The Day of the Jackal

PG

Released Jul 30, 1973

2 hr. 21 min.

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

List

91%

32 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

An underground French paramilitary group is intent on eliminating President Charles de Gaulle (Adrien Cayla-Legrand), but when numerous attempts on his life fail, they resort to hiring the infamous hit man known as "The Jackal" (Edward Fox). As the enigmatic assassin prepares to shoot de Gaulle, he takes out any problematic people along the way. Meanwhile, Lebel (Michel Lonsdale), a savvy Parisian police detective, begins to solve the mystery of the killer's identity.

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Critics Consensus

The Day of the Jackal is a meticulously constructed thriller with surprising irreverence and taut direction.

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Film T

Great film and highly recommended

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/20/24

Full Review

Alec C

On this day, one of the most daring assassination attempts is underway! The President of France has been targeted by the mysterious "Jackal," an assassin who will stop at nothing to get his mark, with only a police inspector standing in his way. Gripping and intense, this game of cat and mouse manages to leave us breathless as the time ticks away until "The Day of the Jackal!"

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/17/24

Full Review

George U

In 1962, president Charles de Gaulle signed the independence of Algeria. Fascists from the French army, frustrated with their government's foreign policies, formed an organization with the major goal to assassinate their president... They hired the "Jackal" to do the job for them... Brilliant filmmaking by Fred Zinnemann, to the degree you forget about it since your curiosity for the outcome of the story itches badly. We know the "Jackal"-most likely-isn't going to change the course of history... but, only 'most likely' though!.. The target remains unrevealed until the ending scene, for better, keeping you waiting, sort of promising a payoff; the target's guardian angels, put together, sleeplessly working, strong, jackals themselves, all versus the one. Edward Fox makes hard for you to imagine (even 'entertain the idea' of) anyone more fit to play the leading man; he has the appearance and physique of the perfect Kirby's-Ditko's young (or even adolescent!) hero, only here he's playing the comic-book-heroes' calm, psychopathic nemesis. You wish you knew more about his character, yet you know it's only a plus for the movie, credit to the writers that they chose to keep him a man of mystery. It works as another element in escalating audience's suspense. While "Jackal" is indeed the perfect villain, it's not surprising towards the end that the viewer wishes for his plan to go as planned! 2 hours and 10 minutes of preparation, patience, maneuvers, disguises, murdering of one-night-stand lovers of both sexes, his whole effort presented to us with luring specificity, highlighted by extreme close-ups to make us, open-mouthed, droolingly appreciate it, so... natural for one to have expectations... The plausibility of it all only gets lost once you consider the fact that no man would be able to communicate verbally with a French person in English. "Jackal" would've been a much more breathtaking experience had Zinnemann aimed on hardcore authenticity by making everybody speak in their own language.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/17/23

Full Review

DanTheMan 2

Slow, taut and suspenseful, Fred Zinnemann's The Day of the Jackal possesses a tonal coldness that aligns viewers with the assassin's reptilian machinations that leave you hanging on every scene, every decision, every close encounter, compelling you to watch till the end. As the tension rises, you feel terribly helpless. You just have to sit there and let it happen. There are no personal intrusions or attention-getting tics, just exceptional filmmaking, honing in on the details and highlighting the conflict between a relentless killer's brain and the stolid, restless work of detectives on the hunt. It takes the less is more approach, always staying in the realm of plausibility, combined with its enigmatic central villain makes The Day of the Jackal a superlative film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/29/23

Full Review

Neisser R

The movie is great, It has a great foundation in the book, but the things are faster in a movie, The only thing I didnt like was the soundtrack

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/23/23

Full Review

Frank B

One of my all time favorites...acting is incredible ...Edward Fox should have won the academy award....and what can you say about Michael Lonsdale...this film is like fine wine or good scotch gets better with every viewing...the suspense grows with every moment until the end....

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/30/23

Full Review

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Fred Zinnemann

Director

Edward Fox

The Jackal

Michaël Lonsdale

Lebel

Tony Britton

Inspector Thomas

Terence Alexander

Lloyd

Cyril Cusack

The Gunsmith

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Penelope Gilliatt

New Yorker

It is the sustained gentleness of Fred Zinnemann’s professional temperament that makes the picture a clockwork amusement to watch.

Mar 4, 2024

Full Review

Keith Uhlich

(All (Parentheses))

Possesses a tonal coldness that aligns viewers with the assassin’s reptilian machinations. —Guest post by Michael Joshua Rowin

Dec 20, 2022

Full Review

William B. Collins

Philadelphia Inquirer

As the tension rises, you feel terribly helpless. You just have to sit there and let it happen.

Jun 14, 2022

Full Review

John Hofsess

Maclean's Magazine

Day Of The Jackal is not a great film, but it’s a damn good one, one of the very few films released this year that is worth all the trouble and expense of going out to the movies.

Jun 15, 2022

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Director Fred Zinnemann, scripter Kenneth Ross, and editor Ralph Kemplen (earning this film's sole Oscar nomination) all deserve high marks.

Rated: 3.5/4

Nov 2, 2020

Full Review

David Parkinson

Radio Times

It's Fred Zinnemann's matchless direction that makes it such compelling viewing and an object lesson in suspense.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 24, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

An underground French paramilitary group is intent on eliminating President Charles de Gaulle (Adrien Cayla-Legrand), but when numerous attempts on his life fail, they resort to hiring the infamous hit man known as "The Jackal" (Edward Fox). As the enigmatic assassin prepares to shoot de Gaulle, he takes out any problematic people along the way. Meanwhile, Lebel (Michel Lonsdale), a savvy Parisian police detective, begins to solve the mystery of the killer's identity.

Director: Fred Zinnemann
Screenwriter: Frederick Forsyth, Kenneth Ross
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal/Universal Int
Rating: PG
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 30, 1973, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 11, 2015

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