The Sweet Hereafter (1997): cast, story & where to watch
1997 · Film · ★ 6.9
Released in 1997, The Sweet Hereafter is a drama film directed by Atom Egoyan, running about 112 minutes. “There is no such thing as the simple truth.” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. A small mountain community in Canada is devastated when a school bus accident leaves more than a dozen of its children dead. A big-city lawyer arrives to help the survivors' and victims' families prepare a class-action suit, but his efforts only seem to push the townspeople further apart. At the same time, one teenage survivor of the accident has to reckon with the loss of innocence brought about by a different kind of damage.
Who’s in it. The Sweet Hereafter stars Ian Holm as Mitchell Stephens, Sarah Polley as Nicole Burnell, Tom McCamus as Sam Burnell and Gabrielle Rose as Dolores Driscoll, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.9/10, The Sweet Hereafter has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $8M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Criterion Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Sweet Hereafter page.
If you liked it. Fans of The Sweet Hereafter tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch The Sweet Hereafter (1997)?
- In US, The Sweet Hereafter is available to stream on Criterion Channel, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is The Sweet Hereafter worth watching?
- The Sweet Hereafter holds an audience score of 6.9 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy drama. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in The Sweet Hereafter?
- The Sweet Hereafter stars Ian Holm, Sarah Polley, Tom McCamus, Gabrielle Rose and Alberta Watson.
- When was The Sweet Hereafter released?
- The Sweet Hereafter was released in 1997, with a runtime of about 112 minutes.