Dog Day Afternoon

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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 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/04/25 Full Review 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 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/04/25 Full Review Daniel S "Dog Day Afternoon" comes out of the gate swinging , the opening grabs you fast, locking you into a tense, chaotic ride where the characters feel real, messy, and almost uncomfortably close. Al Pacino absolutely cooks in this movie, delivering one of his strongest performances ever. Charles Durning holds his own too, bringing legit weight to the hostage-negotiator role. And of course, Sidney Lumet knows exactly how to build pressure and set up a vibe that keeps you glued.. at least at first. But here’s the thing: after that killer start, the movie kinda loses its spark. The tension slowly cools down, scenes start dragging, and some of the energy that made the first half so gripping just.. slips. Instead of keeping the intensity high, the story drifts into long, drawn-out drama between Sonny, his lover, and his wife - and while those moments add depth, they also soften the edge the film worked so hard to sharpen. By the time we hit the finale, the climax feels more "okay, cool" than "OMG WHAT JUST HAPPENED," making the ending land with less impact than expected. Overall? It’s not one of Lumet’s all-time bests, but it is home to one of Pacino’s standout performances and a handful of unforgettable scenes. Still, as a full package, it doesn’t quite stick the landing. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/22/25 Full Review Jack F I only watched it one time, and that might be the last time. It was whatever. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/20/25 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 5/5 Stars •  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 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/02/25 Full Review Read all reviews

Dog Day Afternoon

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