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Days of Heaven

Play trailer Poster for Days of Heaven PG 1978 1h 35m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 125 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
A screen poem about life in America at the turn of the century. A story of love and murder told through the voice of a child and expressive images of nature in 1916. A steelworker flees Chicago after a fight with his boss; he takes his little sister and girlfriend with him.

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Days of Heaven

Days of Heaven

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Critics Consensus

Illuminated by magic hour glow and wistful performances, Days of Heaven is a visual masterpiece that finds eloquent poetry in its spare scenario.

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Critics Reviews

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Joseph Gelmis Newsday Feb 4
The film seems twice as long as its hour and a half running time, because each scene is so simple yet full. It's like a minimal painting. Go to Full Review
Elston Brooks Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com Feb 4
4/4
Writer-director Terrence Malick has given us a montage of stunningly beautiful scenes that can only be labeled the work of an artist. Go to Full Review
Peter Travers Gannett Westchester Rockland Newspapers Feb 4
Days of Heaven is too self-consciously beautiful to support its narrative framework. Intentionally or not, the wonders and horrors of nature dwarf the characters to such an extent that they are rendered insignificant and often boring by contrast. Go to Full Review
Jack Garner Rochester Democrat and Chronicle Feb 4
If you believe in film as visual art, an art form in which the visual element is primary, then this is, indeed, a work of art, perhaps the most beautiful movie ever made. Go to Full Review
Kirk Honeycutt Escondido Times-Advocate (CA) Feb 4
An exhilarating experience. Here is a movie to measure other movies by, a movie of pristine brilliance that has one open-mouthed at its visual dexterity. Go to Full Review
Bernard Drew Gannett News Service Feb 4
It quite takes the breath away. I cannot recall being so visually stunned since the first time I saw Murnau's "Sunrise." Malick has not only created his own language, he seems to have invented a whole new world and landscape never seen before. Go to Full Review
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Romas M @Romas Apr 28 Greetings from Lithuania. "Days of Heaven" (1978) is movie made by a legendary movie director Terrence Malick. Legendary because there is no other director like him. His films starting with this one and trough his carrier are a very unique. They are unique in terms of the way they look, feel and constructed. "Days of Heaven" is the one after which he made 20 years gap up until "The Thin Red Line". Yet it's already features directors trademarks - individual performances are more or less not they key, yet the scenery is the star of the movie. "Days of Heaven" looks absolutely incredible, due to amazing cinematography of a stunning landscapes. You can find these in nearly every film of his. The storytelling feels like a loose pictures, it is like it is drifting. Overall, "Days of Heaven" still looks incredible and it is a good movie to see it in 2026. It can feel odd sometimes due to craftsmanship of Terrence Malick, this is his film after all. See more Haluk H. @dancingspirits Apr 24 Despite clear biblical intentions, Days Of Heaven (1978) is undoubtedly about a young girl and her interpretations of the adults around her, their thoughts, their dreams, and their feelings. Additionally, the story is also definitively a tragic love story, without exception—a romance where, a simple "final good-bye" is the all that is needed for complete and utter collapse. See more Hector I @Hector1184BC Jan 30 Following the brilliant "Badlands," Terrence Malick’s "Days of Heaven" tells the story of Bill and Abby, a couple fleeing Chicago in 1910 to work as seasonal laborers on a Texas wheat farm. The work is harsh, and, unmarried, they must pose as siblings. This deception changes their fate: the dying wealthy landowner falls for Abby and proposes marriage. They play along, hoping for a small paradise. Yet fate, like Greek tragedy, catches up. Love sustains the owner until he discovers the truth, triggering rage and destruction. Bill kills him in self-defense, and they flee, echoing Adam and Eve leaving paradise. Bill dies, leaving Abby alone to return to civilization. The film is contemplative and impressionistic: earth, sky, and labor are almost actors. Inspired by Hopper and enhanced by Saint-Saëns, Malick transforms the ordinary into the mystical, exploring destiny, love, and the divine. See more Jakub V @SirJames Dec 15 Eart, fire, air, water. One of the best movies ever made. It has everything. See more Patrick S @PatrickStruik Dec 13 An absolute masterpiece. See more Richard W @rdwoolf Sep 25 Another long and drawn out story from Terrence Malick. it looks extremely good. But it's hard to get through without becoming distracted. Still, it's 100 times better than Tree of Life. See more Read all reviews
Days of Heaven

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Movie Info

Synopsis A screen poem about life in America at the turn of the century. A story of love and murder told through the voice of a child and expressive images of nature in 1916. A steelworker flees Chicago after a fight with his boss; he takes his little sister and girlfriend with him.
Director
Terrence Malick
Producer
Bert Schneider, Harold Schneider
Screenwriter
Terrence Malick
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 1, 1978, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 22, 2016
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)