The Trial

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The Trial

Released Dec 21, 1962

1h 59m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

45 Reviews

87%

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5,000+ Ratings

Josef K. (Anthony Perkins) is accused of an unspecified crime and shambles through a series of bizarre encounters in an attempt to clear his name in the face of a hellish bureaucracy.

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Critics Consensus

Orson Welles may take big liberties in his adaptation of The Trial, but the auteur constructs an absurd nightmare that is unmistakably Kafkaesque -- grounded by an excellent Anthony Perkins as the befuddled Josef K.

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Chuck Bowen

Slant Magazine

Unsurprisingly, Orson Welles doesn’t efface his artistic personality for The Trial.

Sep 20, 2023

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Michael Phillips

Chicago Tribune

[A] singular two-hour experience, as dynamic and strange as anything Welles made.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 10, 2023

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

[A] fearless Kafka adaptation...

Rated: 4/5

Nov 18, 2022

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Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

What we basically end up with is an intriguing road to nowhere, one that has some interesting sights to see along the way, but which needed a little more substance to help make the journey worth it.

Rated: 2.5/4

Sep 18, 2023

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Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

...among Welles' most brilliantly realized creations...

Sep 14, 2023

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Ray Pride

Newcity

What grubby filth! Josef K. (Anthony Perkins) is an office man, an ambitious junior bureaucrat, long and thin as a blade in knife-sharp suits... exacting haircut, encased in timeless tailoring, a trim suit... slim pants with pleats crisp as glass.

Rated: 10/10

Mar 20, 2023

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Mason M

I'll say that this was the first film I've seen from Orson Welles. Even though I'm not the most familiar with the films he's directed, I enjoyed The Trial. Welles's directing in this film was great, and it's very clear that he has a great visual eye for filmmaking. The cinematography in this film was great and the set pieces might be some of the best sets I've ever seen in a film. Anthony Perkins also gives what I'd say is probably his best performance. I really liked how Welles portrayed Kafka's absurdity and paranoia throughout the film. Though I'm not giving this a higher rating because it never quite clicked for me. It doesn't really feel like this film actually has very much to say and there wasn't any deeper meaning for me to grab onto. But despite that, I thought The Trial was a great film that did a great job at what it was trying to do.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/10/25

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Merick H

Starts off well -- visually striking and thought provoking -- but it begins to meander and quickly becomes an incredible bore. As a whole, it stinks.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

05/22/25

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Alec B

Welles stages this beautifully and despite the fact that it's a Kafka adaptation, the movie feels totally accessible while not betraying the source material.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/05/25

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Hugh J

Although slow at times Orson Welles does well enough to bring Kafka's most arguably real dystopian novel to the silver screen. He took an appropriate amount of liberties to make the movie his own while staying true to the source material to make a great adaptation.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/08/24

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Camero W

It was kinda hard to watch at certain points because I thought it would never end like a nightmare. The acting was spot on. Shots were crazy. The way that the film made things look very large and very small reminded me of Alice in Wonderland. Great film. Not for the faint of heart or people with short attention spans.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/08/24

Full Review

Teddy B

Franz Kafka's story may be slightly abstracted (to put it lightly), but his ideas and views on the futility and stupidity of society are translated effortlessly through Orson Welle's carefully crafted visuals and tone as well as a fittingly befuddled performance from Anthony Perkins.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/16/24

Full Review

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Synopsis

Josef K. (Anthony Perkins) is accused of an unspecified crime and shambles through a series of bizarre encounters in an attempt to clear his name in the face of a hellish bureaucracy.

Director: Orson Welles
Producer: Alexander Salkind, Michael Salkind
Screenwriter: Orson Welles, Franz Kafka
Distributor: Astor Pictures Corporation
Production Co: Paris-Europa Productions
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 21, 1962, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Dec 9, 2022
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $90.5K
Runtime: 1h 59m

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