Tolkien (2019)
12-month trend
12-month trend
Monthly article views
2025-09 to 2026-08
The film explores the early life and creative journey of J.R.R. Tolkien, the legendary author of The Lord of the Rings.
The story
As young children raised by a widowed mother, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien and his brother Hilary are moved to Birmingham due to financial hardships. Their mother, who fills their minds with stories of adventure, eventually passes away, leaving the boys under the guardianship of a local priest, Father Francis. Tolkien eventually finds a new home with a wealthy woman, where he meets Edith Bratt. While showing immense talent for languages at school, Tolkien navigates complex friendships and a forbidden romance with Edith, all while pursuing his academic interests in philology.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film follows J.R.R. Tolkien's early life, beginning with his childhood in Birmingham and the death of his mother. After being taken in by a wealthy woman, Tolkien meets Edith Bratt and they form a deep bond. At school, Tolkien forms a close friendship with a group of boys known as the TCBS. Despite Father Francis's disapproval of his romance with Edith, the two remain close until Tolkien is forced to choose between her and his education. After a period of separation and a drunken night at Oxford where he yells in an invented language, Tolkien eventually finds his passion for philology under Professor Joseph Wright. When World War I breaks out, Tolkien and his friends enlist. During the Battle of the Somme, Tolkien suffers from trench fever and is separated from his friends, some of whom are killed. He eventually reunites with Edith, and they marry. Years later, as an Oxford professor, Tolkien begins writing a children's adventure book, inspired by the legendary opening line of The Hobbit.
- First release year
- 2019
- Runtime (minutes)
- 112
- Production countries
- United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Dome Karukoski
- Writers
- David Gleeson · writer; Stephen Beresford · writer
- Cast and characters
- Nicholas Hoult · Tolkien; Lily Collins · Edith Bratt; Colm Meaney; Derek Jacobi
- Genres
- biographical drama; coming-of-age drama
- Themes
- friendship; love of languages; religion; romance
- Tone and mood
- subtle; delicate; emotional
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; historical; literary; war
- Source material / true-story basis
- The early life of J.R.R. Tolkien
- Franchise connections
- The Lord of the Rings
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some praising its delicate portrayal of the author and others criticizing its lack of imagination and subtlety.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 48 · scale: 100 · review count: 37; PostTrak · score: 76%
- Production trivia
- The film was the first feature film released after the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney.; The Tolkien Estate issued a statement making it clear that the family and estate did not endorse the film or its content.; Director Dome Karukoski had wanted to create a biopic about Tolkien since he was 12.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
Your lists
Loading your lists…