Sorcerer (1977)
86%RT Audience Score: 84%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 3 Oscars
17 wins & 69 nominations total
Sorcerer, which obstinately motors along on its unpredictable speed, features ambitious sequences of insane white-knuckle tension
Sorcerer is like a rollercoaster ride that you’re not sure you want to go on, but once you’re on it, you can’t get off. It’s a gritty, intense thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat, wondering what’s going to happen next. And while it’s not for the faint of heart, if you’re looking for a movie that will keep you guessing until the very end, Sorcerer is definitely worth a watch. Just make sure you buckle up!
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Universal Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Alnwick Castle, Alnwick, Northumberland, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for some scary moments and mild language
Year of Release
2001
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:DTS-ES Dolby Digital EX 12-Track Digital Sound IMAX 6-Track
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:2h 1m
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Language(s):English, Latin
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jun 24, 1977 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 8, 2005
Genre(s)
Adventure/Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal, Amidou, Ramon Bieri, Peter Capell, directed by William Friedkin, written by Walon Green, Adventure, Drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Rex Reed, Vincent Canby, Peter Keough, Gary Arnold, Peter Bradshaw, Ian Schultz, Cory Woodroof, Andrew Collins, Matthew Pejkovic, Ruth Batchelor, Augusto Martínez Torres, PG, truckers, South America, nitroglycerin, oil well, guerillas, dangerous quest, tension, thriller, action, adventure, drama, naturalism, immersive visuals, engross
Worldwide gross: $1,017,713,119
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,715,140,162
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 27
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 187,038,186
US/Canada gross: $318,886,962
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $537,416,513
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 59
US/Canada opening weekend: $90,294,621
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $152,172,482
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 30
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $125,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $210,661,056
Production budget ranking: 93
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $113,440,979
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,391,038,127
ROI to date (est.): 429%
ROI ranking: 307
Bruno Cremer – Victor Manzon
Francisco Rabal – Nilo
Amidou – Kassem
Ramon Bieri – Corlette
Peter Capell – Lartigue
Director(s)
William Friedkin
Writer(s)
Walon Green
Producer(s)
William Friedkin
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 3 Oscars
17 wins & 69 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (35) | Rotten (9)
I don’t know if there’s an audience for this kind of grueling, depressing experience, but Sorcerer might bring back the kind of moviegoer who used to cheer Humphrey Bogart. It’s tough and unyielding as a pair of brass knuckles.
October 26, 2021
Rex Reed
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
For moviegoers who are convinced that more is more, “Sorcerer” is a big, fat, satisfyingly shapeless spectacle. For the rest of us it’s a walnut of a movie-a good little melodrama surrounded by thick pulp.
February 28, 2021
Vincent Canby
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
The director at his most brilliant and original.
February 28, 2021
Peter Keough
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
One can’t help wondering if Sorcerer was awarded a “PG” rating before or after it was screened.
April 23, 2018
Gary Arnold
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
A fierce, austere and intriguing film: a cinematic concerto of pessimism.
November 3, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
Sorcerer is a stunning reimagining of a masterpiece, one that crucially doesn’t try to replicate what came before. Instead, it follows its own dangerous path.
October 27, 2017 | Rating: 5/5
Ian Schultz
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
Friedkin is a master of shot composition, and in building that exact shade of gut-wrenching tension that makes you want to yell at the screen.
June 25, 2022
Cory Woodroof
615 Film
It’s the more reflective human moments that elevate this thriller beyond the generic.
February 28, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
Andrew Collins
Radio Times
A white-knuckle tense thriller of impeccable craft and slow burn pace.
May 9, 2020 | Rating: 4.5/5
Matthew Pejkovic
Matt’s Movie Reviews
It’s not Papillon and it’s not The Freach Connection. It’s for people who want to see superhuman macho efforts with futile results.
October 22, 2019
Ruth Batchelor
Los Angeles Free Press
The existential elements are the main attraction of this movie. [Full Review in Spanish]
August 7, 2019
Augusto Martínez Torres
El Pais (Spain)
Sorcerer is not magical entertainment, as the title might indicate but it is a very well made film.
July 9, 2019
Bernard Drew
Gannett News Service…
Plot
This is the tale of Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), an ordinary eleven-year-old boy serving as a sort of slave for his aunt and uncle who learns that he is actually a wizard and has been invited to attend the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry is snatched away from his mundane existence by Rubeus Hagrid (Robbie Coltrane), the groundskeeper for Hogwarts, and quickly thrown into a world completely foreign to both him and the viewer. Famous for an incident that happened at his birth, Harry makes friends easily at his new school. He soon finds, however, that the wizarding world is far more dangerous for him than he would have imagined, and he quickly learns that not all wizards are ones to be trusted.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast of Sorcerer includes Roy Scheider, Bruno Cremer, Francisco Rabal, Amidou, and Ramon Bieri.
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