"A Hidden Life" premiered in competition at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival on May 19, 2019. The following day, the film was acquired by Fox Searchlight Pictures for $12–14 million. The film screened at the Vatican Film Library on December 4, 2019, with Malick making a rare public appearance to introduce the film. It was released in limited release in the United States on December 13, 2019 followed by a wide release in January.