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The Human Stain

Play trailer Poster for The Human Stain R 2003 1h 46m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
40% Tomatometer 146 Reviews 48% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins) is a worldly and admired professor who loses his job after unwittingly making a racial slur. To clear his name, Silk writes a book about the events with his friend and colleague Nathan Zuckerman (Gary Sinise), who in the process discovers a dark secret Silk has hidden his whole life. All the while, Silk engages in an affair with Faunia Farley (Nicole Kidman), a younger woman whose tormented past threatens to unravel the layers of deception Silk has constructed.
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The Human Stain

The Human Stain

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Critics Consensus

Though the acting is fine, the leads are miscast, and the story is less powerful on screen than on the page.

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Critics Reviews

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Neil Norman London Evening Standard Jan 10, 2018
An honourable enough failure, but a failure nonetheless. Go to Full Review Sheila Johnston London Evening Standard Jan 10, 2018
It is a decent, intelligent film that yet somehow fails to excite. Go to Full Review Nell Minow Common Sense Media Dec 28, 2010
3/5
Flawed adaptation of Roth's novel isn't for kids. Go to Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens Nov 13, 2019
Despite it's shortcomings and mis-castings, it still makes a powerful statement about our times. Go to Full Review PJ Nabarro Patrick Nabarro Nov 18, 2018
2/5
The Human Stain bears all the scars and stretch marks of a work that has tried to condense the necessarily literary elements of an esteemed novel into a feature film format. Go to Full Review Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) Sep 18, 2013
3.5/5
So finely tooled that it feels like it ought to be bound in Morocco leather and placed on a display case in a department store for a last minute Christmas gift. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad Sep 16, 2026 The Human Stain = 2.5 star Movie! See more Joaquin U @Joaquin1 Apr 13, 2026 Entertaining. It’s a slow-burn drama loaded with clichés. Doesn’t really hit on an emotional level, but the story keeps you interested. The acting’s good, though Hopkins feels miscast, which makes it harder to buy into. Still, it’s watchable — and honestly, you could do worse. See more Melissa L @Agent99 Aug 22, 2025 This was not any better than the indie movies I've seen with no stars. I was disappointed there were so many well-known actors and this movie wasn't better. I wouldn't recommend it. See more Elizabeth G @RT05340372 May 11, 2025 A long, hard, slow slog that tries and fails to illicit any emotion. It's a great premise, but it's bogged down by slow pacing that makes this feel tedious. Could have been so much better. See more steve d @RT35616104 Feb 1, 2023 Ridiculous and ineffective. See more Jul 7, 2021 It has problems to be sure (certain casting choices, the lack of any serious deep dive into the academic culture it is supposedly criticizing etc.) however, I'm pleasantly surprised that the movie isn't really the perverse fantasy I feared it would be as the characters often make choices that complicate them in ways that ensure they don't exists as mouthpieces for particular ideologies. Also, I am grateful that the central "twist" here is revealed rather casually rather than dropped as a bombshell. See more Read all reviews
The Human Stain

My Rating

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Cast & Crew

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Robert Benton

Director

Anthony Hopkins

Coleman Silk

Nicole Kidman

Faunia Farley

Ed Harris

Lester Farley

Gary Sinise

Nathan Zuckerman

Wentworth Miller

Young Coleman Silk

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The Human Stain

A scene from Robert Benton's THE HUMAN STAIN. A scene from Robert Benton's THE HUMAN STAIN. A scene from Robert Benton's THE HUMAN STAIN. A scene from Robert Benton's THE HUMAN STAIN. A scene from Robert Benton's THE HUMAN STAIN. A scene from Robert Benton's THE HUMAN STAIN. Nicole Kidman and Anthony Hopkins in Robert Benton's THE HUMAN STAIN. A scene from Robert Benton's THE HUMAN STAIN. A scene from Robert Benton's THE HUMAN STAIN. A scene from Robert Benton's THE HUMAN STAIN. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Coleman Silk (Anthony Hopkins) is a worldly and admired professor who loses his job after unwittingly making a racial slur. To clear his name, Silk writes a book about the events with his friend and colleague Nathan Zuckerman (Gary Sinise), who in the process discovers a dark secret Silk has hidden his whole life. All the while, Silk engages in an affair with Faunia Farley (Nicole Kidman), a younger woman whose tormented past threatens to unravel the layers of deception Silk has constructed.
Director
Robert Benton
Producer
Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Scott Steindorff
Screenwriter
Nicholas Meyer, Philip Roth
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
E1 Entertainment, Miramax Films, Stone Village Productions, Lakeshore Entertainment
Rating
R (Nudity|Language|Sexuality)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 31, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$5.4M
Runtime
1h 46m
Sound Mix
Surround
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