Howl_
"The Obscenity Trial That Started a Revolution. The Poem That Rocked a Generation."
It's San Francisco in 1957, and an American masterpiece is put on trial. Howl, the film, recounts this dark moment using three interwoven threads: the tumultuous life events that led a young Allen Ginsberg to find his true voice as an artist, society's reaction (the obscenity trial), and mind-expanding animation that echoes the startling originality of the poem itself. All three coalesce in a genre-bending hybrid that brilliantly captures a pivotal moment-the birth of a counterculture.
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
Pluto TV
FREE
2 countries
Hoopla
FREE
2 countries
fuboTV
1 country
Kanopy
FREE
1 country
Plex
FREE
1 country
Fawesome
FREE
1 country
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Box office
Howl earned $1.2M against a $5.0M budget.
Jeffrey Friedman →
Year context
Howl was released 16 years ago in 2010.
CAST (16)
James Franco
Allen Ginsberg
TR
Todd Rotondi
Jack Kerouac
Jon Prescott
Neal Cassady
Aaron Tveit
Peter Orlovsky
David Strathairn
Ralph McIntosh
Jon Hamm
Jake Ehrlich
Andrew Rogers
Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Bob Balaban
Judge Clayton Horn
Mary-Louise Parker
Gail Potter
Treat Williams
Mark Schorer
Jeff Daniels
Professor David Kirk
Alessandro Nivola
Luther Nichols
Allen Ginsberg
Self
Sean Patrick Reilly
Six Gallery
Alex Emanuel
Six Gallery
Cecilia Foss
Beatnik Poet
CREW
BOX OFFICE
$5.0M
Budget
$1.2M
Revenue
-76%
ROI
FLOP
Verdict
STUDIOS (3)
Rabbit Bandini Productions
Werc Werk Works
Oscilloscope
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
84 min (1h 24m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
6.5/10 (190 votes)
Popularity
4
Budget
$5,000,000
Box Office
$1,183,258
Profit
$-3,816,742
IMDB
Trailer
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Howl about?
It's San Francisco in 1957, and an American masterpiece is put on trial. Howl, the film, recounts this dark moment using three interwoven threads: the tumultuous life events that led a young Allen Ginsberg to find his true voice as an artist, society's reaction (the obscenity trial), and mind-expanding animation that echoes the startling originality of the poem itself. All three coalesce in a genre-bending hybrid that brilliantly captures a pivotal moment-the birth of a counterculture.
How long is Howl?
Howl has a runtime of 84 minutes (1h 24m).
Who directed Howl?
Howl was directed by Jeffrey Friedman.
Who stars in Howl?
The cast of Howl includes James Franco, Todd Rotondi, Jon Prescott, Aaron Tveit, David Strathairn.
How much did Howl make at the box office?
Howl earned $1,183,258 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $5,000,000.
What is the rating of Howl?
Howl has a rating of 6.5 out of 10 based on 190 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (1)
Drama
KEYWORDS (8)
freedom
poetry
literature
psychiatric hospital
male homosexuality
counter-culture
1950s
gay theme