Equus

Equus (1977)

  • 63% of critics liked it
    (16 reviews)

  • 76% of users liked it
    (3,539 ratings)

Richard Burton plays a psychiatrist who attempts to discover why young Peter Firth has taken to mutilating live horses. In probing Firth's psyche, Burton discovers that the source of the boy's obsession is his mother, Joan Plowright, who has raised Firth with a convoluted set of values. Even as he… More

Play Trailer

R, 2 hr. 17 min.
Directed By
Sidney Lumet
Genres
Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense
In Theaters
Jan 1, 1977 Wide
On DVD
Mar 4, 2003
MGM Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

  • Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews

    A compelling thriller.

  • Richard T. Jameson, Parallax View

    Sidney Lumet was just the right director for Equus, and just the wrong one.

  • Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com

    Thanks Sidney.

  • Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

    The acting of Richard Burton and Peter Firth in their Oscar-nominated turns is good, but writer Shaffer and Sidney Lumet can't open up the play, which on screen seems too verbose and pretentious with its philosophical issues.

  • Steve Crum, Kansas City Kansan

    Pretty much fails as film; the play's really the thing

Read all 7 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • jay n


    Interesting, well acted but extremely grim. There's the feeling that a good deal of subtext was removed because of the times in which it was made. A prime candidate for a remake.

  • Alice S


    Peter Firth's performance definitely beat Daniel Radcliffe's one-note angst, but as a film, I don't think the story works. The climactic scenes (orgasm on Nugget, blinding of horses) contained within the cinematic frame lost much of the stage production's frenetic… More

  • Mike T


    An unnerving, intellectual character piece whose powerfully disturbing nature outweighs its small flaws. The acting from everyone involved in this film is excellent, particularly Burton and Firth in the demanding lead roles. Sidney Lumet's direction, apart from a few debatably… More

Cast

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Trailers & Clips