Back to trending
The Young Savages

The Young Savages

Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1961

A district attorney investigates the racially charged case of three teenagers accused of the murder of a blind Puerto Rican boy.

Movie details

The Young Savages

“Here is Raw Truth… Nailed to the Screen!”

1961 Crime · Drama · Thriller 1h 43m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.5 / 10

Community rating

A district attorney investigates the racially charged case of three teenagers accused of the murder of a blind Puerto Rican boy.

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 Young Savages?

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.

Blackmail

Blackmail

Drama · 1929

London, 1929. Frank Webber, a very busy Scotland Yard detective, seems to be more interested in his work than in Alice White, his girlfriend. Feeling herself ignored, Alice agrees to go out with an elegant and well-mannered artist who invites her to visit his fancy apartment.

They Made Me a Fugitive

They Made Me a Fugitive

Drama · 1947

After being framed for a policeman's murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.

The Parts You Lose

The Parts You Lose

Drama · 2019

An unlikely friendship unfolds between a young deaf boy, Wesley, and a fugitive criminal who takes refuge in an abandoned barn on the family’s rural North Dakota farm.

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Drama · 2017

Hard-nosed liberal lawyer Roman J. Israel has been fighting the good fight forever while others take the credit. When his partner – the firm's frontman – has a heart attack, Israel suddenly takes on that role. He soon discovers some unsettling truths about the firm – truths that conflict with his values of helping the poor and dispossessed – and finds himself in an existential crisis that leads to extreme actions.

Brute Force

Brute Force

Crime · 1947

Timeworn Joe Collins and his fellow inmates live under the heavy thumb of the sadistic, power-tripping guard Captain Munsey. Only Collins' dreams of escape keep him going, but how can he possibly bust out of Munsey's chains?

Islands

Islands

Thriller · 2025

In this twisty thriller, a tennis coach at a tropical resort finds himself at the center of a missing persons mystery. Tom teaches tennis during the day and parties at night. When an enigmatic tourist arrives, Tom is unable to shake the feeling he has met her before. Tension and attraction grow, until her husband disappears, and the police suspect Tom.

Five Minutes of Heaven

Five Minutes of Heaven

Crime · 2009

The story of former Ulster Volunteer Force member Alistair Little. Twenty-five years after Little killed Joe Griffin's brother, the media arrange an auspicious meeting between the two.

Devil's Knot

Devil's Knot

Crime · 2013

The savage murders of three young children sparks a controversial trial of three teenagers accused of killing the kids as part of a satanic ritual.

The Enforcer

The Enforcer

Drama · 1951

After years of investigation, Assistant District Attorney Martin Ferguson has managed to build a solid case against an elusive gangster whose top lieutenant is about to testify.

Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Very Foul Play

Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: A Very Foul Play

Mystery · 2019

At a gathering of mystery and true crime fans, Aurora Teagarden’s nephew, Phillip, is accused of murder when an unplanned onstage blackout during the play in which he is performing ends, revealing Phillip holding the bloody knife that has just killed one of the other performers. 12th installment in Aurora Teagarden Mysteries

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

John Frankenheimer

Written by

Edward Anhalt · J.P. Miller

Burt Lancaster

Burt Lancaster

Hank Bell

Dina Merrill

Dina Merrill

Karin Bell

Edward Andrews

Edward Andrews

R. Daniel Cole

Vivian Nathan

Vivian Nathan

Mrs. Escalante

Shelley Winters

Shelley Winters

Mary diPace

Larry Gates

Larry Gates

Randolph

Telly Savalas

Telly Savalas

Detective Lt. Gunderson

Court is in session

Put The Young Savages 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.