Add your email and we'll match picks to the services you stream at home.

Poster for The Serpent

The Serpent

Seen it?

1973 | 113 min | Thriller

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With almost no lasting buzz and mixed reviews, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

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 Bridge of Spies or The Bourne Ultimatum, start here.
The mood
Tense.
The pace
Fast-moving, at 1 hr 53 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
  • Made in 1973: an older pace and style.

Vlassov is a Soviet spy who defects in France. He is whisked to the U.S, where Allan Davies takes over the case. After polygraph tests and cross-examinations, Vlassov names several Western European agents who are also spying for the Soviets. Davies wants to take the listed agents into custody; meanwhile, those on the list start dying under mysterious circumstances.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsBelow par

    Mixed reviews

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerSolid

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 9K people sought it out in the past year

More like this

Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks

Cast & crew

Directed by Henri Verneuil

  • Yul BrynnerCol. Alexi Vlassov
  • Henry FondaAlan Davies
  • Dirk BogardePhilip Boyle
  • Virna LisiMrs. Annabel Lee
  • Robert AldaPolygraph interrogator
  • Farley GrangerComputer Programming Director
  • Philippe NoiretLucien Berthon
  • Michel BouquetTavel
  • Martin HeldLepke
  • Guy TréjanDeval