William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet | Rotten Tomatoes

William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet

PG-13

Released Nov 1, 1996

2 hr. 0 min.

Romance

Drama

TRAILER

for Romeo + Juliet: Trailer 1

List

74%

69 Reviews

Tomatometer

77%

250,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Baz Luhrmann helped adapt this classic Shakespearean romantic tragedy for the screen, updating the setting to a post-modern city named Verona Beach. In this version, the Capulets and the Montagues are two rival gangs. Juliet (Claire Danes) is attending a costume ball thrown by her parents. Her father Fulgencio Capulet (Paul Sorvino) has arranged her marriage to the boorish Paris (Paul Rudd) as part of a strategic investment plan. Romeo attends the masked ball and he and Juliet fall in love.

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Critics Consensus

Baz Luhrmann's visual aesthetic is as divisive as it is fresh and inventive.

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isabella b

I watched this for English class and it is absolute horrible. It feels like I'm watching a fever dream. The editing is horrible and the sped up parts as well. If your going to make a movie modern make the language modern as well

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/12/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Watched this fully for the first time! The 1st hour is great! It’s loud, funny, interesting, weird, and exhilarating! After the party, the movie kinda lost steam for me. I think the two leads had good chemistry. Realizing when this came out, Baz really had balls to redo this story like that. I think it was ahead of its time when released.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/24/24

Full Review

Tom F

Baz Luhrmann always puts on something worth looking at.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/09/24

Full Review

Ian W

The characters talking like they did in the original play doesn't work for me. If the setting is modern it only makes sense if the talk was modern. It just makes the story hard to follow. The camera also moves very weird and the beginning feels rushed.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/03/24

Full Review

Shay T

"Romeo + Juliet" holds a special place in my heart—I first saw it film as a teenager, on my first date. It left an indelible mark on me then, and revisiting it now only reinforces its timeless impact. Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes bring such raw emotion to their roles as Romeo and Juliet, redefining what it means to be star-crossed lovers in a modern setting. But for me, what truly steals the show is Harold Perrineau as Mercutio. His portrayal of this iconic character is nothing short of legendary, adding depth and complexity to the role in a way I've never seen before or since. He's the definitive Mercutio, capturing the essence of Shakespeare's tragic hero with a magnetic energy that leaps off the screen. Baz Luhrmann's direction is visionary, seamlessly blending the classic tale with a modern twist that feels both fresh and familiar. The cinematography is stunning, the soundtrack is iconic, and the overall aesthetic is simply breathtaking. "Romeo + Juliet" isn't just a movie—it's an experience that stays with you long after the credits roll. As someone who was deeply impacted by it as a teenager, I can confidently say that it's a masterpiece that deserves every bit of praise it receives.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/24

Full Review

Edna N

Great actors, great poetry, and great performances. My favorite romance movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/24

Full Review

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Baz Luhrmann

Director

Leonardo DiCaprio

Romeo

Claire Danes

Juliet

Brian Dennehy

Ted Montague

John Leguizamo

Tybalt

Pete Postlethwaite

Friar Laurence

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Romeo + Juliet: Trailer 1

1:31

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

Despite a hip Miami backdrop, and the quarrel between the Montagues and Capulets being played out like a gang feud, the director retained the play’s original text. It works beautifully...

Nov 7, 2023

Full Review

Anna Coatman

Little White Lies

Look back on your first love, without it making you wince.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 14, 2013

Full Review

Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

A slick blast of ''decadence,'' the kind of violent swank-trash music video that may make you feel like reaching for the remote control.

Rated: C+

Jul 6, 2010

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

615 Film

You really get the whole Baz experience here.

Jul 17, 2022

Full Review

Mel Campbell

ScreenHub

Luhrmann's style simply defibrillates Shakespeare's text. ... For me, it's the overblown carnality that makes it such a perfect adaptation of the source material, and that still leaps from the screen today.

Rated: 5/5

Nov 9, 2021

Full Review

Yasmin Omar

Harper's Bazaar

This glitter bomb of a film explodes the play and builds it back up again... result[ing] in a truly unforgettable cinematic experience.

Rated: 5/5

Nov 5, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Baz Luhrmann helped adapt this classic Shakespearean romantic tragedy for the screen, updating the setting to a post-modern city named Verona Beach. In this version, the Capulets and the Montagues are two rival gangs. Juliet (Claire Danes) is attending a costume ball thrown by her parents. Her father Fulgencio Capulet (Paul Sorvino) has arranged her marriage to the boorish Paris (Paul Rudd) as part of a strategic investment plan. Romeo attends the masked ball and he and Juliet fall in love.

Director: Baz Luhrmann
Screenwriter: William Shakespeare, Craig Pearce, Baz Luhrmann
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox, Bazmark Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Sensuality|Contemporary Violence)
Genre: Romance, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 1, 1996, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 25, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $46.4M
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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