Seconds (1966)

87% of critics liked it
(23 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(3,670 ratings)

Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph) is a listless Manhattan businessman who lives with his wife in the New York suburbs. One day, he runs into an old friend (Murray Hamilton) whom he thought had died. The friend leads him to The Company, a secretive operation run by The Old Man (Will Geer). The Company… More Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph) is a listless Manhattan businessman who lives with his wife in the New York suburbs. One day, he runs into an old friend (Murray Hamilton) whom he thought had died. The friend leads him to The Company, a secretive operation run by The Old Man (Will Geer). The Company is a high-tech service which, for a price, provides older men with plastic surgery, a beefed-up body, and a fresh start in life. To cover the "disappearance," a middle-aged male cadaver is "killed" in a hotel fire. Hamilton submits to the operation that will turn him into a "Second," and when the bandages are removed, he's shed twenty years, renamed Tony Wilson and portrayed by Rock Hudson. The Company creates a new identity for Hamilton, relocating him in a hedonistic California beach community with an identity as a painter. Celebrating during a local wine festival, Hamilton has his revelry cut short when he learns that all his new young friends are Seconds like himself and suddenly feels trapped in these surroundings. Unfortunately, finding a way out isn't nearly as easy as it was to find a way in. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 46 min.
Directed By: John Frankenheimer
Written By: David Ely, Lewis John Carlino
Genres: Horror, Mystery & Suspense, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Oct 5, 1966 Wide
On DVD: Jan 8, 2002
Studio: Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
US suburbia boredom is treated in an original manner in this cross between a sci-fi opus, a thriller, a suspense pic and a parable on certain aspects of American middle-class life.
Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader
The screenplay ollapses into musty moralizing in the second half, and director John Frankenheimer throws in the towel.
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Creepy, Twilight Zone-type tale starring Rock Hudson, directed by John Frankenheimer.
, TV Guide's Movie Guide
The film features a surprisingly good performance by Rock Hudson, an impeccable supporting cast and stunning cinematography by screen veteran James Wong Howe.
Trevor Johnston, Time Out
Little wonder it flopped at the time, only to be cherished by a later generation.
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)
Frankenheimer directed, but cinematographer James Wong Howe set the tone and provided whatever's memorable. Which isn't much.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Never has Oscar Wilde's caveat about being careful what you wish for been so chillingly portrayed.
James O'Ehley, Sci-Fi Movie Page
Features some great technical credits, with rich black-and-white cinematography and deep-focus from James Wong Howe.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Gets under your skin like a nightmare.
Kevin N. Laforest, Montreal Film Journal
Criminally underseen sci-fi masterpiece.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...a progressively tedious piece of work...
Jon Niccum, Lawrence Journal-World
An ultimately terrifying thriller ... featuring Rock Hudson's lone great performance.

Read all 12 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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

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Featured Audience Ratings

Ken S

A great atmospheric psychological thriller in the vain of Orson Welles' The Trail. Also features the first use of the Snori-Cam (to the best of my knowledge)
Drew S

Bold, highly psychological science fiction that might have gone on to enjoy a cult reputation if 2001 hadn't stolen its thunder two years later. Seconds is nowhere near the auteurial spectacle that Kubrick's magnum opus is, but its premise gracefully avoids Twilight… More
Bold, highly psychological science fiction that might have gone on to enjoy a cult reputation if 2001 hadn't stolen its thunder two years later. Seconds is nowhere near the auteurial spectacle that Kubrick's magnum opus is, but its premise gracefully avoids Twilight Zone-style moralization by communicating its sensations through aesthetics, not thematic monologuing. The ending is wordy, but it doesn't say half as much as Rock Hudson's blissful surrender at the wine ceremony, or the disorientation and betrayal he feels at a house party. This approach surely works because of the incredible cinematography, way ahead of its time; it keeps a tight focus around the human aspects of the film, locked behind Hudson's head as he goes through the motions of a painfully dull life or fisheyed on some strange faces looming over him. As a visual representation of a character's inner workings, it's very immediate and unabashedly obvious, but perfectly in sync with the film's own unique claustrophobia. A diamond in the rough, if you can hunt it down.
AJ V

This movie's plot reminds me of so many other movies I've seen more recently, I wondered if this was were they got their ideas? I hope not, this movie was terribly boring and slow. I did not like it.
Cindy I

Riveting suspense thriller about a middle-aged man who takes the opportunity to exchange his mediocre humdrum life for something supposedly better. The best moral for this story would be "Be careful of what you ask for. " This film, starring Rock Hudson in a performance I… More
Riveting suspense thriller about a middle-aged man who takes the opportunity to exchange his mediocre humdrum life for something supposedly better. The best moral for this story would be "Be careful of what you ask for. " This film, starring Rock Hudson in a performance I didn't think he had in him, has me glued to the screen from the first frame. The film was made in a beautfiul B&W. The intro and titles involve a great deal of distorted and disorienting photography, courtesy of cinematography great James Wong Howe, enhanced by a driving, dramatic score by Jerry Goldsmith. This score tells you that there is nothing light-hearted about what's coming up. Director John Frankenheimer did a marvelous job at moving the story along so that you never wanted to look away. I remember being surprised when the film was over because It seemed a lot shorter than its 1:46 running time.The film starts with a mystery already in the making, in that the main character has already been unnerved by a sinister phone call. And if I never remember another thing about this film, the Twilight Zone-style final frames at the end of the film will haunt me forever. I'm usually not one to pick up on director style, but this film reminded me visually of The Manchurian Candidate so much that I would know Frankenheimer's work if he did a dog food commercial. The wildest thing about this film is how relevant it seems in this day and age . The theme of the film -- getting away from your old life, having all responsibilities and demands disappear, and to be installed into your dream career without any effort on your part -- sounds like the perfect solution for many people these days. But I think the lesson here would be over the heads of most of those same people. I'm surprised that this film hasn't been remade, although there is no reason for it to be. I can see a mediocre, high-octane version of this done with Arnold Schwarzenegger in the Rock Hudson role. I hope no powers-that-be see this post; we will have that very thing inflicted on us as a big-budget summer movie. I shudder to think...
Pierluigi P

Hallucinatory and craftily directed thriller. Seemingly inspired by Orson Welles' method, and particularly his take on Kafka's The Trial, using the camera as a tool for enhancing the central character's tormented mental realm; a closer look into the excruciating… More
Hallucinatory and craftily directed thriller. Seemingly inspired by Orson Welles' method, and particularly his take on Kafka's The Trial, using the camera as a tool for enhancing the central character's tormented mental realm; a closer look into the excruciating nightmare he's in, an alternate reality plagued by baroque, dark and bizarre visions. Nothing can please a nonconformist in his quest for happiness and realization.
jay n

pitch black and depressing, well acted but a bleak viewing experience.
Lesley N

1960's John Frankenheimer (BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ, MANCHURIAN CANDIATE, RONIN) film, where Arthur Hamilton/ John Randolph gets middle-aged angst and turns into Mr Wilson/Rock Hudson. Not as good a decision as you'd think. According to Brian Wilson's autobigraphy, he… More
1960's John Frankenheimer (BIRDMAN OF ALCATRAZ, MANCHURIAN CANDIATE, RONIN) film, where Arthur Hamilton/ John Randolph gets middle-aged angst and turns into Mr Wilson/Rock Hudson. Not as good a decision as you'd think. According to Brian Wilson's autobigraphy, he thought SECONDS was made deliberatly by Phil Spector to mess with his mind,("Come in, Mr Wilson") causing him to abandon his masterwork, Smile for thirty five years and not visit the cinema again for fifteen. The power of film.. you have been warned.
Robert F

Great premise and a strong visual style.
Dimitris S

Gritty,inhumane.A prophetic movie on the consequences of change,identification.Hudson in a thrilling role,Frankenheimer is a trustful choice,the makings of a classic being re-evaluated.
Emily B

Visually this film is stunning. The cinematography is amazing all thanks to James Wong Howe. He uses fish eye lenses, hand held camera shots and interesting angles to create a sense of paranoia and claustrophobia. A movie way ahead of it's time, with great acting by Rock… More
Visually this film is stunning. The cinematography is amazing all thanks to James Wong Howe. He uses fish eye lenses, hand held camera shots and interesting angles to create a sense of paranoia and claustrophobia. A movie way ahead of it's time, with great acting by Rock Hudson, defiantly one to see.