Frantic (1988)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Lucas M

  
  Frantic, unfortunately doesn't present the great surrealist style of Polanski, but show a creative and tense plot with surprising moments. Fresh.

• familiar s

  
  I was expecting an average thriller, but ended up with a bit less here. (Never contented, am I?) Not bad to kill time, though. The actors were fine, but their characters were hardly so. So, unless you're a die-hard Polanski/Ford fan and/or are running out of options, this… More
  I was expecting an average thriller, but ended up with a bit less here. (Never contented, am I?) Not bad to kill time, though. The actors were fine, but their characters were hardly so. So, unless you're a die-hard Polanski/Ford fan and/or are running out of options, this isn't something to anxiously look forward to.

• Jim H

  
  A doctor's wife disappears in Paris, and using only the clues in a misplaced suitcase and the help of a mysterious woman, he must find her before she is killed or he is arrested. This is a classic noir film directed by one of the genre's masters, Roman Polanski. The young… More
  A doctor's wife disappears in Paris, and using only the clues in a misplaced suitcase and the help of a mysterious woman, he must find her before she is killed or he is arrested. This is a classic noir film directed by one of the genre's masters, Roman Polanski. The young Harrison Ford shows his acting chops in the film's dramatic scenes, and the final sequence is shot remarkably well with angles and camera movement that are reminiscent of classic noirs. I saw a couple homages to <i>Touch of Evil</i> during this climax. I also thought the relationship between Walker and Michelle, played by Emmanuelle Seigner, was well-developed. It's obvious that she captures both Walker's attraction and repulsion. He is simultaneously drawn to her as he reviles her lifestyle and the threat she poses to his marriage. However, the film moves quite slowly throughout. It's not as bad as <i>The American</i>, but it certainly lacks sequences of action, surprise, or intrigue until act three. Even then, the film's action sequences are relatively predictable. I also found it cliche that the kidnappers are identified as Arabs, and their ethnicity seems to be the only motive for their actions. Even in 1988 Arabs are the go-to terrorists. Finally, Walker first clue is a pack of matches in the suitcase, and I found it ham-handedly coincidental that this minor clue leads him on the right track. I recently re-watched <i>A Very Long Engagement</i>, and though these two films are remarkably different in many substantive ways, I liked how the mystery in Jeunet's film had so many dead-ends, which gave the film a far more realistic feel than thrillers like <i>Frantic</i>. Overall, Polanski's film is good, but I recommend it with a few reservations.

• Conner R

  
  I actually like this more every time I see it. While Frantic is sort've thrown in with Harrison Ford's other "wife issues", it's without a doubt the most unique and artistic. It's got the risque factor that most hollywood type thrillers don't have,… More
  I actually like this more every time I see it. While Frantic is sort've thrown in with Harrison Ford's other "wife issues", it's without a doubt the most unique and artistic. It's got the risque factor that most hollywood type thrillers don't have, but it doesn't try too hard to be controversial. It's the type of role that Harrison Ford excels at, a normal person that is driven slowly to a degree of intensity that cannot be contained. This is extremely fascinating to look at and shares the same style as say Repulsion or The Tenant. The creepy score from Ennio Morricone is my new favorite part, it's subtle yet extremely effective.

• Lady D

  
  A mysterious abduction film by Roman Polanski, which doesn't exactly thrill too much, but makes for easy viewing

• Curtis L

  
  Pretty standard stuff.

• Dean !

  
  A very average thriller that is quite slow at times. Lacking a lot of action and suspense. It's starting to look quite dated now and I think I got it mixed up with Presumed innocent, also starring Harrison Ford, which is a much better thriller as I recall.

• Candy R

  
  Excellent thriller. A doctor and his wife are at a medical conference in Paris. His wife disappears from their hotel room and he has to find her.

• Anthony L

  
  I?m not a huge fan of Roman Polanski but I really like this one! Harrison Ford was made for the 'Where?s my wife?' type movie!

• Pierluigi P

  
  One of the most conventional Polanski films. the McGuffin isn't particularly strong, but it's enough interesting to let us stay till the end of this enjoyable and nightmarish hitchcockian thriller.

• Red L

  
  As far as thrillers go, I enjoyed this one. A non-French speaking doctor (Harrison Ford) is hunting down his wife's kidnappers with a beautiful accomplice. Reminds me a bit of The Fugitive.

• Lafe F

  
  Harrison Ford in Paris - looking for his kidnapped wife. A solid action suspense movie, which is the start of Harrison's many films like it. Engaging.

• Dean M

  
  Director Roman Polanski bounces back with this clever and often darkly funny Hitchcockian thriller which makes Harrison Ford a stranger in the very stranger underbelly of Paris.

• xGary X

  
  Another decent thriller starring Harrison Ford, it's Paris setting making for a nice change of scenery. Ford is believable as an ordinary man caught up in escalating events that are completely out of his control and it has some nice set-pieces, ably handled by veteran director… More
  Another decent thriller starring Harrison Ford, it's Paris setting making for a nice change of scenery. Ford is believable as an ordinary man caught up in escalating events that are completely out of his control and it has some nice set-pieces, ably handled by veteran director Roman Polanski.

• Stephen E

  
  The latter half was kind of foggy, but "Frantic" is a competent and entertaining thriller, with an excellent performance from Ford and the usual masterful direction from Polanski.

• Deb S

  
  The initial premise is a good one and Harrison Ford handles his character very well. He plays Dr. Richard Walker who is in Paris for a medical conference and second honeymood, but while he is the shower of their hotel room, his wife, Sondra (Betty Buckley) disappears. Receiving no… More
  The initial premise is a good one and Harrison Ford handles his character very well. He plays Dr. Richard Walker who is in Paris for a medical conference and second honeymood, but while he is the shower of their hotel room, his wife, Sondra (Betty Buckley) disappears. Receiving no help from the local police or American representatives, the good Dr. Walker goes on searching for her himself. The beautiful and mysterious Michelle (Emmanuelle Seigner) is tantalizing as a young woman who gets involved and the search for the missing Sondra drags them both into a dark world of kidnapping, drugs, mistaken identities and international intrigue. This movie begins believably but then it starts veering into less and less realistic situations with the resulting contrived ending. Nevertheless it is worth a one-time watch.

• Alec B

  
  "Like Harrison Ford I'm getting frantic." Now I know what The Barenaked Ladies are refering to. Frantic is Roman Polanski's stab at a Hitchcock film. He first develops character slowly like Hitchcock, then builds suspense in the same way, the only problem is that… More
  "Like Harrison Ford I'm getting frantic." Now I know what The Barenaked Ladies are refering to. Frantic is Roman Polanski's stab at a Hitchcock film. He first develops character slowly like Hitchcock, then builds suspense in the same way, the only problem is that the film is devoid of life unlike some of hitchcock's best films. It has some good moments and Harrison Ford's Performance is spot on for the character, but the actress Emmanuelle Seigner is horrible as the mysterious woman. I also think that Polanski simply tries to immitate Hitchcock without adding anything new, a decent effort but altogether an uninspired film.

• ashley h

  
  There was nothing much Frantic about this. You think this is going to be an interesting mystery,but it just takes too long and you lose interest

• Jonny C

  
  An entertaining thriller from Roman Polanski. When Harrison Ford's wife goes mysteriously missing on a trip to Paris, he tries to track her down by any means necessary. Frantic is slow at times, but Polanski's authentic direction and believable characters, make it watchable.

• Stephen E

  
  "Frantic" delivers what it promises: excitement. With a single action, the mood can change from calm to tense, bringing us from a perfectly relaxed seating position to the very edge of our seat. As confusing as the plot may be sometimes, it puts us in the same position as… More
  "Frantic" delivers what it promises: excitement. With a single action, the mood can change from calm to tense, bringing us from a perfectly relaxed seating position to the very edge of our seat. As confusing as the plot may be sometimes, it puts us in the same position as Ford. This is vintage Polanski and decidedly one of his best.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings