Klute

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Klute

R

Released Jun 23, 1971

1h 54m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

47 Reviews

79%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

This acclaimed thriller stars Jane Fonda as Bree Daniel, a New York City call girl who becomes enmeshed in an investigation into the disappearance of a business executive. Detective John Klute (Donald Sutherland) is hired to follow Daniel, and eventually begins a romance with her, but it appears that he hasn't been the only person on her trail. When it becomes clear that Daniel is being targeted, it's up to her and Klute to figure out who is after her before it's too late.

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Critics Consensus

Donald Sutherland is coolly commanding and Jane Fonda a force of nature in Klute, a cuttingly intelligent thriller that generates its most agonizing tension from its stars' repartee.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

As close to a classic as anything New Hollywood produced.

Feb 18, 2020

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David Robinson

Financial Times

What lifts it above its B-picture origins (and the pastiche is certainly conscious) is the style -- crisp, elliptical, only moderately arty -- of Alan J. Pakula's direction.

Feb 12, 2020

Full Review

Derek Malcolm

Guardian

This is done with remarkably little dialogue but with a tremendous sense of tension and atmosphere.

Feb 12, 2020

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

For the bulk of the film, it’s a character study rather than a crime thriller, which continues to help with the hyper-realism and Bree's personal complexity.

Rated: 9/10

Dec 29, 2024

Full Review

Alan Jones

Radio Times

There's nail-biting suspense in spades, thanks to the atmospheric cinematography of Godfather cameraman Gordon Willis.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 8, 2024

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Dave Giannini

InSession Film

In cinema, thankfully, there are no absolutes and no easy answers. Sure, there are generalities but a great film, especially with a transcendent performance, can take those rules and tear them into a million pieces.

Feb 21, 2024

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alan g

The role Hanoi Jane was born to play. She doesn't Eve have to act. She is a Hooker.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/04/25

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Argo D

Weak plot, painfully slow storytelling, average acting other than Jane Fonda, and no thrills whatsoever in the whole movie. I fail to see why it's so highly rated. It was a big pain to watch.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

12/31/24

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Anthony M

A film that takes its time and make you grateful for it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/09/24

Full Review

julie b

Klute is impeccably shot - every scene is meticulously crafted. This style combined with Jane Fonda and Donald Sutherland’s performances is what make it a compelling movie despite some writing/plot misses (the third act lost us for awhile). The trundle bed scene is peak cinema humor, and really liked the therapy monologues slowly revealed throughout.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/29/24

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Kathy W

A great film with one of Jane Fond’s best performances. I think you have to be of the times that this film was made to truly appreciate the artistic quality of it. It is smart, which is something you no longer see in films. It is a psychological study which is something the current generation of directors and screenwriters simply do not understand, nor to which they relate. It is not about flash over substance and the pace is slower than films today, to give you time to absorb and ponder, not to beat you over the head with optics and message.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/29/24

Full Review

Seth K

It's a classic. Not a lot of dialogue - to the contrary almost mute performances by Donald Sutherland, love interest and detective and Vivian Nathan as Jane Fonda's psychiatrist. Excellent, atmospheric soundtrack as well. It feels, in many respects, as a template for the many psychological thrillers produced since its debut in 1971.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/12/24

Full Review

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Alan J. Pakula

Director

Jane Fonda

Bree Daniel

Donald Sutherland

John Klute

Roy Scheider

Frank Ligourin

Charles Cioffi

Peter Cable

Dorothy Tristan

Arlyn Page

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Synopsis

This acclaimed thriller stars Jane Fonda as Bree Daniel, a New York City call girl who becomes enmeshed in an investigation into the disappearance of a business executive. Detective John Klute (Donald Sutherland) is hired to follow Daniel, and eventually begins a romance with her, but it appears that he hasn't been the only person on her trail. When it becomes clear that Daniel is being targeted, it's up to her and Klute to figure out who is after her before it's too late.

Director: Alan J. Pakula
Producer: Alan J. Pakula
Screenwriter: Andy Lewis, David P. Lewis
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 23, 1971, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2008
Runtime: 1h 54m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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