Touch of Evil

Name: Touch of Evil
Genre: Crime, Thriller, Drama
Released: 1958-03-30
Cast: Charlton Heston, Janet Leigh, Orson Welles, Joseph Calleia, Akim Tamiroff

1958 | 111 min | Crime, Thriller, Drama

Friday Night Flick

Why it’s a Friday Night Flick

Critics loved it (97% on Rotten Tomatoes), audiences rate it highly (7.7 out of 10) and it's still drawing plenty of interest. Make plans for this one.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it: Made for crime-drama fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood: Tense, dark and gritty.
The pace: Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 51 min.
What might put you off: Made in 1958: an older pace and style.
Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

A border-town bombing draws Mexican investigator Miguel Vargas into a corruption-ridden police investigation led by crooked captain Hank Quinlan, setting off a deadly struggle over power, justice, and truth.

How it earned its rating

CriticsVery strong
97% on Rotten Tomatoes
AudiencesStrong
7.7 out of 10
AwardsNot counted
Awards data unavailable, so this isn't counted
Box office & staying powerSolid
$2 million worldwide on a $829K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 182K people sought it out in the past year