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The Offence

The Offence

Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1973

A burned-out British police detective finally snaps while interrogating a suspected child molester.

Movie details

The Offence

“After 20 years, what detective-sergeant Johnson has seen and done is destroying him.”

1973 Crime · Drama · Thriller 1h 53m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

A burned-out British police detective finally snaps while interrogating a suspected child molester.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Offence?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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The Boston Strangler

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Cape Fear

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Bill, an idle, unemployed aspiring writer, walks the crowded streets of London following randomly chosen strangers, a seemingly innocent entertainment that becomes dangerous when he crosses paths with a mysterious character.

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done

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Prisoners

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After his six-year-old daughter is abducted, a desperate father takes justice into his own hands when he loses faith in the detective leading the investigation, setting both men on a collision course as the search descends into obsession and moral compromise.

Jesse Stone: No Remorse

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Narc

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Crime · 2002

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Sidney Lumet

Written by

John Hopkins

Sean Connery

Sean Connery

Detective Sergeant Johnson

Trevor Howard

Trevor Howard

Lieutenant Cartwright, Detective Superintendant

Vivien Merchant

Vivien Merchant

Maureen Johnson

Ian Bannen

Ian Bannen

Kenneth Baxter

Peter Bowles

Peter Bowles

Detective Inspector Cameron

Derek Newark

Derek Newark

Frank Jessard

Ronald Radd

Ronald Radd

Lawson

Court is in session

Put The Offence on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.