One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

R

Released Nov 19, 1975

2h 13m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

93%

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131 Reviews

96%

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250,000+ Ratings

When Randle Patrick McMurphy gets transferred for evaluation from a prison farm to a mental institution, he assumes it will be a less restrictive environment. But the martinet Nurse Ratched runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist, keeping her patients cowed through abuse, medication and sessions of electroconvulsive therapy. The battle of wills between the rebellious McMurphy and the inflexible Ratched soon affects all the ward's patients.

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Critics Consensus

Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher are worthy adversaries in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, with Miloš Forman's more grounded and morally ambiguous approach to Ken Kesey's surrealistic novel yielding a film of outsized power.

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Frank Rich

New York Post

While Milos Forman has made a frightfully mindless film, he's made it damn well -- cloaking Kesey's irresponsible pap in trappings of immediacy and legitimacy that aren't easily stripped away.

Feb 25, 2025

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Jack Kroll

Newsweek

Most of the characters are thinned out... But Forman directs his players superbly, and Louise Fletcher as the nurse turns impassive coolness into a destructive force.

Feb 25, 2025

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Molly Haskell

Village Voice

As for Nicholson, he is nothing short of miraculous.

Feb 25, 2025

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Josh Larsen

LarsenOnFilm

It’s McMurphy versus Ratched, but it might as well be Life versus Death.

Rated: 4/4

Jul 30, 2025

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Stephen Holland

Screen Rant

The Best Picture winner One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest remains an all-time great film featuring one of Jack Nicholson's career-defining performances.

Rated: 10/10

Jul 14, 2025

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Mark Jackson

Epoch Times

“Cuckoo's Nest” showcases the apex of Nicholson's star power in a film classic that criticizes authoritarianism.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 5, 2025

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Sandy

just an amazing and sad look into how mental institutions were run in many places. Great acting. many layers of society's dysfunction and realities. this book was even part of an English class I took in college back in the early 70's.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/19/25

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Steven

Jack Nicolson at his best. Many other actors in early career roles. From back when movies were an artform.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/18/25

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Google

Awesome to be able to see this again on the big screen.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/18/25

Full Review

Teresa C

Powerful. Back when movies were made well.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/17/25

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Jesus C

This movie will have you laughing the entire time and then surprise at the end. What a great performance by Jack Nicholson. This is definitely a must watch Classic!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/17/25

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Anita M

It is a classic! The foul language, the suicide, what they did to the main character is awful.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/17/25

Full Review

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Milos Forman

Director

Jack Nicholson

Randle Patrick McMurphy

Louise Fletcher

Nurse Mildred Ratched

Brad Dourif

Billy Bibbit

William Redfield

Harding

Michael Berryman

Ellis, tall bald patient

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Synopsis

When Randle Patrick McMurphy gets transferred for evaluation from a prison farm to a mental institution, he assumes it will be a less restrictive environment. But the martinet Nurse Ratched runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist, keeping her patients cowed through abuse, medication and sessions of electroconvulsive therapy. The battle of wills between the rebellious McMurphy and the inflexible Ratched soon affects all the ward's patients.

Director: Milos Forman
Producer: Michael Douglas, Saul Zaentz
Screenwriter: Lawrence Hauben, Bo Goldman
Distributor: United Artists
Production Co: Fantasy Films
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 19, 1975, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Jul 13, 2025
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Runtime: 2h 13m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.85:1)

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