Monday Morning Maybe

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

Poster for The Maltese Falcon

The Maltese Falcon

Seen it?

1941 | 100 min | Mystery, Crime, Thriller

Friday Night Flick

Why it’s a Friday Night Flick

Critics loved it (99% on Rotten Tomatoes), people are still talking about it, audiences rate it highly (7.7 out of 10) and it made about 5 times its budget. 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 fans and anyone who likes to be kept guessing. If you loved Strangers on a Train or Shadow of a Doubt, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Tense, gritty.
The pace
Fast-moving, at 1 hr 40 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
  • Made in 1941: an older pace and style.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

A private detective takes on a case that involves him with three eccentric criminals, a beautiful liar, and their quest for a priceless statuette.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    99% on Rotten Tomatoes, 97 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesStrong

    7.7 out of 10

  • AwardsSolid

    Nominated for 3 Oscars.

  • Box office & staying powerStrong

    $2 million worldwide on a $375K budget; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactVery strong

    About 362K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

More like this

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

Cast & crew

Directed by John Huston

  • Humphrey BogartSamuel Spade
  • Mary AstorBrigid O'Shaughnessy
  • Gladys GeorgeIva Archer
  • Peter LorreJoel Cairo
  • Barton MacLaneLt. of Detectives Dundy
  • Lee PatrickEffie Perine
  • Sydney GreenstreetKasper Gutman
  • Ward BondDetective Tom Polhaus
  • Jerome CowanMiles Archer
  • Elisha Cook Jr.Wilmer Cook