The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Impact! Power! Fire! Pathos! Drama!

Directed by William Dieterle

Produced by RKO Radio Pictures

1939117 min7.3 / 10

A tragic medieval melodrama about obsession, prejudice, and unrequited love, anchored by the pathos of a deformed outcast caught between a corrupt magistrate's schemes and a Romani woman's beauty.

Paris, France, 1482. Frollo, Chief Justice of benevolent King Louis XI, gets infatuated by the beauty of Esmeralda, a young Romani girl. The hunchback Quasimodo, Frollo's protege and bell-ringer of Notre Dame, lives in peace among the bells in the heights of the immense cathedral until he is involved by the twisted magistrate in his malicious plans to free himself from Esmeralda's alleged spell, which he believes to be the devil's work.

Questions people ask

  • Is The Hunchback of Notre Dame sad? Yes, very. More sad than 96% of films.

  • Is The Hunchback of Notre Dame one of a kind? Yes. More singular than 86% of films.

  • Is The Hunchback of Notre Dame scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 72% of films.

  • Does The Hunchback of Notre Dame end with hope? Not especially. Less hopeful than 70% of films.

  • Is The Hunchback of Notre Dame violent? Somewhat. More violent than 68% of films.

  • Is The Hunchback of Notre Dame easy watching? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

79/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Distinctly its own thing.

Rarity88

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise70

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love80

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Everything like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and what each one shares →

Like The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The Hunchback of Notre Dame, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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