Dog Day Afternoon

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Dog Day Afternoon

R

1975

2h 10m

Crime

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

118 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

When inexperienced criminal Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) leads a bank robbery in Brooklyn, things quickly go wrong, and a hostage situation develops. As Sonny and his accomplice, Sal Naturile (John Cazale), try desperately to remain in control, a media circus develops and the FBI arrives, creating even more tension. Gradually, Sonny's surprising motivations behind the robbery are revealed, and his standoff with law enforcement moves toward its inevitable end.

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Critics Consensus

Framed by great work from director Sidney Lumet and fueled by a gripping performance from Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon offers a finely detailed snapshot of people in crisis with tension-soaked drama shaded in black humor.

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Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

Antiheroes tend to have swagger and carry a certain mystique. Pacino dismantles that entirely in Dog Day Afternoon. His Sonny is frazzled and flailing and painfully human — not someone to idolize, and not a martyr.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 22, 2025

Full Review

Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

The film's tone is extraordinarily flexible, holding within the same reality elements of the absurd, the ridiculous and the comic while sustaining a sense of tension and dread throughout.

Apr 7, 2024

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Michael Blowen

Boston Globe

Pacino's inner alienation transforms this film into something far beyond a simple historical recreation of an "actual" event.

Apr 7, 2024

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James Berardinelli

ReelViews

Dog Day Afternoon is a powder keg of roiling tension, with violence threatening to erupt at any moment.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 14, 2025

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Martin Carr

CBR

Dog Day Afternoon may throw calculated criticisms at the invasive nature of television media and explore the nature of criminality, but remains a perfect example of cutting-edge '70s cinema for those who want to be reminded.

Rated: 9/10

Nov 23, 2024

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Bill Morrison

News & Observer (Raleigh, NC)

What starts as a very funny movie -- on the order of a realistic escapade involving the Keystone Kops -- evolves into a very sobering drama.

Apr 10, 2024

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Max

Awesome movie, probably Al Pacino’s best performance. This was my first time seeing the movie and it holds up 50 years later

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/04/25

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Shannon P

By turns funny and heartbreaking based on the true story of a bank robbery gone very wrong. Al Pacino was amazing two thumbs way up from me!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/04/25

Full Review

The Big Birmingham Street B

Okay gather round big bopper fans and fanettes alike, this flick was such a flickin' book in my binder I'd recommend it to any fan of low down grit-city-naturalistic-noirs such as but not at all limited to Transformers One and Taxi Driver, till next time cinema reviewers, bopper... out!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/03/25

Full Review

Maksim S

Tension, Paranoia, and a Career-Defining Pacino. Dog Day Afternoon is a masterclass in character-driven suspense, anchored by Al Pacino at the height of his powers. His portrayal of Sonny, a desperate, paranoid, and anxiety-ridden man, carries the film with electric intensity, transforming what could have been a routine bank heist story into a searing exploration of desperation and human fragility. Every gesture, every tremor, every nervous glance communicates Sonny’s unraveling psyche, pulling the audience into a claustrophobic world of pressure, unpredictability, and mounting chaos. The supporting cast, dialogue, and pacing are impeccable, but it’s Pacino’s magnetic presence that elevates the film to unforgettable heights. By the time the story reaches its unforgettable climax, tension and empathy are intertwined so completely that the film lingers long after the final shot. Dog Day Afternoon is a triumph of performance, direction, and storytelling — a true cult cinema classic, and Pacino’s poster-boy moment.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/02/25

Full Review

Elena K

A TRUE MASTERPIECE AND LEGENDARY ACTING BY AL PACINO

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/21/25

Full Review

Benjamin H

Well-written, tightly crafted and featured a good dosage of tension, Dog Day Afternoon does have some scenes that either drag a bit or are a bit exaggerated, but it remains an absorbing picture, mostly thanks to Al Pacino's wonderful performance and Sidney Lumet's top-notch direction.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/04/25

Full Review

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Sidney Lumet

Director

Al Pacino

Sonny Wortzik

John Cazale

Salvatore

Charles Durning

Eugene Moretti

Chris Sarandon

Leon Shermer

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Synopsis

When inexperienced criminal Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) leads a bank robbery in Brooklyn, things quickly go wrong, and a hostage situation develops. As Sonny and his accomplice, Sal Naturile (John Cazale), try desperately to remain in control, a media circus develops and the FBI arrives, creating even more tension. Gradually, Sonny's surprising motivations behind the robbery are revealed, and his standoff with law enforcement moves toward its inevitable end.

Director: Sidney Lumet
Producer: Martin Bregman, Martin Elfand
Screenwriter: Frank Pierson
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Artists Entertainment Complex
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 21, 1975, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2008
Runtime: 2h 10m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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