Open Season
Open Season

Movie spotlight

Open Season

1974
Movie
105 min
English

Three Vietnam vets have become so conditioned to violence that they have developed psychotic tendencies. They kidnap people, brutalize them, then turn them loose and hunt them like animals. However the father of one of their earlier victims is plotting a vicious revenge against them.

Insights

IMDb6.4/10
Director: Sidney LumetGenres: Crime, Drama, Thriller

Plot Summary

A middle-aged artist, Tom Brown, is hired by two men to help them with a dangerous plan to abduct and assault a young woman. As the situation escalates and the lines between victim and perpetrator blur, Tom finds himself increasingly trapped in a spiral of moral decay and violence. The film explores themes of complicity, societal decay, and the psychological toll of participating in heinous acts. It culminates in a tense and disturbing climax as the consequences of their actions unfold.

Critical Reception

Open Season was met with mixed to negative reviews upon its release, with many critics finding its subject matter disturbing and its execution gratuitous. While some acknowledged Sidney Lumet's directorial skill and the strong performances, the film's graphic violence and bleak outlook were often cited as significant drawbacks. Audiences were similarly divided, with many finding the film too intense and unpleasant to watch.

What Reviewers Say

  • The film's dark and disturbing subject matter was a major point of contention.

  • While performances were noted, the narrative was often criticized for being gratuitous and bleak.

  • Sidney Lumet's direction was acknowledged but couldn't salvage the film for many critics.

Google audience: Information on Google user reviews for 'Open Season (1974)' is not readily available, making it difficult to summarize specific audience likes or dislikes.

Fun Fact

The film was controversial for its graphic depiction of violence and its difficult subject matter, leading to limited distribution and reception at the time of its release.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

2 reviews
Wuchak

Wuchak

_**Three obnoxious clowns with guns in the backwoods**_ A couple (Cornelia Sharpe & Alberto de Mendoza) is apprehended by three sadistic goofballs (Peter Fonda, John Phillip Law & Richard Lynch) and taken to the wilderness in northern Mi...

MOVIESandMANIA

MOVIESandMANIA

Three veterans of the Vietnam War, Ken, Greg and Art, played by Fonda, Law and Lynch respectively, have struggled to reintegrate back into society after their experiences and though furnished with the trappings of middle-class family life, ...