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The Maltese Falcon

Play trailer Poster for The Maltese Falcon Released Oct 18, 1941 1h 40m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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99% Tomatometer 110 Reviews 91% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
In this noir classic, detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) gets more than he bargained for when he takes a case brought to him by a beautiful but secretive woman (Mary Astor). As soon as Miss Wonderly shows up, trouble follows as Sam's partner is murdered and Sam is accosted by a man (Peter Lorre) demanding he locate a valuable statuette. Sam, entangled in a dangerous web of crime and intrigue, soon realizes he must find the one thing they all seem to want: the bejeweled Maltese falcon.
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The Maltese Falcon

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Critics Consensus

Suspenseful, labyrinthine, and brilliantly cast, The Maltese Falcon is one of the most influential noirs -- as well as a showcase for Humphrey Bogart at his finest.

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Critics Reviews

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Patricia Ward London Evening Standard The best crook film that's ever been made. Certainly it's the best I've ever seen. Because of brilliant casting, acting and direction it does what every thriller should do: thrills you genuinely and tremendously from start to finish. Nov 16, 2022 Full Review Evelyn Russell Sight & Sound The story is strong of itself with an unusual ending and fine acting, but it is the treatment which makes it the best thriller so far this year. Nov 16, 2022 Full Review Pauline Kael The New Yorker It is (and this is rare in American films) a work of entertainment that is yet so skillfully constructed that after many years and many viewings it has the same brittle explosiveness -- and even some of the same surprise -- that it had in its first run. Nov 16, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy “The stuff that dreams are made of,” comments Spade about the elusive black bird of the title, a sentiment easily applied to this indisputable masterpiece. Rated: 4/4 Apr 8, 2023 Full Review Allison Rose FlickDirect Many people feel The Maltese Falcon is when Bogart became “Bogie”. He exuded a certain calm and cool demeanor that made guys want to grab a beer with him and made women want to date him. Rated: 5/5 Apr 4, 2023 Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies The Maltese Falcon gives Humphrey Bogart one of his best roles while playing a pivotal role in shaping the film noir genre for years to come. Rated: 5/5 Apr 4, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Will G Humphrey Bogart was great in this film. There were 3 actors from Casablanca in this movie. This is a noir movie so it deals with crime and detectives. It sounded like they were talking about the millennium Falcon haha. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 12/21/24 Full Review Jelisije J A classic noir film with great characters with a great cast that to me feels a bit dated that you can watch with a speed up. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/10/24 Full Review William B Great casting. Awesome mistery movie. Outstanding storyline. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/22/24 Full Review Ed M I recently saw this movie for the first time this Fall (2024), and I can easily say it is one of the best films I have seen in many years. All the plot twists and turns still ring true 8 decades later, and they were executed perfectly by an excellent cast from an excellent script. I recommend this movie to anyone of any age. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/31/24 Full Review Andrew L Considered by many to be one of the top two best film noirs ever made ("Double Indemnity" being the other one), this film is the stuff that dreams are made of. A man's partner is murdered and all the suspects involved seem to be chasing after a priceless statue. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/06/24 Full Review James B a perfect noir film a classic great detective film a must see Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/13/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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The Maltese Falcon

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Movie Info

Synopsis In this noir classic, detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) gets more than he bargained for when he takes a case brought to him by a beautiful but secretive woman (Mary Astor). As soon as Miss Wonderly shows up, trouble follows as Sam's partner is murdered and Sam is accosted by a man (Peter Lorre) demanding he locate a valuable statuette. Sam, entangled in a dangerous web of crime and intrigue, soon realizes he must find the one thing they all seem to want: the bejeweled Maltese falcon.
Director
John Huston
Screenwriter
Dashiell Hammett, John Huston
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Warner Brothers, First National Pictures
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 18, 1941, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 19, 2016
Runtime
1h 40m
Sound Mix
Mono
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