The Conversation

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The Conversation

PG

Released Apr 7, 1974

1h 53m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

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139 Reviews

89%

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25,000+ Ratings

Surveillance expert Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) is hired by a mysterious client's brusque aide (Harrison Ford) to tail a young couple, Mark (Frederic Forrest) and Ann (Cindy Williams). Tracking the pair through San Francisco's Union Square, Caul and his associate Stan (John Cazale) manage to record a cryptic conversation between them. Tormented by memories of a previous case that ended badly, Caul becomes obsessed with the resulting tape, trying to determine if the couple are in danger.

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Critics Consensus

This tense, paranoid thriller presents Francis Ford Coppola at his finest -- and makes some remarkably advanced arguments about technology's role in society that still resonate today.

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Rex Reed

New York Daily News

It is a superior movie, a dynamic social document, and an exemplary public service. In every way, a Kilimanjaro among motion pictures.

Sep 24, 2024

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Pauline Kael

The New Yorker

The Conversation is driven by an inner logic. It's a little thin, because the logic is the working out of one character's obsession, but it's a buggy movie that can get to you so that when it's over you really feel you're being bugged.

Sep 24, 2024

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Andrew Sarris

Village Voice

Coppola never lets us in on any of the tactical details. Obviously, he opts for surprise over suspense, but even his surprises are muffled by his solemn gaze.

Sep 24, 2024

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Andy Punter

InSession Film

The Conversation doesn’t offer neat resolutions. Its famous ending is a haunting tableau of paranoia consuming itself, leaving the audience, like Caul, surrounded by questions. It’s a film that demands reflection, provoking debate decades after release.

Rated: A

Apr 28, 2025

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... a thriller directed in a minor key, with a richly textured soundscape of silence and ambient noise broken by hushed voices and electronic interference and a visual style that suggests a man alienated from the rest of the world.

Apr 26, 2025

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Tynan Yanaga

Film Inquiry

The Conversation is one of the great paranoia films of the 1970s in the era of Watergate.

Apr 4, 2025

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Wes

Maybe I would have appreciated it more if I was an adult back in the 70s. Boring. It’s interesting getting a look at 70s urban blight. Union Square became a big skate spot 20 years later. Movies like this are why Star Wars was such a hit and came at the right time. What a contrast!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/26/24

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Alexander

Super boring. Francis made this after The Godfather and even explains in the mini interview that he did not screen it with anyone except for a few babysitters. Maybe he knew subconsciously that this is a terrible movie and couldnt stand any honest feedback. Waste of my time and money. I walked out less than halfway into it.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/18/24

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steve d

I really liked this movie. I didn't know anything about it didn't know it was a Coppola movie i just saw it was on Amazon and it had gene Hackman so i was like yeah why not. I just watched the French connection a few weeks ago and have seen plenty of other movies with Gene but I've never seen him play a character like this. Polar opposite of "Popeye" Doyle. I liked the music and broody paranoid atmosphere.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/27/25

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Farah R

If I had to pick one word to describe The Conversation I’d easily pick boring. Perhaps this film was better suited for an audience in the decade in which it was released, but for a modern audience, it’s a whole lot of dull drama with no gratifying conclusion.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/22/25

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Gordon D

Wasted two hours watching this. How anyone can think this is a brilliant film is beyond me. Incredibly slow, nothing much happens and hardly believable. Suspect if it had been made by an unknown rather than Francis Ford Coppola then it would’ve sunk without trace. Avoid!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/22/25

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John Z

Well-crafted film, and expected to be such from a fine director like F. F. Coppola! A suggested tweak for the ending: have Caul sit in a chair, play his sax for a few minutes, set the instrument down, and stare at it.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/06/25

Full Review

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Francis Ford Coppola

Director

Gene Hackman

Harry Caul

John Cazale

Stan

Frederic Forrest

Mark

Allen Garfield

William P. "Bernie" Moran

Cindy Williams

Ann

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Synopsis

Surveillance expert Harry Caul (Gene Hackman) is hired by a mysterious client's brusque aide (Harrison Ford) to tail a young couple, Mark (Frederic Forrest) and Ann (Cindy Williams). Tracking the pair through San Francisco's Union Square, Caul and his associate Stan (John Cazale) manage to record a cryptic conversation between them. Tormented by memories of a previous case that ended badly, Caul becomes obsessed with the resulting tape, trying to determine if the couple are in danger.

Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Producer: Francis Ford Coppola
Screenwriter: Francis Ford Coppola
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: American Zoetrope, The Directors Company
Rating: PG
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 7, 1974, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Aug 9, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2011
Box Office (Gross USA): $143.4K
Runtime: 1h 53m

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