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The Parallax View

The Parallax View

Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1974

An ambitious reporter gets in trouble while investigating a senator's assassination which leads to a vast conspiracy involving a multinational corporation behind every event in the world's headlines.

Movie details

The Parallax View

“As American as apple pie.”

1974 Crime · Drama · Thriller 1h 42m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.8 / 10

Community rating

An ambitious reporter gets in trouble while investigating a senator's assassination which leads to a vast conspiracy involving a multinational corporation behind every event in the world's headlines.

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 Parallax View?

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 Public Eye

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A crime photographer gets involved in a conspiracy.

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When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.

L.A. Confidential

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Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile

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Gorky Park

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Thriller · 1983

Police Inspector Renko tries to solve the case of three bodies found in Moscow's Gorky Park but finds his attempts to solve the crime impeded by his superiors. Working on his own, Renko seeks out more information and stumbles across a conspiracy involving the highest levels of the government.

The Number 23

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Animal control officer Walter Sparrow becomes obsessed with a novel that he believes was written about him, as more and more similarities between himself and his literary alter ego seem to arise.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Alan J. Pakula

Written by

Lorenzo Semple Jr. · David Giler

Warren Beatty

Warren Beatty

Joseph Frady

Paula Prentiss

Paula Prentiss

Lee Carter

William Daniels

William Daniels

Austin Tucker

Walter McGinn

Walter McGinn

Jack Younger

Hume Cronyn

Hume Cronyn

Bill Rintels

Kelly Thordsen

Kelly Thordsen

Sheriff L.D. Wicker

Chuck Waters

Chuck Waters

Thomas Richard Linder

Court is in session

Put The Parallax View 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.