Monday Morning Maybe

Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for Arabian Nights

Arabian Nights

Seen it?

1974 | 131 min | Adventure, Fantasy

Saturday Special

Why it’s a Saturday Special

It earned strong reviews (83% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for fantasy fans and adventure fans. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Exciting.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 2 hr 11 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated NC-17: expect sex.
  • It's in Italian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Made in 1974: an older pace and style.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

The final part of Pasolini's Trilogy of Life series is rich with exotic tales of slaves and kings, potions, betrayals, demons and, most of all, love and lovemaking in all its myriad forms. Mysterious and liberating, this is an exquisitely dreamlike and adult interpretation of the original folk tales.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    83% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    6.5 out of 10

  • AwardsWeak

    Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix.

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactStrong

    About 109K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini

  • Ninetto DavoliAziz
  • Franco CittiThe Demon
  • Franco MerliNur Ed Din
  • Tessa BouchéAziza
  • Ines PellegriniZumurrud
  • Margareth ClémentiAziz's Mother
  • Luigina RocchiBudur
  • Alberto ArgentinoPrince Shahzmah
  • Francesco Paolo GovernalePrince Tagi
  • Salvatore SapienzaPrince Yunan