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Underworld U.S.A.

Play trailer Poster for Underworld U.S.A. Released May 13, 1961 1h 39m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Having witnessed his father's murder, a young man works with a detective to clean out the powerful syndicate.
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Underworld U.S.A.

Critics Reviews

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Yasser Medina Cinefilia A captivating neo-noir film, in which Fuller hides the twists like the bullets in a gun and rarely loses its point of intrigue when it shoots from the darkness to reveal his plot about murder, revenge and corruption. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 7/10 Nov 9, 2024 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Samuel Fuller's direction, in full nihilistic bloom, is better than his screenplay. Rated: 3/4 Aug 30, 2021 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...erratic yet mostly rewarding... Rated: 3/4 Oct 19, 2020 Full Review Sean Axmaker Seanax.com ... like the gangster figures of the 1930s, he sees only himself and the world around him and treats everything/everyone else as a stepping stone or an obstacle. Dec 5, 2009 Full Review Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid Even more so than its plot, the film is notable for its very stark, sharp black-and-white look; each shot almost feels like a paper cut. Oct 29, 2009 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Samuel Fuller's revenge crime thriller is shot in the same brisk and violent manner he shoots his war films. Rated: B Feb 26, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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nick s Well crafted gangland revenge story. Acting was competent and cinematography had some nice touches. Good pacing and tension. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/10/24 Full Review Audience Member Born in jail to an incarcerated mom and raised by his father to become a thief Tolly Devlin witnesses the murder of a parent and sets off on a life long quest to avenge the killing. Directed with panache by the great Samuel Fuller and photographed with vivid and stark closeups of stars Cliff Robertson and Delores Dunn this pulpy crime noir is a must watch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member A rollicking revenge film done with style, Underworld U.S.A successfully blends elements of the 30's gangster film with 40's noir. The final tracking shot is operatic in the best possible sense of the word. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Even more so than its plot, the film is notable for its very stark, sharp black-and-white look; each shot almost feels like a paper cut. It's closer in spirit to the films of the French New Wave than anything that was going on in Hollywood at the time. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member good mystery suspenser Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Sam Fuller's films tend to be RAW. That is, they are filled with RAW emotion as characters confront difficult realities. In Underworld U. S. A., Cliff Robertson's criminal father is killed by four shadowy men and as an adult he determines to track them down and wreak his revenge. Performances in Fuller films are stylized (and sometimes amateurish) with blunt pithy dialogue that might get to the point too quick or too overtly. Yet, all of this makes his films compulsively watchable - they are different. Underworld U. S. A. takes a typical noir/gangster plot and runs it through Fuller's brain where it comes out just a little bit weirder. Not intentionally weird, mind you, but RAW. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Underworld U.S.A.

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Cast & Crew

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Samuel Fuller

Director

Cliff Robertson

Tolly Devlin

Dolores Dorn

Cuddles

Beatrice Kay

Sandy

Paul Dubov

Gela

Robert Emhardt

Earl Connors

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Underworld U.S.A.

Underworld U.S.A. (1961) Underworld U.S.A. (1961) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Having witnessed his father's murder, a young man works with a detective to clean out the powerful syndicate.
Director
Samuel Fuller
Producer
Samuel Fuller
Screenwriter
Samuel Fuller
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Globe Enterprises
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 13, 1961, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 11, 2011
Runtime
1h 39m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm
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