Wrong Is Right

R

1982

1h 57m

Comedy

Drama

List

27%

11 Reviews

Tomatometer

38%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Patrick Hale (Sean Connery) is a slick television journalist with impressive ratings. When Hale travels to the Middle East to interview a prominent member of Arab royalty, he gets entangled in an intricate plot that involves the American president (George Grizzard), a terrorist group, nuclear devices and possibly even global war. Before long, the CIA, a high-powered arms dealer and religious zealots are involved, giving this dark comedy plenty of satirical fodder.

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Tamara K

I just discovered this film and it's delightfully ridiculous.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/17/23

Full Review

None of ur b

No, just no (Ihavetowriteabitmoretosubmit) oh and it's fiction ithink

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/08/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I rented this about a decade ago and only made it through the first ten minutes. I'm a huge Sean Connery fan so last night I called it up on streaming and made myself squirm all the way through it just so I can say I've seen all of his films. It's just plain bad, and the only thing that works for it is that everything it predicted in 1982 eventually came true in the first two Bush administrations. That's not even enough reason to watch it, just makes you feel like you're living through the Bush admins again.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

kind of a 'network' knock off but set in the future

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Based loosely upon Charles McCarry's 1979 novel The Better Angels, and brought to the screen by veteran writer/director Richard Brooks (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958) and Elmer Gantry (1960)), this is a pitch black satire on the power of television news and government manipulation. It ends up being more honest about today's world than funny. Set in a world between now and later, where violence is rife and TV news is nothing more than sensationalist, Patrick Hale (Sean Connery) is a world-roving news reporter, whose reports are always dramatic and over the top. But, despite this, he's always able to get in and interview the big world leaders. The film begins with Hale travelling to the Arab country of Hegreb, to interview King Ibn Awad (Ron Moody), but Awad learns that U.S. president Lockwood (George Grizzard) has ordered his removal. In retaliation, Awad sends two suitcases to be detonated in America and Israel, unless Lockwood resigns as president, it's here that Hale uncovers a complex plot that reveals the world and it's governments are being manipulated by the CIA. It's interesting to see Connery try something different like this, and he makes a good reporter too, but the plot does let it down and it does get too complex for it's own good and it ends up not knowing what it wants to be, a social statement or a black comedy. But, it has a good supporting cast including Hardy Kruger, Katharine Ross, Dean Stockwell and Leslie Nielsen.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Oddly overlooked effort from writer-director Richard Brooks is a pretty clever satire that may be more relevant today than when it was made. The convoluted plot can be tricky, and the production values are a bit bland (Brooks does a great job as a writer, but as a director he could have exercised more visual flair) - but the cast is strong, and it takes a number of sharp, compelling jabs at politics and the media. Worth seeking out.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

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Richard Brooks

Director

Sean Connery

Patrick Hale

George Grizzard

President Lockwood

Katharine Ross

Sally Blake

Robert Conrad

Gen. Wombat

G.D. Spradlin

Philindros

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Dwight Brown

Sepia

[An] awkward blend of comedy satire, adventure drama and everything else but the kitchen sink.

Aug 10, 2022

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Wild proceedings are packed with convoluted intrigue.

Apr 8, 2008

Full Review

Time Out

Veering wildly between a quite well-written satire on the contemporary American political scene and a very ham-fisted nuclear blackmail thriller, its sheer eccentricity is quite engaging.

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

Michael Lasky

Bay Area Reporter

The result is a well-paced comedy based on exaggerated truths (violence, TV, politics) that keeps us smirking with recognition but never quite laughing out loud.

May 12, 2020

Full Review

Octavi Marti

El Pais (Spain)

Wrong Is Right is a mix of triviality and transcendence, nonsense or intelligence, opportunism and personal discourse, lies and truth. [Full Review in Spanish]

Aug 28, 2019

Full Review

TV Guide

The film is rather haphazard in its visual style and plotting, tallying up to a confused condemnation of our lack of morality.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 8, 2008

Full Review

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Synopsis

Patrick Hale (Sean Connery) is a slick television journalist with impressive ratings. When Hale travels to the Middle East to interview a prominent member of Arab royalty, he gets entangled in an intricate plot that involves the American president (George Grizzard), a terrorist group, nuclear devices and possibly even global war. Before long, the CIA, a high-powered arms dealer and religious zealots are involved, giving this dark comedy plenty of satirical fodder.

Director: Richard Brooks
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 27, 2010
Runtime: 1h 57m

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