1966 / 106m - USA
Sci-fi, Thriller
2.5*/5.0*
Seconds poster

Watches

April 29, 2023

2.5*/5.0*

The best Frankenheimer I've seen so far. It's a pretty solid and surprising film, especially for its age. It might've helped that my expectations were relatively low, but even then the film comes with a thick and oppressing atmosphere that is impossible to miss. It's a shame the second half didn't bring the explosive finale I was hoping for.

Arthur Hamilton is living a pretty standard life. He yearns for change, but he's stuck in his ways. Until he receives a phone call from a deceased friend. Arthur knows something isn't right, but he is intrigued by the message his friend has for him, and so he seeks out the address given to him. There he has to make a life-changing choice.

The black-and-white cinematography is nice, the camerawork pretty impressive and the performances are good. The setup is also pretty thrilling, but then the second half fails to add that little extra. It's still a decent film, much better than most of its peers, I just wish it had a more fitting finale.