It’s been over fifteen years since the Dorian Gray movie 2009 hit theaters, and honestly, the internet still hasn’t decided if it’s a Gothic masterpiece or a flashy mess. Most people know the story. Oscar Wilde’s only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is a staple of high school English classes. You know the drill: guy sells soul, stays pretty, painting gets gross. But when director Oliver Parker took a swing at this in 2009, he didn't just want to film a book. He wanted to make a psychological thriller that felt almost like a horror flick.
He cast Ben Barnes, fresh off his Prince Caspian fame, as the titular lead. Barnes has that "too handsome for his own good" look down to a science. Beside him stood Colin Firth as Lord Henry Wotton, the ultimate bad influence. On paper? It’s a dream team. In practice? Well, that’s where things get complicated.
What the Dorian Gray movie 2009 actually changed
Purists usually hate it when movies deviate from the source material. This film didn't just deviate; it took a sledgehammer to some of Wilde's subtle prose. In the book, Dorian’s "sins" are mostly left to the reader’s imagination. Wilde knew that whatever you imagine is way worse than what he could write down.
Parker went the opposite way.
The Dorian Gray movie 2009 is explicit. It leans hard into the debauchery of Victorian London. We see the opium dens. We see the messy, dark, and often violent sexual escapades. For some, this made the stakes feel real. If you’re going to lose your soul, you might as well see what you’re trading it for, right? For others, it felt a bit like the film was trying too hard to be "edgy" for a 21st-century audience.
One of the biggest shifts involves Sibyl Vane. In the book, she's an actress who loses her talent because she falls in true love. It’s poetic and tragic. In the 2009 version, the relationship feels faster, more physical, and her end is arguably more brutal. The film also adds a later-stage love interest, Emily Wotton (played by Rebecca Hall), who is Lord Henry’s daughter. This isn't in the book at all. It was a screenwriting choice to give Dorian a path to redemption—or at least, a reason to want one.
Ben Barnes vs. the Shadow of the Book
Ben Barnes had a massive task. Dorian is supposed to be the most beautiful man in the world, but he’s also a hollow vessel. Barnes plays him with a sort of wide-eyed innocence that slowly curdles into something chillingly detached.
It’s interesting.
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If you look at his performance in the first thirty minutes, he’s almost twitchy. Nervous. By the end, he’s still. Deathly still. That’s the point, of course. The portrait is doing all the "living" and "feeling" for him. But some critics felt Barnes was overshadowed by Colin Firth. Firth is incredible. He delivers Lord Henry’s cynical, biting aphorisms with a dry wit that makes you almost agree with his terrible advice. He’s the devil on the shoulder, and he steals every scene he’s in.
Why the CGI portrait still sparks debate
The painting. It’s the heart of the whole thing. In Wilde's text, the painting changes slowly. A sneer here, a wrinkle there. In the Dorian Gray movie 2009, the portrait is practically a monster from a Guillermo del Toro film.
It groans. It bleeds. It even has maggots crawling out of it at one point.
This was a polarizing choice. If you like Gothic horror, you probably loved the visceral nature of the rot. It made the supernatural element undeniable. If you prefer the psychological weight of the original story, you might have found the "living" painting a bit much. It shifted the genre from a philosophical drama into a supernatural thriller.
The VFX were handled by companies like Moving Picture Company (MPC). For 2009, they were solid. Looking back now, some of the digital "distortions" on the face feel a little dated, but the practical elements—the grime and the oil-paint texture—still look fantastic. It’s gross. It’s supposed to be.
The Production and the London Atmosphere
Filming took place in various spots around London, including Highgate Cemetery and the Royal Naval College. Parker and his cinematographer, Roger Pratt, did an amazing job making London look both beautiful and suffocating.
The color palette is huge here.
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Early on, everything is warm, golden, and bright. As Dorian descends into his lifestyle of hedonism, the world turns cold. Blues, greys, and deep blacks dominate the frame. You feel the dampness of the cobblestones. You feel the soot in the air. This isn't the "pretty" London of a Dickens adaptation. It’s the London of Jack the Ripper.
The costume design by Ruth Myers also deserves a shoutout. Dorian’s evolution is tracked through his clothes. He starts in somewhat ill-fitting, softer fabrics and moves into sharp, rigid, and expensive silks that look like armor. He’s perfectly preserved, but he’s essentially wearing a costume for the rest of his life.
Was it a Box Office Success?
Not exactly. It wasn't a total flop, but it didn't set the world on fire either. It grossed roughly $22 million worldwide. In the UK, it did reasonably well because, well, it’s a British classic. In the US, it went straight to DVD or had a very limited release.
But here’s the thing about the Dorian Gray movie 2009. It has a massive cult following now. Thanks to the internet and the "Dark Academia" aesthetic, people have rediscovered it on streaming platforms. Ben Barnes’ portrayal has become the "definitive" face of Dorian for a whole new generation of readers. If you go on Pinterest or Tumblr, you’ll see clips of this movie everywhere. It’s aesthetic gold.
Comparisons to other adaptations
There have been plenty of Dorians.
- Hurd Hatfield in 1945 (the classic black-and-white version).
- Helmut Berger in 1970 (the weirdly erotic one).
- Stuart Townsend in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (the action hero version).
- Reeve Carney in Penny Dreadful (the TV version).
The 2009 film sits in a weird middle ground. It’s more "Hollywood" than the 1945 version but more faithful to the spirit of the book than the action-hero versions. It captures the cruelty of the character better than most. Dorian isn't just a victim of a curse; he becomes a predator. The movie doesn't shy away from that.
Common Misconceptions about the Film
People often think this movie was a big Hollywood production. It wasn't. It was an Ealing Studios production. It had a modest budget and had to be smart about how it used its resources. That’s probably why some of the bigger "action" sequences feel a little constrained.
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Another misconception is that it’s a direct adaptation. It’s not. It’s a "reimagining." If you go in expecting every line of Wilde’s dialogue to be there, you’ll be disappointed. If you go in expecting a dark, moody thriller about the cost of vanity, you’ll have a great time.
Honestly, the movie is at its best when it focuses on the relationship between Dorian, Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin), and Lord Henry. The "unholy trinity" of the artist, the muse, and the tempter. Ben Chaplin plays Basil with a heartbreaking sincerity. He’s the only one who actually cares about Dorian’s soul, which makes his eventual fate in the film even harder to watch.
Is the Dorian Gray movie 2009 worth a rewatch?
Yes. Especially if you’re into the Gothic genre.
It’s not a perfect movie. Some of the pacing in the middle gets a bit muddy, and the ending is a major departure from the book’s quiet, shocking conclusion. Without spoiling too much for the three people who haven't read the book or seen the movie, the 2009 ending is much more "cinematic." There are fires. There are explosions. It’s a bit much, but it fits the tone Parker established.
The film serves as a cautionary tale that feels weirdly relevant in the age of Instagram filters and plastic surgery. We are all, in a way, trying to keep our "portraits" (our profiles) looking perfect while the reality of life happens elsewhere. Parker might have been a bit ahead of his time with that specific focus.
How to approach the movie today
If you want to get the most out of the Dorian Gray movie 2009, don't compare it to the book while you're watching it. Treat it as a standalone Gothic horror.
- Watch the performances: Focus on Colin Firth. He’s arguably doing some of his best character work here, even if it’s tucked away in a "genre" film.
- Look at the details: Notice how the portrait changes based on specific sins. It’s not just random rot; there’s a logic to the decay.
- Check the soundtrack: Charlie Mole’s score is underrated. It’s haunting and fits the "corrupted beauty" theme perfectly.
To truly understand the legacy of this adaptation, you should look into the history of Ealing Studios and director Oliver Parker’s other Wilde adaptations, like An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest. He clearly has a love for the author, even if he decided to take Dorian Gray into much darker, more visceral territory than Wilde might have ever intended.
The best way to experience it now is to find a high-definition copy—the shadows and textures are half the experience. It’s currently available on various streaming platforms like Amazon Prime or through digital rental. Whether you love the CGI maggots or hate the changed ending, it remains the most ambitious attempt to bring Dorian's corruption to the big screen in the modern era.