Frantic (1988)
75%RT Audience Score: 64%
Awards & Nominations: NA
A tense, on-point thriller in the vein of Polanski’s earlier work
Frantic is a classic thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Harrison Ford delivers a stellar performance as an ordinary man caught up in extraordinary circumstances. The film’s blend of realism and suspense is both curious and effective, making it a consistently entertaining piece of work. While it may not have many surprises or excesses, Frantic is a reminder of how absorbing a good thriller can be. Plus, who doesn’t love vintage Polanski? Overall, Frantic is a solid choice for anyone looking for a thrilling movie night.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Warner Bros., Warner Home Vídeo
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
48 Rue du Faubourg Saint- Martin, Paris 10, Paris, France
MPAA / Certificate
R
Year of Release
1988
-
Color:Color
-
Sound mix:Dolby Stereo
-
Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
-
Runtime:2h 0m
-
Language(s):English, French
-
Country of origin:United States
-
Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 26, 1988 Original
Release Date (Streaming): May 15, 2007
Genre(s)
Drama/Crime
Keyword(s)
Frantic, Harrison Ford, Emmanuelle Seigner, Betty Buckley, John Mahoney, Jimmie Ray Weeks, Yorgo Voyagis, Roman Polanski, Tim Hampton, Thom Mount, Gérard Brach, Drama, Crime, Mystery & Thriller, R, Warner Bros., Warner Home Vídeo, $17.5M, reviewed by Ian Nathan, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Variety Staff, Janet Maslin, Roger Ebert, Desson Thomson, Richard Freedman, Cathy Burke, David Nusair, Pablo Villaça, starring Harrison Ford, directed by Roman Polanski, written by Roman Polanski, produced by Tim Hampton, Thom Mount, MPAA rating R, Paris, France, medical conference, abduction, French law enforcement, criminal underworld, limited knowledge, street waif, Michelle, Sondra Walker, Dr Richard Walker, suspenseful, tense, thriller, crime drama, mystery, box office success, budget, sound mix, surround
Worldwide gross: $17,637,950
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $45,160,936
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,386
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 4,924,857
US/Canada gross: $17,637,950
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $45,160,936
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,119
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,359,424
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $11,162,049
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 926
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $20,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $51,208,826
Production budget ranking: 778
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $27,575,953
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$33,623,843
ROI to date (est.): -43%
ROI ranking: 1,641
Emmanuelle Seigner – Michelle
Betty Buckley – Sondra Walker
John Mahoney – U.S. Embassy Official
Jimmie Ray Weeks – Shaap
Yorgo Voyagis – The Kidnapper
Director(s)
Roman Polanski
Writer(s)
Roman Polanski, Gérard Brach
Producer(s)
Tim Hampton, Thom Mount
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (42) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (32) | Rotten (10)
One of the best traditional thrillers to come down the pike in quite some time.
February 19, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
Ian Nathan
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
[Polanski’s] usual surrealism is almost completely absent.
February 19, 2010
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
A thriller without much surprise, suspense or excitement.
October 18, 2008
Variety Staff
Variety
TOP CRITIC
[Polanski] has succeeded in picking up the clever, unnerving thread of his earlier career.
May 20, 2003 | Rating: 4/5
Janet Maslin
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
Even with its excesses, Frantic is a reminder of how absorbing a good thriller can be.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
TOP CRITIC
Vintage Polanski.
January 1, 2000
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
There are so many good things in Frantic that one feels irritated the movie as a whole isn’t better than it is. It’s certainly miles better than Polanski’s most recent effort, the disastrous Pirates, but not as good as it should be.
November 15, 2019 | Rating: 2.5/4
Richard Freedman
Newhouse News Service
It’s a film about ordinary people put in unordinary circumstances pressed to extraordinary levels, and the film itself becomes extraordinary by the effort.
December 9, 2017
Cathy Burke
United Press International
…a solid, consistently entertaining piece of work that boasts a typically stellar performance from Harrison Ford.
July 24, 2011 | Rating: 3/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Curiously and effectively weds the unlikely adventure of a thriller to the plodding realism of daily life… [Blu-ray]
May 28, 2010 | Rating: 3/4
Peter Canavese
Groucho Reviews
Embora assuma os contornos de um suspense mais tradicional (e eficiente, diga-se de passagem), Busca Frentica desenvolve um subtexto rico de significados.
January 13, 2010 | Rating: 5/5
Pablo Villaça
Cinema em Cena
March 23, 2008 | Rating: 3/5
Cole Smithey
ColeSmithey.com…
Plot
A doctor and his wife go to Paris for a medical conference. While showering, his wife disappears. His lack of language, and the odd way she disappeared makes it nearly impossible for him to find any official help in his search as he enters the punk/drug culture to find out what has happened to her.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Frantic on Fresh Kernels.
Roman-Polanski.jpg
