Charlatan
2020 · Movie · Unrated · 118 min · ★ 6.7 · 78% critics
In early 20th-century Czechoslovakia, a celebrated herbal healer rises to fame by treating countless illnesses with unconventional methods. As power shifts through multiple regimes, he is protected for his usefulness but faces growing pressure to preserve his reputation and position when politics change again.
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Watch free on Tubi — also streaming on Strand Releasing.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Original title
- Šarlatán
- Years
- 2020
- Release date
- 2020-08-20
- Language
- CS
- Rated
- Unrated
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Max quality
- HD
- Critic score
- 78/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.7/10 (141 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a character-driven historical drama about fame, power, and moral compromise under shifting regimes, with an intimate emotional edge; Not for you if you prefer light, straightforward stories like Swan Song.
Pros: rich multi-era story; strong performances; moving emotional layers | Cons: morally complex lead; tense political pressure; occasional harsh moments
Themes
- based on true story
- lgbt
- diagnosis
- arrested
- herbal medicines
- herbalists
- closeted homosexual
- gay theme
Awards & recognition
- Czech Lion — Best Film · 2020
- International Submission to the Academy Awards · 2021 · nominated
- European Film Award — Best Director · 2020 · nominated
Cast & crew
Josef Trojan
as Young Jan Mikolášek
Ivan Trojan
as Jan Mikolášek
Juraj Loj
as František Palko
Jaroslava Pokorná
as Mülbacherova
Jana Kvantiková
as František's wife
Jiří Černý
as Zlatohlávek
Martin Sitta
as General
Miroslav Hanuš
as Interrogator
Vladimír Polívka
Melika Yildiz
as Johana
Directed by Agnieszka Holland