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Nebraska

Nebraska

Life's not about winning or losing. It's about how you get there in the end.

2013115 minRMidcredits score: 97th percentile of all films
Director
Alexander Payne
Starring
Bruce Dern, Will Forte, June Squibb, Bob Odenkirk

An aging, booze-addled father takes a trip from Montana to Nebraska with his estranged son in order to claim what he believes to be a million-dollar sweepstakes prize.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Nebraska?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Nebraska to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Nebraska?

Nebraska earns 9 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of films.

Show 1 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Nebraska worth watching?

Nebraska's Midcredits score is the 97th percentile of all films, from 247K ratings across 6 sources. 87% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

97th percentile

Better received than 97% of films

97th percentile among Drama97th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)95th
Approval (how many liked it)96th

78 /100

95th percentile of all films

96th percentile among Drama95th percentile among 2010s

Critics 86 · Audience 77

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

87% liked it

96th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Drama97th percentile among 2010s
87% rated it 7–1013% rated it 1–6

Critics 90% · Audience 83%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 6 Oscar noms · 13 wins / 79 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Cinematography
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Directing

96th percentile

247K ratings across platforms

97th percentile among Drama96th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 17% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$12M
Opening weekend$140K
Domestic gross$18M
Worldwide gross$28M

Returned 2.3× its budget — 92nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Nebraska is a deliberately paced, character-driven road drama that relies on subtle performances and a minimalist black-and-white style.

Fans praised

  • Bruce Dern's Oscar-worthy performance as a man lost in time
  • Bittersweet, honest portrayal of aging, family and hope
  • Alexander Payne's restrained direction and black-and-white visuals

Detractors panned

  • Slow, meandering pace with no real story drive
  • Characters too close to dumb, oafish caricatures
  • Feels like a first-time script, trite formula

What stands out

Acting90

Bruce Dern and June Squibb praised as funny and heartbreaking; even critics admit strong ensemble

Emotional impactDivisive90

Heartbreaking and moving for fans; a few critics felt uninvolved

Atmosphere90

Authentic small-town Americana, palpable sense of place

Cinematography85

Stunning black-and-white shots of the Midwest praised across camps

CharactersDivisive80

Woody and family feel real and relatable, though some find caricatures

Dialogue75

Witty, naturalistic, with dark humor; profane language noted

Plot and storyDivisive65

Simple road-trip structure seen as honest by fans, formulaic by detractors

PacingDivisive50

Deliberately slow drift divides; some find it meditative, others tedious

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Nebraska like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Quiet and reflective: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are in a patient, quiet mood.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you bittersweet. Skip it when you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience.

What it feels like

Quiet and reflective.

Moods
BittersweetMelancholicWarm
Heaviest: late
Register
Wry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.Warm
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film observes its characters with a wry, unsentimental eye but always maintains a core of warmth towards them.
The rideThe film maintains a gentle, reflective mood with moments of dry humor, building to a poignant and warm conclusion.
StructureLinear story told in chronological order with a clear beginning, middle, and end.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayA bittersweet but ultimately hopeful tale of a son's quiet love for his father, leaving you with a sense of small, hard-won dignity.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Voyage
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4% (this title): Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% (this title) · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Voyage and return: Into a strange world and back again, changed. · Fish out of water: Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).

4% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeA father and son road trip to Nebraska to claim a bogus sweepstakes prize, which becomes a journey into family history and reconciliation.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9% (this title): Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Society

Community · 14% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores Woody's longing to be recognized and valued in his hometown, and the family's reconnection with him and each other during the journey.
StanceThe film observes Woody's and David's relationship and their small-town encounters without condemning or celebrating, letting the characters speak for themselves.

The world

ContemporaryRuralDomesticIn transitRealistic
FolkOrchestral classicalSupportive music · original score
SettingSmall-town Nebraska and the rural Midwest during a road trip to claim a sweepstakes prize.
MusicMark Orton's score is gentle and understated, weaving folk textures into the film's contemplative mood.

Content guide

Is Nebraska okay for kids?

R

Nebraska is rated R: “Rated R for some language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (26/100), sexual content at mild (25/100), language at moderate (51/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (35/100) and frightening material at mild (19/100). Overall it is heavier than 1% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 14 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany6
  • Ireland12A
  • JapanG
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Denmark7
  • GreeceΚ
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Netherlands6
  • Poland18
  • Sweden15
  • Türkiye16+
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 18% of all filmsHeavier than 1% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 9%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 18%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 23%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 33%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 9%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is language, heavier than 23% of R-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Nebraska have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Nebraska?

Cast

Bruce Dern
as Woody Grant
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Will Forte
as David Grant
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
June Squibb
as Kate Grant
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role
Bob Odenkirk
as Ross Grant
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Stacy Keach
as Ed Pegram
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Mary Louise Wilson
as Aunt Martha
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Rance Howard
as Uncle Ray
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Devin Ratray
as Cole
Angela McEwan
as Peg Nagy
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Elizabeth Moore
as Aunt Flo

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Nebraska?

Movies like Nebraska include Sideways (2004), About Schmidt (2002) and Captain Fantastic (2016). Of the 5 closest matches, two are films by Alexander Payne, and most are fish-out-of-water stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

All 5 share its story type: road movie. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Nebraska?

1.8K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: aging hero. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.