On the Waterfront

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On the Waterfront

Released Jul 28, 1954

1h 48m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

115 Reviews

95%

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50,000+ Ratings

Dockworker Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) had been an up-and-coming boxer until powerful local mob boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) persuaded him to throw a fight. When a longshoreman is murdered before he can testify about Friendly's control of the Hoboken waterfront, Terry teams up with the dead man's sister Edie (Eva Marie Saint) and the streetwise priest Father Barry (Karl Malden) to testify himself, against the advice of Friendly's lawyer, Terry's older brother Charley (Rod Steiger).

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Critics Consensus

With his electrifying performance in Elia Kazan's thought-provoking, expertly constructed melodrama, Marlon Brando redefined the possibilities of acting for film and helped permanently alter the cinematic landscape.

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Kat Sachs

Chicago Reader

It’s a great film, in no small part due to Marlon Brando’s staggering performance and Leonard Bernstein’s blustering score.

Jul 17, 2025

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Ed Potton

The Times (UK)

Malloy makes an unlikely proxy for Kazan, though. A former boxer with the eyes of a showgirl, he was the role of a lifetime for Brando, whose Method-schooled blend of machismo and vulnerability redefined acting for a generation.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 5, 2024

Full Review

Chris Bennion

The Times (UK)

The supporting cast is wonderful, but it’s Brando who lights up every part of this film.

Apr 4, 2024

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Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

On the Waterfront is a film that would change cinema for years to come.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 4, 2024

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Vernon Young

Arts Digest

It has a persuasiveness of characterization, for the most part, rare on the American screen, not because actors are lacking to convey it but because it is so seldom elicited either by their material or their directors.

Jan 17, 2024

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Mark Johnson

Awards Daily

Known for the powerful portrayal of anguish that permanently changed acting, Marlon Brando gives one of – if not THE – greatest performances of all time.

Jun 8, 2023

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Matt

Fabulous movie. It seems like Brando's right and left hand are always in different worlds from each other. When he goes to confront Johnny Friendly about (SPOILER ALERT), his right hand is vice-tight around a revolver, while the other is frozen into a tense openness. This is thematically resonant, signaling the two worlds Brando straddles. And Kazan earns that clich label, "the actor's director," by choosing the wide frame to capture it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/04/21

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Luca D

Not at Street Car Named Desire acting levels but close. The makeup on Brando's face was off-putting but very well done. Storyline didn't have many holes in it. Wish we got more of Terry and Charley's relationship more fleshed out. Other than that it was very dramatic and well acted. Definitely a classic.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/28/25

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Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 48 minutes!!!!!!!! Starring the late Marlon Brando, he doesn't **** with clients!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My *** cares more than any other audience member!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/12/25

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Christian K

Brando steals the show with a few powerhouse scenes in this fairly predictable and straightforward drama.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/07/25

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Lars N

It's good. Brando is magnetic. You can't take your eyes from him. Great story and the movie looks beautiful. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/22/25

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Farah R

I wanted to like On the Waterfront, but the story was too dull, and Brando's overacting made it impossible to take it seriously.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/12/25

Full Review

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Elia Kazan

Director

Marlon Brando

Terry Malloy

Eva Marie Saint

Edie Doyle

Karl Malden

Father Barry

Lee J. Cobb

Johnny Friendly

Rod Steiger

Charley

On the Waterfront: Official Clip - Let's Go to Work!

2:13

On the Waterfront: Official Clip - I Coulda Been a Contender

2:13

On the Waterfront: Official Clip - Present from Uncle Johnny

2:13

On the Waterfront: Official Clip - They Got Charley

2:10

On the Waterfront: Official Clip - Terry's Conscience

2:10

On the Waterfront: Official Clip - This Is My Church

2:12

On the Waterfront: Official Clip - Am I Gonna See You Again?

2:10

On the Waterfront: Official Clip - Terry Asks Edie Out

2:11

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On the Waterfront: Trailer 1

2:31

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Synopsis

Dockworker Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) had been an up-and-coming boxer until powerful local mob boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) persuaded him to throw a fight. When a longshoreman is murdered before he can testify about Friendly's control of the Hoboken waterfront, Terry teams up with the dead man's sister Edie (Eva Marie Saint) and the streetwise priest Father Barry (Karl Malden) to testify himself, against the advice of Friendly's lawyer, Terry's older brother Charley (Rod Steiger).

Director: Elia Kazan
Producer: Sam Spiegel
Screenwriter: Budd Schulberg, Budd Schulberg
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 28, 1954, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 14, 2014
Runtime: 1h 48m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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