Gillian Anderson’s “mesmerizing” and “audacious” period drama gets new UK streaming home

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The 2000 period drama The House of Mirth, which starred Gillian Anderson while she was famous for The X Files, is now available to stream in the UK.

The movie centers on Lily Bart, played by Anderson, and her struggle between what society expects of her – to marry well and gain wealth – and what she truly wants in life.

The film features Paul Anderson alongside Dan Aykroyd, known for his roles in Ghostbusters and The Blues Brothers, Eric Stoltz from Pulp Fiction and Caprica, and Laura Linney, who starred in The Truman Show and Love Actually.

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The movie recently aired on television and is now available to stream on Channel 4. But hurry – you only have 24 days to watch it!

The movie has been well-received, earning an 82% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 100 reviews. Critics have especially praised how faithfully it adapts Edith Wharton’s classic 1905 novel, and the performance by Anderson is also being highlighted.

According to the Radio Times, Edith Wharton’s story feels surprisingly modern, like a precursor to the #MeToo movement, and director Terence Davies successfully brings its complexities to the screen. Despite filming in Glasgow with a small budget, Davies avoids overly elaborate costumes and sets, instead creating a stark and emotionally detached atmosphere through powerful, close-up performances from the cast.

Both the director, Davies, and the actress, Anderson, seem perfectly suited to portraying the complexities of this difficult social world, and their film, The House of Mirth, powerfully captures the thoughtless cruelty within it.

Newsday called the film “an audacious and unexpected triumph.” Roger Ebert, the renowned critic, compared Terence Davies’ The House of Mirth to the Edith Wharton novel it’s based on, noting that both skillfully hide deep anger beneath a calm exterior. He described it as one of the most heartbreaking stories ever told about the challenges society places on women.

However, the film didn’t receive universal praise. The BBC, for example, felt it lacked emotional depth, noting that Davies “omits to give his film any emotional drive.”

The House of Mirth is available to stream now on Channel 4.

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2025-11-01 15:49