The Manchurian Candidate
Seen it?2004 | 130 min | Thriller, Mystery
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (79% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved The Manchurian Candidate or The Guest, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 2 hr 10 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Years after his squad was ambushed during the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco finds himself having terrible nightmares. He begins to doubt that his fellow squad-mate Sergeant Raymond Shaw, now a vice-presidential candidate, is the hero he remembers him being. As Marco's doubts deepen, Shaw's political power grows, and, when Marco finds a mysterious implant embedded in his back, the memory of what really happened begins to return.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
79% on Rotten Tomatoes, 76 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.5 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Nominated for 1 Golden Globe and 1 BAFTA.
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$96 million worldwide on a $80 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 260K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Jonathan Demme
- Denzel WashingtonMajor Bennett Ezekiel Marco
- Meryl StreepSenator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw (D-VA)
- Liev SchreiberCongressman Raymond Prentiss Shaw (D-NY)
- Simon McBurneyDr. Atticus Noyle
- Kimberly EliseRosie
- Bruno GanzDelp
- Jon VoightSenator Thomas Jordan (D-CT)
- Jeffrey WrightCPL Al Melvin
- Anthony MackiePFC Robert Baker III
- Ted LevineColonel Howard