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Seven Days in May

Seven Days in May

1964
Romance, Drama
1h 58m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 70.94% from 408 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(408)
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Rated 17 Mar 2020
85
82nd
On my first day of COVID-19, after working remotely and watching governments fail and Russia being Russia and markets plummet and using paper towels instead of toilet paper, this felt like the movie to watch. It's telling that films once thought outlandish lose their elseworldly sting. The eerie quiet with which plots plot and boils boil are all the more authentic. Most importantly, the eventual call for democracy as a beacon in the night feels now switched off. What terror is that.
Rated 26 Jan 2010
87
75th
Classic paranoid cold war thriller directed with elegance and restraint. The whole cast is fine Lancaster is scary as a smooth megalomaniac convinced of his own virtuousness, and Ava Gardner at 42 uses the vulnerability of her aging beauty to make a small part unforgettable.
Rated 14 Mar 2008
80
74th
March very good as the Prez. O'Brien doesn't so much chew the scenery as drink it--but he's fun anyway. Ava excellent in a somewhat thankless cameo. In fact, the whole cast is fine--including Lancaster as the silky hypnotic ringleader and Douglas in his subordinate role (I mean, role as a subordinate). Frankenheimer's direction is low-key but effective--hearkening back to the live-TV approach.
Rated 10 Mar 2012
85
91st
While IMO not as good as Frankenheimer's earlier The Manchurian Candidate, this film was excellent. The suspense builds nicely over the seven days and the acting was great. Lancaster is convincing, charismatic, and conniving and Douglas is great as a foil to him. March plays his role well and O'Brien shines in his small role. The only piece that didn't really fit for me was Gardner. Excellent last line of dialogue between Lancaster and Douglas.
Rated 10 Jun 2012
80
86th
Suspenseful. The dialogue is great, and so is the cast. Exquisite cinematography and staging.
Rated 13 Sep 2018
4
74th
Cynical of far right jingoism, equating hawkish and mawkish nationalism with fascism, but unfortunately not above a few small sermons about the sanctity of American democracy and constitutionalism. These are insignificant blemishes on the whole, which is an exciting and suspenseful conspiracy thriller with a few really terrific performances. Another notch in Frankenheimer's reputation for being one of this era's most cognizant American filmmakers, alongside Sidney Lumet and Stanley Kramer.
Rated 24 Feb 2007
75
89th
Great film.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
50
43rd
Score based on distant memory.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
87
80th
Very intelligent policial thriller that is sadly overlooked. I saw this and imagined a remake with George Clooney (who I don't normally like). The twists and turns are very well done. If you can find this movie, take a moment to watch it.
Rated 31 May 2008
60
47th
Way too talky. Far less engaging than you would think, given cast, director, and subject matter
Rated 07 Nov 2009
72
71st
A fine film on its own, modern first-time viewing is a bit hampered with so much knowledge of what happens...eventually. This has a lot of first-rate actors in it and the premise is interesting. It combines plot and character development in a satisfying way. I can't help but feel that it isn't cynical enough though.
Rated 27 Nov 2009
87
87th
Great tension right up to the end, buoyed by solid performances. It does feel a bit dated at times but still manages to be credible enough to carry the premise.
Rated 21 Dec 2010
4
78th
One of two of my favorite cold war thrillers - the other being "Fail Safe"
Rated 09 Feb 2014
64
60th
Good cast and taut direction compensate somewhat for a flawed script packed with earnest boy scout homilies about nuclear war and democracy.
Rated 11 Aug 2014
95
92nd
A definite companion piece to The Manchurian Candidate, but markedly closer to possible realities.
Rated 02 Oct 2015
70
62nd
They were still making black and white movies in 1964, eh? Overall enjoyed the movie. I like to complain about endings, so, here's the complaint: ended too abruptly.
Rated 06 May 2016
8
70th
how fucking cool is Kirk Douglas
Rated 25 Jul 2018
65
57th
Ava Gardner drops an acting nuke on the screen, amazing performance.
Rated 12 Aug 2018
80
81st
sıkı senaryo, sağlam oyuncular, kamerayla dans edebilen bir yönetmen. daha ne istenebilir?
Rated 31 Dec 2018
70
54th
Not as tense as it probably thinks it is with the way the performances are given. Great direction tho!
Rated 24 Apr 2019
60
47th
Dry and lengthy film, with interesting dialogue and a good ending.
Rated 28 Jul 2019
80
97th
This film is a cautionary tale that still rings true more than 50 years later. The black and white give the film added mystique that accents an excellent cast.
Rated 11 Aug 2020
100
97th
This is the highest level of filmmaking. Every element hit its mark. I was particular impressed by the performances. Incredible!
Rated 09 Feb 2023
55
56th
Really good performances and dialogue but just felt too stagey for me. Also falls into that Hollywood liberal trope of how a speech solves everything.
Rated 18 Mar 2023
71
75th
Stellar cast.

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