“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

Safety Last!
Comedy · Romance · Thriller · 1923
When a store clerk organizes a contest to climb the outside of a tall building, circumstances force him to make the perilous climb himself.
Safety Last!
“You're Going to Explode With "Safety Laughs" when You see This Fun Bomb.”
Critical arithmetic
The consensus, allegedly.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
IMDb
8.1 / 10
23.5K votes
Rotten Tomatoes
97 %
Tomatometer
TMDB
7.7 / 10
Community rating
External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.
When a store clerk organizes a contest to climb the outside of a tall building, circumstances force him to make the perilous climb himself.
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 Safety Last!?
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their caseThe Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
Watch in your region.
Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.
Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Fred C. Newmeyer · Sam Taylor
Written by
Hal Roach · Sam Taylor · Tim Whelan
Put Safety Last! on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
“Technique in search of a pulse.”
Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.





