Adam Driver may be at his quirkiest when you watch Annette online, streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.. The movie has one of the trippiest trailers of all time, that will leave you wondering, "What on earth is this about?!" The film debuted at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival to a standing ovation.
Release date: August 20 (Amazon Prime Video)
Director: Leos Carax
Starring: Adam Driver, Marion Cotillard, Simon Helberg, Devyn McDowell, Angèle
Age rating: R
Run time: 2 hr 20 min
Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Driver plays a stand-up comedian named Henry McHenry (really) who falls in love with a world-renowned opera singer, Ann (Marion Cotillard). The passionate and glamorous couple soon have a daughter, Annette — portrayed by a wooden marionette puppet (yes, really).
But as Ann travels the world singing, Henry's career begins to suffer and their marriage unravels. After a tragedy, Annette develops a mysterious ability that stuns her father and the world.
Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Annette online.
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How to watch Annette online from anywhere on Earth
If you're stuck abroad — in a country where Annette isn't streaming — you will likely run into geo-fenced restrictions on the platforms and services you can use. But with the help of a virtual private network (VPN), you can watch all the services you already pay for, no matter where you are.
Based on our testing, the best VPN is ExpressVPN, which is easy to use and delivers fast internet speeds, making it simple to set up for streaming in no time at all. It also works on practically any device, starting with iOS and Android and including streaming devices such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick and Apple TV. Plus, game consoles like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
How to watch Annette online in the US and Canada
Annette is streaming now on Amazon Prime Video.
It was released Friday, August 20 at 12 a.m. ET. The movie is also available in limited release in theaters.
How to watch Annette online in the UK
Movie lovers in the UK and Ireland can watch Annette in theaters starting September 3. After some time, it will stream on Mubi.
Annette trailer
The Annette trailer opens with Adam Driver in a bathrobe, taking the stage for his stand-up show. He recounts meeting Ann. "What I see in her is obvious," he says. "What she sees in me? That's a little more puzzling."
The rest of the trailer shows flashes of their passionate relationship, though ominous events seem to await the couple.
Annette reviews
The reviews of Annette are mixed, with many movie critics hailing the imagination and verve of the film but others feeling the execution didn't match the premise. Here's a round-up of Annette reviews:
"Annette masters its own paradoxes. It’s a highly cerebral, formally complex film about unbridled emotion. A work of art propelled by a skepticism about where art comes from and why we value it the way we do. A fantastical film that attacks some of our culture’s most cherished fantasies. Utterly unreal and completely truthful." - A.O. Scott, The New York Times
"This isn’t a movie for everyone. Even Carax enthusiasts will likely agree that it’s overindulgent, too big for its britches thematically (cool story, bro, but what is it actually about?), and a good 20 minutes too long. But films this original and irreverent are a near-extinct species in the show business ecosystem of 2021." - Dana Stevens, Slate
"... Annette is not the movie I was hoping for, nor is it the movie I didn’t know I wanted. A picture that’s gorgeous to look at but too hyper-manicured to be genuinely moving, it hovers somewhere in an indefinable in-between. I keep believing that if I just think about it more, I’ll like it better, but it’s time to give up. Annette is an extravagant-looking and often inventive film, but it’s not a great one." - Stephanie Zacharek, Time
"It's an extravagantly emotional rock opera that mixes comedy and tragedy, showbiz satire and doomed romance. It doesn't all work; if you're not on its bizarre wavelength, it may not work for you at all. But moment by moment, its go-for-broke audacity left me feeling grateful that it exists." - Justin Chang, NPR
"... Annette is awfully sweaty in its attempts to shock, titillate, and confuse. It’s a lot of nervy construction built around very little substance. Driver and Cotillard are admirably committed, and the film does occasionally soar to giddily surreal, big-burst musical highs. Not near often enough, though." - Richard Lawson, Vanity Fair
