Frantic
Frantic

Frantic

1988Movie120 minEnglish

The wife of an American doctor suddenly vanishes in Paris. To find her, he navigates a puzzling web of language, locale, laissez-faire cops, triplicate-form filling bureaucrats and a defiant, mysterious waif who knows more than she tells.

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Insights

IMDb6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes59%
Metacritic53/100
Google Users74%
Director: Roman PolanskiGenres: Thriller, Mystery, Crime

Plot Summary

Dr. Richard Walker, an American surgeon, travels to Paris with his wife Sondra for a medical conference. When Sondra is abducted after leaving their hotel, Richard is thrust into a desperate race against time through the unfamiliar city to find her. He encounters a streetwise woman who reluctantly agrees to help him navigate the Parisian underworld as he uncovers a dangerous conspiracy.

Critical Reception

Frantic received mixed to positive reviews, with many critics praising Harrison Ford's performance and Roman Polanski's direction in creating a tense, atmospheric thriller. However, some found the plot predictable and the resolution somewhat anticlimactic.

What Reviewers Say

  • Harrison Ford delivers a compelling performance as a man pushed to his limits.
  • Roman Polanski masterfully builds suspense and creates a palpable sense of disorientation in Paris.
  • The film's cat-and-mouse dynamic is engaging, though the plot treads somewhat familiar territory.

Google audience: Audiences generally appreciated the suspenseful nature of the film and Harrison Ford's role, finding it to be a solid thriller. Some viewers felt the story was a bit slow-paced in parts but ultimately enjoyed the chase and mystery elements.

Awards & Accolades

Nominated for a Saturn Award for Best Actor (Harrison Ford).

Fun Fact

Harrison Ford learned to speak French for the role, though much of his dialogue was dubbed by another actor due to his accent.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
kevin2019

kevin2019

"Frantic" is an engrossing and well made film that easily builds up a genuine sense of mystery and intrigue from the very beginning. It is incredibly well crafted throughout with an immediately interesting opening gambit and Roman Polanski ...
JPV852

JPV852

Movie starts off well enough with the mystery element but afterward tonally felt a bit off (veered into moderate comedy at points). Ford is fine as was Emmanuelle Seigner, though I wonder if this could've used the eye of Brian De Palma rath...