Young Estella
- Bernard Miles as Joe Gargery
- Francis L. Sullivan as Mr. Jaggers
- Finlay Currie as Abel Magwitch
- Martita Hunt as Miss Havisham
- Alec Guinness as Herbert Pocket
- Ivor Barnard as Mr. Wemmick
Great Expectations FAQ
Is Great Expectations good?
Great Expectations has an 82% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels from 366 audience ratings.
Where can I watch Great Expectations?
In the US you can stream Great Expectations on Fubo, The Criterion Channel, FlixFling and HBO Max, watch it free with ads on Fawesome, Artiflix, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV and Shout! Factory TV and rent it from Prime Video, Apple TV and FlixFling.
Is Great Expectations OK for kids?
Great Expectations is rated NR. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 6+. Parents need to know that Great Expectations (1946) is an unrated classic Dickens adaptation dealing with themes of an escaped convict, an orphan's upbringing, and emotional cruelty.
What movies are like Great Expectations?
If you liked Great Expectations, try A Room with a View, Breathe, Labor Day and Me Before You.