Where to watch The Reader (2008) tonight
The Reader (2008) runs 2 h 4 min, is rated R in the US and averages 7.5 from 3,518 TMDB members. The story of Michael Berg, a German lawyer who, as a teenager in the late 1950s, had an affair with an older woman, Hanna, who then disappeared only to resurface years later as one of the defendants in a war crimes trial stemming from her actions as a concentration camp guard late in the war. He alone realizes that Hanna is illiterate and may be concealing that fact at the expense of her freedom.
- Runtime
- 2 h 4 min — ends 10:04 pm if you start at 8:00 pm
- Rated
- R (US)
- Genres
- Drama, Romance
- Released
- December 10, 2008
- TMDB rating
- 7.5 / 10 from 3,518 votes
- Director
- Stephen Daldry
- Starring
- Ralph Fiennes, Kate Winslet, David Kross, Lena Olin
- Language
- English
Where to watch it tonight
Availability loads live for your country. See where The Reader streams (JustWatch via TMDB) →
Streaming availability by JustWatch. In the US, as of 2026-11-05: Britbox Apple TV channel (subscription), Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel (subscription), Howdy Amazon Channel (subscription), Kanopy (free), Hoopla (free), Fawesome (free), The CW (free with ads), Tubi TV (free with ads).
Questions people ask
- How long is The Reader?
- The Reader is 2 h 4 min long (124 minutes). If you start it at 8:00 pm it ends at 10:04 pm; add about 20 minutes if you watch trailers first.
- What is The Reader rated?
- The Reader is rated R in the US.
- Is The Reader a good movie to watch with a group?
- Better for one or two who will actually watch. Drama and Romance reward attention; a room that talks over it will miss the point. Rated R in the US — check who is in the room.
- Where can I stream The Reader?
- In the US, as of 2026-11-05: Britbox Apple TV channel (subscription), Lionsgate+ Amazon Channel (subscription), Howdy Amazon Channel (subscription), Kanopy (free), Hoopla (free), Fawesome (free), The CW (free with ads), Tubi TV (free with ads). Availability changes often; this page loads the live list for your country (streaming availability by JustWatch).
Lists it could be on
If you like The Reader
- Nuremberg (2025)
- Shining Through (1992)
- The Aftermath (2019)
- Truth & Treason (2025)
- Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (2019)
- Conspiracy (2001)
- Lolita (1997)
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Reader on TMDB · This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.
Lights Down is a free tool: tell it your streaming services and how long you have, and it ranks what you can stream tonight, with a this-or-that, a roll, a bracket and a wheel. Movie data from TMDB; streaming availability by JustWatch. Page updated 2026-11-05. 
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