Chinatown
1974 | 130 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Why it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (98%), audiences adore it (7.9/10), it won an Oscar and people are still talking about it. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Have you seen it?
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Private eye Jake Gittes lives off of the murky moral climate of sunbaked, pre-World War II Southern California. Hired by a beautiful socialite to investigate her husband's extra-marital affair, Gittes is swept into a maelstrom of double dealings and deadly deceits, uncovering a web of personal and political scandals that come crashing together.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 92 on Metacritic
- AudiencesVery strong
7.9/10 from 4K viewers
- AwardsVery strong
9 wins, 12 other nominations — won Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay; won Golden Globe Award for Best Director
- Box office & staying powerSolid
$30 million worldwide on a $6 million budget
- Buzz & cultural impactVery strong
696K Wikipedia readers in the past year
Where to watch in US
MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel
Kanopy
HooplaRent or buy: JustWatch TV Store, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Trailer
Cast & crew
Directed by Roman Polanski
- Jack NicholsonJ.J. 'Jake' Gittes
- Faye DunawayEvelyn Cross Mulwray
- John HustonNoah Cross
- Perry LopezLieutenant Lou Escobar
- Burt YoungCurly
- John HillermanRuss Yelburton
- Darrell ZwerlingHollis I. Mulwray
- Roman PolanskiMan with Knife
- Diane LaddIda Sessions
- Richard BakalyanDetective Loach