The Painter and the Thief Movie (2020): Where to watch and stream online

The Painter and the Thief

Documentary

2020, Movie, 1h 42min

When two of artist Barbora Kysilkova’s most valuable paintings are stolen from a gallery at Frogner in Oslo, the police are able to find the thief after a few days, but the paintings are nowhere to be found. Barbora goes to the trial in hopes of finding clues, but instead she ends up asking the thief if she can paint a portrait of him. This will be the start of a very unusual friendship. Over three years, the cinematic documentary follows the incredible story of the artist looking for her stolen paintings, while at the same time turning the thief into art.

Country: Norway,United States

Director:

Cast:

Reviews

Critic Brian Tallerico

rated

...a documentary that illuminates a great deal about the human condition...

Read full review at Roger Ebert

Critic Richard Whittaker

rated

...reminds us that vengeance cannot be the sole redress against a crime.

Read full review at The Austin Chronicle

Critic Cath Clarke

rated

...[an] astonishing, emotionally electric documentary about the unexpected friendship between artist and thief.

Read full review at The Guardian

Critic Wendy Ide

rated

Fascinating, confounding and continually surprising...

Read full review at The Guardian

Critic Roger Moore

rated

It’s the sort of film you’d never expect to see or expect to be made in the United States.

Read full review at Movie Nation

Critic Leila Latif

rated

...this film leaves you hopeful, inspired even...

Read full review at Little White Lies

Frequently asked questions

What is The Painter and the Thief about? Toggle content

The Painter and the Thief is a documentary that tells the story of an unlikely friendship between a talented artist, Barbora Kysilkova, and Karl-Bertil Nordland, a man convicted of stealing her work from an Oslo art gallery. Following the theft, Barbora sets out to find her stolen paintings and meets Karl-Bertil in court. She asks him to sit for a portrait, and he agrees. Over three years, the film follows their developing relationship as they spend time together creating art and discussing their lives. Despite their vastly different backgrounds and personalities, they form a strong bond that transforms them both in unexpected ways. The film won the Sundance Film Festival's Grand Jury Prize in 2020.

Where can I stream The Painter and the Thief? Toggle content

The Painter and the Thief is currently unavailable to stream in undefined on the streaming services we have in our catalogue

What movies are similar to The Painter and the Thief? Toggle content

Some movies that have similar genres and were produced around the same time as The Painter and the Thief include Wick Is Pain, Vini Jr., Dahomey, The Many Worlds of Quantum Mechanics, The Bleeding Edge, Jim: The James Foley Story.