Featured Audience Ratings

• Dan S

  
  A smart, engrossing paranoid political thriller concerning a journalist (Warren Beatty) who stumbles upon a conspiracy in which a senator who was murdered three years ago might actually have been offed by the government. While it does not possess the same character depth such as say,… More
  A smart, engrossing paranoid political thriller concerning a journalist (Warren Beatty) who stumbles upon a conspiracy in which a senator who was murdered three years ago might actually have been offed by the government. While it does not possess the same character depth such as say, "The Conversation", another paranoid political thriller, had, it still is exciting and watchable due to the twists it implements. The last fifteen minutes or so are particularly arresting, with sharp camera work which captures memorable shots, including its smart, cleverly pieced together grand finale, which doesn't disappoint.

• AJ V

  
  Maybe I need to see this movie again, but I thought it was really slow and boring. The story was pretty good, though. Overall, it's okay.

• Conner R

  
  Very slow paced and manipulative, but it's such a unique and powerful experience. Government conspiracies are either topics for very bad movies or very good movies, this is definitely one of the better. Warren Beatty plays such a great character and way of attaining the… More
  Very slow paced and manipulative, but it's such a unique and powerful experience. Government conspiracies are either topics for very bad movies or very good movies, this is definitely one of the better. Warren Beatty plays such a great character and way of attaining the plot's information. This is more a cautionary tale about digging too deep and how there are forces at work that we aren't even aware of. For a 70s premise, this must've been shocking at its release and still sort've is. To have a sense of powerlessness is truly scary.

• Michael G

  
  I presumed that The Parallax View was going to be another horribly dated and hokey dirty government thriller (and that car chase towards the beginning definitely leaned that way) where one little guy blows the doors off of a government conspiracy. If nothing else, The Parallax View… More
  I presumed that The Parallax View was going to be another horribly dated and hokey dirty government thriller (and that car chase towards the beginning definitely leaned that way) where one little guy blows the doors off of a government conspiracy. If nothing else, The Parallax View showed me how nice it is to be wrong sometimes. Warren Beatty's performance definitely has me understanding the whole Warren Beatty Thing (at least late 60s/early 70s era Beatty.) But for as subdued and enjoyable as Beatty's performance was, Alan J. Pakula's direction is the real standout here. Every shot from the lat 20 minutes of this movie is a work of art. And speaking of the last 20 minutes, they were so dark and menacing to the point where enjoying the movie almost became a chore. I know this movie's a year older than me, but where's it been all my life!?!

• Pierluigi P

  
  Terrifying conspiracy thriller that opens a new set of hypothesis in the most infamous and debated political crimes of the twentieth century in the united states. An obscure corporation and its dirty plots to prevent the rise of a different political force, fearing it would… More
  Terrifying conspiracy thriller that opens a new set of hypothesis in the most infamous and debated political crimes of the twentieth century in the united states. An obscure corporation and its dirty plots to prevent the rise of a different political force, fearing it would destabilize everything the big shots in power have worked for. Both Pakula and cinematographer Gordon Willis know how to heighten the sense of paranoia and anxiety. Michael Small's score is also effectively atmospheric.

• Dean M

  
  This is one of the dulliest political assassination movies I ever watched because the tale didn't make sense to me.

• Ken S

  
  Beatty's charm and Gordon Willis' cinematography elevate this highly influential film to great heights. Pakula's direction, and in particular his attention to humor. are sublime. A great watch, well worth your time.

• Stephen M

  
  A really great conspiracy thriller. Warren Beatty is an investigative journalist who thinks he's getting a scoop on a politcal asassination, unaware that he's being manipulated as the fall-guy.

• George M

  
  Old fashioned and not very convincing today, this conspiracy political thriller in the vein of All the President's Men and The Three Days of Condor still has some gripping moments. The airplane bomb sequence is full of suspence and the watrefall scene is a wonderful set-piece.… More
  Old fashioned and not very convincing today, this conspiracy political thriller in the vein of All the President's Men and The Three Days of Condor still has some gripping moments. The airplane bomb sequence is full of suspence and the watrefall scene is a wonderful set-piece. The cinematography has some nice subtle camera movements and some good -but too obvious- shots that try to capture the paranoia feeling (such as shots of glistering glass-made buildings of Parallax corporation) but it shows its age; especially its color and the television-reportage sensibility can be seen today for the rhetoric devise that it is. The paranoid psychology of America of the times shines through this short-lived genre of conspiracy thrillers that were a reaction to the uneasiness that individuals were feeling in the midst of a political system that seemed greater than them; the political scandals seemed to be the tip of the iceberg of a whole mechanism that normal citizens had no access. The messages are always pessimistic and give a sense of disillusionment with politics. But these films never amount to a serious political statement; at their best however they give an echo of Kafka without the existential connotations. There is a certain charm in them but not any real depth despite their pretentions for the contrary.

• Danny R

  
  One of the definitive 70s paranoid thrillers, extremely well-crafted and acted. About the assassination of a leading U.S. senator, a journalist Joseph Frady played by Warren Beatty in a wonderful subtle and understated performance notices that the reporters who witnessed the murder… More
  One of the definitive 70s paranoid thrillers, extremely well-crafted and acted. About the assassination of a leading U.S. senator, a journalist Joseph Frady played by Warren Beatty in a wonderful subtle and understated performance notices that the reporters who witnessed the murder are inexplicably dying. Frady investigates and finds that the assassination was part of a conspiracy involving a shadowy therapy institute called the Parallax Corporation. Driven by curiosity, he infiltrates Parallax in an effort to uncover the truth, and discovers that Parallax deliberately recruits social misfits to train them as assassins, them they are dispatched by clients to kill prominent officials who threaten to get too close to the corporation's nefarious plans. Outstanding supporting performances from a stellar cast that includes, Hume Cronyn, William Daniels, Paula Prentiss, Anthony Zerbe, and Earl Hindman. The direction by the late Alan J. Pakula is flawless, and the distinctive cinematography by the great Gordon Willis is a triumph. A tense and effective film. Highly Recommended.

• Stephen E

  
  I'm a huge fan of paranoid political thrillers, so I might be giving "The Parallax View" more credit than it deserves, but I don't think so. In fact, I don't think I'm giving it enough credit. Don't get me wrong - it's a solid effort from Alan… More
  I'm a huge fan of paranoid political thrillers, so I might be giving "The Parallax View" more credit than it deserves, but I don't think so. In fact, I don't think I'm giving it enough credit. Don't get me wrong - it's a solid effort from Alan J. Pakula, who practically made a career out of these kinds of films. His taut, sustained direction coupled with Gordon Willis' remarkable camerawork and a script that captures that paranoia of the Watergate era makes it an engrossing, realistic experience chock full of unforgettable and infinitely-imitated scenes. Sadly, poor editing often renders it slightly incoherent and I admittedly got pretty lost a couple of times throughout, which means that I'll probably have to revisit it again somewhere down the road. But what I saw was a great attempt at evoking the tension that came about during that time and "The Parallax View" largely succeeds at recreating that kind of atmosphere, even if it's poorly strung together.

• matt s

  
  For once, I agree with Franklin! Just kidding, Cody, but he hit the nail on the head. I, too, felt something was missing, but Beatty and the shots kept me reeled in. Maybe it was just a little too slow-paced? But there are some scenes that provide intense thrills and the ending is a… More
  For once, I agree with Franklin! Just kidding, Cody, but he hit the nail on the head. I, too, felt something was missing, but Beatty and the shots kept me reeled in. Maybe it was just a little too slow-paced? But there are some scenes that provide intense thrills and the ending is a jawdropper.

• cody f

  
  Good but not great political conspiracy thriller. The acting is good, but something is missing from the script and I just didn't get sucked in. With that said this is one of the most interesting looking films I've ever seen. Pakula with Gordon Willis framed very odd,… More
  Good but not great political conspiracy thriller. The acting is good, but something is missing from the script and I just didn't get sucked in. With that said this is one of the most interesting looking films I've ever seen. Pakula with Gordon Willis framed very odd, complex, and original shots. The look is strange at times, but very fascinating. The style and the ending makes this a film worth watching.

• Anthony V

  
  Dead on target conspiracy movie. Credible, frightening, well acted, and directed.

• Christopher B

  
  I first saw this film on videotape and thought it was an amazing conspiracy film about the JFK assassination. After seeing the DVD I was even more impressed with Alan Pakula's direction (shots through office windows, drapes, and many wide shots of people talking in the distance)… More
  I first saw this film on videotape and thought it was an amazing conspiracy film about the JFK assassination. After seeing the DVD I was even more impressed with Alan Pakula's direction (shots through office windows, drapes, and many wide shots of people talking in the distance) which gives you the impression that a lot more is going on then what you are seeing. My favourite paranoid film, it shows you don't need to put in action scenes to have a film with a Conspiracy Theory.

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