The Affair explores the emotional effects of an extramarital relationship between Noah Solloway and Alison Lockhart after the two meet in the resort town of Montauk in Long Island. Noah is a New York City schoolteacher with one novel published (book entitled A Person who Visits a Place) and he is struggling to write a second book. He is happily married with four children, but resents his dependence on his wealthy father-in-law. Alison is a young waitress trying to piece her life and marriage back together in the wake of the tragic death of her child. The story of the affair is told separately, complete with distinct memory biases, from the male and female perspectives.
The Affair explores the emotional effects of an extramarital relationship between Noah Solloway and Alison Lockhart after the two meet in the resort town of Montauk in Long Island. Noah is a New York City schoolteacher with one novel published (book entitled A Person who Visits a Place) and he is struggling to write a second book. He is happily married with four children, but resents his dependence on his wealthy father-in-law. Alison is a young waitress trying to piece her life and marriage back together in the wake of the tragic death of her child. The story of the affair is told separately, complete with distinct memory biases, from the male and female perspectives.
The film is rated -1 (Left-Leaning) due to its inherent condemnation of Nazism and its focus on the dehumanizing effects of systemic oppression on a Jewish victim, aligning with anti-fascist and human rights themes. Its primary narrative centers on individual survival and a morally complex personal relationship rather than an explicit promotion of broader progressive political solutions.
The film features a traditional cast for its Romanian setting, with no apparent intentional race or gender swaps of roles. Its narrative centers on a marital affair, without explicitly critiquing traditional identities or making DEI themes central to the plot.
The Affair features a prominent and affirming portrayal of LGBTQ+ themes through Helen Solloway's journey of self-discovery and her significant same-sex relationships. These relationships are depicted with dignity, complexity, and emotional depth, integrating them naturally into the show's narrative without relying on harmful stereotypes or negative framing.
The movie does not contain any action or adventure elements.
The Affair is an original drama series from 2014, not an adaptation of pre-existing source material or a historical account. All characters were created for the show, therefore no character's gender could have been swapped from a prior established canon.
The Affair is an original television series, meaning its characters were created for the show without prior canonical or historical racial depictions. Therefore, no character could have been race-swapped from established source material.
Combines user and critic ratings from four sources