Watch
Criterion Channel Max Amazon Video
Z
Your probable score
?

Z

1969
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
2h 7m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 76.95% from 1202 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1202)
Compact view
Compact view
Rated 11 Mar 2007
4
70th
A fantastic political thriller from Costa-Gavras; the tension and mystery unwind in a flood of facts and information from all sides as it becomes apparent that an "accidental" death is much more than it seems. At two hours, the film is packed from wall-to-wall and moves at a breakneck pace, but never becomes confusing. Excellent photography and direction help along the quick, loose feel of the film. The ending is a whirlwind.
Rated 18 Mar 2007
80
77th
Excellent screenplay and outstanding technical values. The plot is complicated but the storytelling is so good you never get lost. It's the "it" political thriller by excelence.
Rated 15 Feb 2009
90
85th
Never had I expected or wanted to see so many head-clubbings as I got in the first part of Z. I think I have some sort of pathological aversion to seeing that. But on a more serious note, this is one hell of a political thriller. Imaginatively yet tightly constructed, intense as all get-out, and impossible not to get caught up in. Costa-Gavras pulls the audience in masterfully, and whatever your politics you'll be demanding the heads of the guilty on platters soon enough.
Rated 27 Dec 2013
100
97th
About as good a thriller about corruption as you will find. When the people in the positions of protection are the ones moving the pieces for a cause outside of justice, what trust or safety is there? It's a remarkable portrait of abuse of power.
Rated 17 Mar 2016
5
93rd
Costa-Gavras pulls no punches, in fact he drops bombs. Z is angry and confrontational agitprop, perhaps self-righteous, but made with infectious wit and energy. Indeed, an ironic sense of humor moves the film away from obvious tragedy and into the realm of satire. Although thinly veiled historical fiction inspired by specific events, its anti-establishment attitude - a contempt for corrupt and unaccountable authority - will probably never cease to resonate with young generations and new ideals.
Rated 10 Jun 2018
80
78th
I'll never be accused of being a political firebrand for any side, but this movie makes you wonder about uncontrolled governments and the secrets that they keep. While there are some choppy moments (a few of the flashbacks were cryptic) and there are a lot of characters to keep track of, this political thriller -- based on real events -- is played like a jigsaw puzzle, waiting (almost teasing) to show the final solution. Still relevant today.
Rated 11 Feb 2023
81
79th
Is able to portray action in a way that becomes replicated throughout the US paranoia thrillers of the 70’s where it’s not all car chases and violence action can be the subtle movements when telling a lie. The camera delicately telling you what is or isn’t truth (something fincher uses to perfection as well in Zodiac) . Surprised how many jokes there were.
Rated 17 May 2007
91
95th
Great film that displays the inner workings in a facist state. Costa Gravas really knows how to make political films with a lot of depth and still keep them entertaining and even humorous. Starts off a little weak but the end incredibly strong.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
92nd
Showed this movie to my High School class in 1974 during the height of Watergate. The students didn't get it, but I sure did! The parallels are creepily eerie today as well.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
85th
Tense, gripping, and fascinating. Sure, the politics are loaded and heavy-handed (though it is based on a true story, so it gets a pass), but when the film-making is this dynamic and powerful, who cares?
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
55th
beware greeks bearing gifts!
Rated 24 Jul 2008
85
84th
Even though I was quite conscious of how much I was being manipulated to hate the "bad guys" (Costa-Gavras REALLY stacks the deck), I was still enraged and really wanted to see the motherfuckers get what was coming to them. It's a very exciting film with a great cast, and clever usage of flashbacks and time cuts. There's even some humor to it. Intense and riveting.
Rated 31 Jul 2008
90
86th
I wonder why Godard didn't make good political movies like this one.
Rated 13 Sep 2009
86
97th
Great movie, loosely based on events in Greece in the 60s.
Rated 01 Mar 2010
91
97th
Everything I want to say has already been said: masterful filmmaking, breakneck pace and the lofty status as being THE cinematic political thriller. Wow.
Rated 15 Dec 2010
94
95th
If a movie can have a "personality", Z has a particularly strong one, and it makes for exciting stuff. A fantastic blend of bleak political drama, Hollywood-type thriller, and pitch-black comedy. Costa-Gavras has a keen eye, as well.
Rated 20 Dec 2010
83
78th
Excellent political thriller that will make your blood boil.
Rated 02 Apr 2012
70
57th
Although "Z" is strong in every department -neat camerawork and editing, decent acting and sharp writing- I can't say I was drawn too much into its story. I can recognize its assets (like all the clever narrative tricks that Gavras throws in to spice up the storyline) but I wasn't enthralled by its slightly confusing plot. It's undoubtedly a very good political thriller, just one that I found something less than fascinating.
Rated 23 Jan 2013
95
91st
Wonderful procedural thriller keeps you on your toes as it shows a political assassination and then follows an investigation into the true forces behind the crime.
Rated 30 Jan 2014
5
70th
has a similar investigative style to all the president's men, but it's more interesting and involving. it's a well-written political thriller that perhaps could do with a bit more directorial flair, but it captures the inevitable tragedy of the events leading up to greece's military dictatorship quite well.
Rated 06 Apr 2014
97
99th
Beyond the technical and creative artistry required to make it one of the most exciting story-driven thrillers out there, Z is also remarkable because its tight and immersive genre plotting serves complex but critical themes that only get more relevant with each passing year. The film remains universally relatable as a caustic portrait of institutional corruption & media suppression. It's film activism, but under the more approachable mask of a tense mystery thriller; somehow it excels as both.
Rated 20 Jun 2014
85
96th
2 damn hours and I didn't blink an eye! You know the truth, while the investigator is searching for the answers but this is not going to bore you! I'm stunned with the fantastic editting.
Rated 27 Jun 2015
60
50th
This has been on my must-see list for years and years. And now that I finally got around to seeing it, it didn't really grab me for some reason. I'll probably put it on again in the future and hopefully get more out of it.
Rated 27 Nov 2016
65
54th
[MMWTM3K#15] To be honest I'm quite underwhelmed. Script is good, but unimpressive direction and cinematography makes it not that engaging experience. Can't believe I'm saying this but I actually believe it would be much better if it was shot more in American style.
Rated 24 Jan 2017
57
26th
Ultimately drama-less, the anticipation devices were there, with scenes allowing the audience to see what occurrence was planned & perhaps dread it playing out before them, but Gavras is no Hitchcock & the soft nature of his direction and ill discipline in the command of pacing and in turn, tension, left the film deflated. I can appreciate the timing of this film however, and the leaning of its ideology, given the events of May 68.
Rated 06 Apr 2020
66
61st
Historically important and fairly accurate. But I found the direction fairly bland or awkward when it tried to be fancy.
Rated 21 Jul 2021
74
82nd
The film isn't so much a murder mystery as it is an exploration of the political psyche of the time. In this regard I think the film is engaging with how it treats the dichotomy of nationalism and wing politics, but it's also kind of a hard watch due to how dry it is and how the "thriller" part is actually pretty boring. I'd probably appreciate this more if I was more privy to this setting, but as it stands it's an interesting if somewhat dull look at political extremes.
Rated 16 Feb 2022
65
74th
çok kötü çekilmiş bir film. kurgu berbat, izlemesi zor, oyunculuklar kötü, sanatsal olarak aşırı bir değeri yok, documentary tarzında olduğu halde 3-5 mantık hatası var. niye bu puanları aldığını ben biliyorum. açıkçası filmin kritik ve sert anlamı-eleştirisi bir filme koyu yeşil vermek için yeterli olacağını düşünmüyorum. costa gavras genel olarak çok sevdiğim bir yönetmen ama bu film yönetmenin kesinlikle en kötü filmi. filmin solculuğuna ben de varım. tüm puanım ona ve görüntü yönetimine.
Rated 10 Sep 2023
95
96th
Sometimes a film sits on your queue for so long that when you finally see it, you feel like a huge dummy for letting it sit for so long. This combines a lot of my favourite genres, like political thriller and documentary realism (although, no erotic thriller elements). Also, Z is my favourite letter of the alphabet, so I should have known.
Rated 15 Jan 2024
90
87th
This is quite a film. It's an exciting thriller that moves at quite a pace, pushed along by staccato, documentary style editing. It's also quite a surprisingly funny film, highlighting just how idiotic the conspirators were ... though the humour ultimately turns very black when you realize that the idiocy is most likely thinly veiled contempt for a system that they know will never really punish them. It's rare that a film this (righteously) angry is this entertaining.
Rated 03 Jan 2007
94
93rd
Em honra do centenário de François Périer filme #1. Se não fosse pelo cinema talvez esqueceríamos com muita facilidade que nos anos 60 a Grécia era tão republiqueta de banana seviciada pelos EUA tanto quanto os países da América Latina e rever esse filme hoje, em tempos de imbróglio dos três poderes envolvendo o caso Marielle aqui no Brasil, é um soco no estômago. BlurayRip no MakingOff.
Rated 17 Feb 2007
73
54th
excellent camera work... interesting soundtrack. odd story structure, and some realy beautiful edited sequences. recommended.
Rated 26 Mar 2007
90
86th
One of the few really good political movies
Rated 03 May 2007
86
76th
Z is a great thriller with an intense story and effective writing.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
100
99th
The best political thriller I have ever seen. The writing, directing and acting are all masterful.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
82
89th
Really well made. I think there are a lot of people who like it for other reasons, though.
Rated 20 Feb 2008
93
82nd
Surprisingly engaging. I had expected a dated and very French film but this one is very taut, is cross-cultural, and has aged very well.
Rated 02 Mar 2008
50
20th
# 995
Rated 06 Aug 2008
94
98th
There may never be a better political thriller than this. Gripping, emotional, technically proficient, inventive. Absolute excellence.
Rated 08 Dec 2008
87
85th
Pure film manipulation: whatever your politics, by the end you can't help but demand action. So Z is one of the greatest political films - a transcendent story with particular social umph, technical brilliance, and comedy delicately sprinkled throughout. It never stops to let you breath, and that's it's biggest merit.
Rated 19 Dec 2008
52
4th
961
Rated 02 May 2009
4
71st
"Costa-Gravas at his hypocrisy and oppression-fighting best."
Rated 09 Dec 2009
100
91st
Not only a fine social protest, but exciting movie-making.
Rated 16 Jan 2010
52
4th
959
Rated 26 Jan 2010
94
93rd
One of the finest of political thrillers.
Rated 05 May 2010
90
96th
Tight..
Rated 19 Jun 2010
8
82nd
I can't stand politics but this was excellent, which is saying something. Loved the acting and the mystery of everything involved with the film. Nice cinematic touches with some of the best use of flashback I've ever seen as well.
Rated 20 Oct 2010
30
78th
"It's still an eye-catching, fast-paced watch." - Bill Weber
Rated 03 Nov 2010
75
72nd
It's a good thing because when you remember to canned wax beans, you're legs aren't get all
Rated 24 Dec 2010
5
0th
Years later, Costa-Gavras' shrewd contrivance and superb form hold up impressively.
Rated 04 Feb 2011
85
71st
Forget about the Cold War politics (which are very interesting in their own right), this is a damn good thriller.
Rated 07 Feb 2011
76
49th
Very well done, even if it's a little too dry to thrill me. Still, it's well written, well acted, and well put together. The ensemble is memorable, the score is great, and the camerawork has an occasionally astonishing ingenuity. I just wish it let me sink my teeth into it a little more. Repeat viewings probably necessary.
Rated 07 May 2011
80
84th
Very good, tour-de-force directing and a great cast, still I didn't get into it quite as much as I had hoped (and as my PSI of 91 would indicate) for some reason. That said, it was indeed entertaining and engaging.
Rated 30 May 2011
80
74th
overly praised considering it's really just a passable movie with an element here or there that's above decent. the end product is somewhat lumpy, but an over all enjoyable movie. decent story and good directing, yet pretty much every part of this movie could have used a bit of refinement or more.
Rated 20 Jul 2011
86
77th
Costa-Gavras' passionate film is propaganda done right. A veiled look at the murder of a Greek left-wing leader, it serves as a potent commentary on any situation where the ruling powers repress opposition and cover up the truth. The acting is good, the script and direction are engaging, and the politics, if loaded, are strongly conveyed. Manipulative, but manipulation of the highest skill.
Rated 02 Dec 2011
50
0th
#993
Rated 24 Dec 2011
94
87th
Dictators are similar everywhere!
Rated 24 Jan 2012
95
95th
A thrilling, suprisingly dense and complex film that had me glued to the screen from the opening frame.
Rated 12 Dec 2012
92
82nd
The starkness and economy of that ending just blows me away no matter how many times I watch it. The ultimate in leftist agitprop, 'lithe and ferocious as a tiger'.
Rated 13 Jan 2013
90
90th
Not the best political thriller I've ever seen (All the President's Men, Syriana) but this is still a magnificent film. The similarities to the Watergate scandal are eerily striking.
Rated 26 Apr 2013
59
62nd
Nice depiction of political corruption. I have to say, I was actually really impressed by the stunts in this film.
Rated 25 May 2013
75
81st
Political thrillers aren't always my thing, so that's probably why I didn't love this. In saying that, I can totally appreciate why the film is so highly regarded. I was especially impressed with the editing, and I also liked the little pans and zooms the director used. I won't pretend I was always engaged with the story, but it was a good one and I liked the use of different perspectives. In the end, it's not really my type of film, but I liked what it had to give.
Rated 11 Oct 2013
92
88th
Great movie, it emphazies the exact political structure of france during that year.
Rated 22 Jan 2014
93
99th
Toute ressemblance avec des evenements reels, des personnes vivantes ou mortes, n'est pas le fait du hasard. Elle est volontaire.
Rated 20 Apr 2014
84
57th
Filled with an atmosphere of menace and danger, this is a potent political thriller. It's very much a sociological film, though; we're never invited into the inner lives of the characters, we're just brought to outrage about the silencing techniques of the government. In that aspect, the film couldn't be more effective, but the only emotional connection the film permits is one of anger - not one of sympathy or compassion.
Rated 21 Aug 2014
90
81st
It took a Greek with a WWII Resistance-fighting father who was imprisoned upon being labeled a Communist, as well as a mastery of cinematic technique (which he was not allowed to study in the U.S. due to his father's stigma), to modernize the political thriller in ways both profitable and imperative.
Rated 28 Aug 2015
80
80th
As Z goes on any cultural barriers collapse to reveal the all too relatable and relevant iron fist of fascist political corruption and conspiracy. These disturbing underhandings happen identically decades later, and Costa-Gavras's fiery passion creates fast direction with a scandalous pseudo-documentary lens that's still being copied in modern procedural thrillers. As astoundingly contemporary as it is bleak.
Rated 16 Jan 2016
70
56th
I think it is interesting in its subtle tone when dealing with the "society du spectacle" and the regime of desire it creates though less than it tries to be documentary like and present the "reality" with a capital R. I enjoyed its meticulous effort to reveal all the concealed power relations within the state apparatus but at the end it comes to an optimistic and easy solution which makes the movie's attitude to overt and too propagandizing.
Rated 16 Jun 2016
83
73rd
A lot of strength in the directing and editing departments, yet as impressive as they may be, they still work to serve the story rather than detract from it. Engaging film with a deep sense of political injustice that seems very transparent here, though loses just a bit of steam in the second half as the story strands branch out even further.
Rated 03 Jul 2016
73
78th
Gavras' international breakthrough is widely regarded as the ultimate political procedural thriller for good reason. While its politics are dated, as well as manipulative, it isn't a problem because the film functions knowingly as a blunt instrument, deconstructing a right wing conspiracy that led to the murder of a liberal Greek politician with righteous fury. It's perhaps unfortunate that it had to be made in French, but it is tense and gripping and laced with mordant wit.
Rated 30 Jul 2016
87
89th
Much acclaimed. Brilliant in places, but leaves a nagging hole in the heart after watching. Of something unpleasant, something dark and deep. I appreciate the greatness of it but don't much like the feeling it left me with at the end.
Rated 26 May 2018
85
90th
evrensel siyasi tarih farklı ölçeklerle de olsa bu olaylar etrafında döndüğü için, yani gerçeklik doğrudan bu olduğu için hikaye anlatımında ister istemez farklı yaklaşımlar gerekiyor, zira öbür türlü sıkıcı bir "şu oldu, bu oldu" ötesine geçemiyor. z bunu, bugün için bile, hayranlık uyandırıcı biçimde başarıyor. temaların sağlıklı keşfini sürükleyici biçimde ve harika kamera kullanımıyla aktarıyor, ki friedkin'e ilham olması da bu başarısını
Rated 07 Jun 2018
100
98th
God damn, what a plot. Such deft pacing, such fluid juggling of so many characters and story beats. And then the fake-out happy ending. Perfect. I had a blast watching this. The fight in the back of the three-wheeled truck is genuinely one of the most thrilling action scenes I've seen in a good while.
Rated 23 Nov 2018
9
93rd
Very effective political thriller crackling with nervous energy and narrative verve, plotty but assuredly handled by a director very much favoured by the movie Gods.
Rated 13 Dec 2018
90
95th
Françoise Bonnot: "The military regime banned: long hair, miniskirts, Sophocles, Tolstoy, Euripides, Russian-style toasts, strikes, Aristophanes, Ionesco, Sartre, Albee, Pinter, freedom of the press, sociology, Beckett, Dostoyevsky, modern music, pop music, new math, and the letter Z, which means HE LIVES in Ancient Greek."
Rated 10 Dec 2019
75
89th
Good.
Rated 15 Jan 2020
80
74th
While the film is clearly more interested in its message than its characters, it is still a thrilling experience. The story moves and escalates at a good pace, and leaves enough room for some big laughs. Even without knowing anything about the real events that inspired this, the film still works and remains thematically relevant 50 years later.
Rated 04 May 2020
90
97th
Adalet üzerine bir başyapıt. Siyaset ve adalet ilişkisi, basının önemi hakkında. SPOILER Komünist partini yapacağı toplantı hukumet tarafından engellenmek istenir. Nihayetinde toplantı yapılır ama parti başkanına suikast düzenlenir. Başlangıçta kaza denilerek geçiştirilen olay genç bir gazetecinin araştırması neticesinde ortaya çıkar. Bu arada Hakim taraf gözetmeden adaletin yayında durur. Polis ve sukiastciler arasindaki iliski ortaya cikar. Hakim tehditlere eği
Rated 27 Sep 2020
88
84th
First part heartpounding verite style thriller. Second part personal and emotional, as we find ourselves morally aligned with truth. Third part we might believe truth will prevail. With the distribution of charges, catharsis gasps briefly before reality rips it to shreds. To resiliently hunt for truth is a moral act. Any -ism or -ocracy only views the truth in terms of politics and power. Fluid synthesis of cinematography, editing, writing. Powerfully relevant to the current US situation in 2020
Rated 16 Nov 2020
84
46th
Easily the worst score I've ever heard
Rated 21 Nov 2020
80
81st
Costa-Gavras keeps making good films with good politics that inexplicably ignore actual leftists. It's a little more understandable here since it's based on Sartzetakis, but the good cop character is far less interesting than the pacifists driven to contemplating violent revolution, the widow watching her assassinated husband used for political capital, the card-carrying anti-communist assassin talking about class inequality, etc. But as with Missing, credit for putting this out in 1969.
Rated 27 Feb 2021
84
29th
People call this movie a tense and gripping thriller. WTF?!? I really don't get it. It felt to me like one of those movies that tries to treat a semi-serious subject in a cheesy and slightly comedic way. There was never any tension. Like everyone calling each other a Communist - that was satire right? Not a gripping thriller at all. Do the people rating this so highly have a commercial stake in the success of this movie? Just really odd to read these positive reviews.
Rated 08 Aug 2021
89
86th
A tense and well-told political thriller. I once heard someone compare it to an episode of Law and Order, and I suppose that's fair, but Law and Order had to get it's formula somewhere!
Rated 06 Oct 2021
83
72nd
About halfway through, the sister of a witness attempts to defend her view of events by coming up with ever more outlandish explanations. I guess the world hasn't really changed that much in more than 50 years.
Rated 10 Jun 2023
80
62nd
What starts as a choppy (surprisingly dry) recounting of civil violence and unrest becomes gradually more gripping, until the screws really tighten as Trintignant’s unflappable truth seeker starts his laser sharp investigation. Sets the tone and style for the Watergate era paranoia thrillers; like even the best of them, a certain aloofness makes full emotional investment difficult at times. An interesting and well-told “important” film, with nicely understated performances by the entire cast.
Rated 13 Nov 2023
83
86th
It doesn't offer the pleasures of subtlety, but once the violence dies down, an absorbing movie. I do miss the 60's, when people were less anesthetized. And gee, the Trump era has shown that the fascist playbook hasn't changed. Pauline Kael gets in a great line in her review: "When the picture is over and you've caught your breath you know perfectly well that its techniques of excitation could as easily be used by a smart fascist filmmaker, if there were one. Luckily there isn't."

Collections

(81)
Compact view
Showing 1 - 24 of 81 results

Similar Titles

Loading ...

Statistics

Loading ...

Trailer

No Trailer