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Poster for Compulsion

Compulsion

Seen it?

1959 | 103 min | Crime, Drama, History, Thriller

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

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

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for crime-drama fans, anyone who likes to be kept guessing and history buffs. If you loved Just Mercy or Primal Fear, start here. 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 43 min.
What might put you off
  • Made in 1959: an older pace and style.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Two close friends' plan to execute a flawless crime is crushed when one of them inadvertently leaves his glasses at the crime scene.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    100% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.1 out of 10

  • AwardsBelow par

    Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival: Best Actor. Also nominated for 1 BAFTA, 1 more Cannes award and 1 DGA Award.

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $2 million worldwide on a $1 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 61K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Richard Fleischer

  • Dean StockwellJudd Steiner
  • Bradford DillmanArthur A. Straus
  • Orson WellesJonathan Wilk
  • E.G. MarshallDistrict Attorney Harold Horn
  • Diane VarsiRuth Evans
  • Martin MilnerSid Brooks
  • Richard AndersonMax Steiner
  • Robert F. SimonPolice Lt. Johnson
  • Robert BurtonCharles Straus
  • Wilton GraffMr. Steiner