Red Desert (1964)
Kernel Score: 81% · 499 TMDB ratings · Rated NR
Genres: Drama
Released: 1964-09-04
Runtime: 117 minutes
Where to watch Red Desert
- Stream: HBO Max
US availability, updated 2026-11-11.
Overview
In an industrializing Italian town, a married woman, rendered mentally unstable after a traffic accident, drifts into an affair with a friend of her husband.
Red Desert parents' guide: ages 15+
Parents need to know that Red Desert is a 1964 Italian art drama about a mentally unstable married woman who drifts into an affair; it deals with adultery, depression, and industrial alienation.
- Sex, romance & nudity: Some — Central plot involves a married woman's affair with her husband's friend; handled in an artful, non-explicit European drama style.
Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official NR rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.
Movies like Red Desert
If you liked Red Desert, these are the movies we'd watch next.
- Perfect Strangers (2016) — 88%
- The Children's Train (2024) — 82%
- Two Women (1960) — 88%
- Synecdoche, New York (2008) — 85%
- Bellissima (1952) — 87%
- Fathers and Daughters (2015) — 79%
- Oslo, August 31st (2011) — 83%
- Blue Jasmine (2013) — 79%
Director
Cast
- Monica Vitti as Giuliana
- Richard Harris as Corrado Zeller
- Carlo Chionetti as Ugo
- Xenia Valderi as Linda
- Rita Renoir as Emilia
- Lili Rheims as Telescope Operator's Wife
- Aldo Grotti as Max
- Valerio Bartoleschi as Valerio
- Emanuela Pala Carboni as Girl in Fable
- Giuliano Missirini as Radio Telescope Operator
Red Desert FAQ
Is Red Desert good?
Red Desert has an 81% Kernel Score on Fresh Kernels, our own critic-informed editorial score.
Where can I watch Red Desert?
In the US you can stream Red Desert on HBO Max.
Is Red Desert OK for kids?
Red Desert is rated NR. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 15+. Parents need to know that Red Desert is a 1964 Italian art drama about a mentally unstable married woman who drifts into an affair; it deals with adultery, depression, and industrial alienation.
What movies are like Red Desert?
If you liked Red Desert, try Perfect Strangers, The Children's Train, Two Women and Synecdoche, New York.