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Witness

Witness

Crime · Drama · Thriller · 1985

While protecting an Amish boy—the sole witness to a brutal murder—and his mother, a detective is forced to seek refuge within their community when his own life comes under threat.

Movie details

Witness

“A big city cop. A small country boy. They have nothing in common... but a murder.”

1985 Crime · Drama · Thriller 1h 52m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

7.3 / 10

113K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

92 %

Tomatometer

Metacritic

76 / 100

Metascore

TMDB

7.1 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

While protecting an Amish boy—the sole witness to a brutal murder—and his mother, a detective is forced to seek refuge within their community when his own life comes under threat.

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 Witness?

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.

At Close Range

At Close Range

Crime · 1986

Brad Whitewood Jr. lives in rural Pennsylvania and has few prospects. Against his mother's wishes, he seeks out his estranged father, the head of a gang of thieves in a nearby town. Though his new girlfriend supports his criminal ambitions, Brad Jr. soon learns that his father is a dangerous man.

Finestkind

Finestkind

Crime · 2023

Two brothers from opposite sides of the tracks are reunited as adults. Desperate circumstances force them into a deal with an organized crime syndicate in Boston, and a young woman gets caught in the middle.

Blindfire

Blindfire

Crime · 2020

A police officer who while responding to a violent hostage call, kills the African American suspect only to later learn of his innocence. Sensing this was a set-up, and facing repercussions, he must track down the person responsible while examining his own accountability and the ingrained racism which brought him to this point.

The Devil You Know

The Devil You Know

Thriller · 2022

Once-incarcerated Marcus Cowans is trying to turn over a new leaf with the support of his loving family. Upon discovering that one of his brothers may have been involved in a horrific crime, Marcus grapples with the limits of brotherhood and loyalty. He and his family, increasingly weary of the justice system’s failings, end up in the crosshairs of a seasoned but jaded detective.

Cop Land

Cop Land

Crime · 1997

Freddy Heflin is the sheriff of a place everyone calls “Cop Land” — a small and seemingly peaceful town populated by the big city police officers he’s long admired. Yet something ugly is taking place behind the town’s peaceful facade. And when Freddy uncovers a massive, deadly conspiracy among these local residents, he is forced to take action and make a dangerous choice between protecting his idols and upholding the law.

A History of Violence

A History of Violence

Drama · 2005

An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.

Barron's Cove

Barron's Cove

Crime · 2025

When his young son is viciously murdered by a classmate, a grieving father with a history of violence kidnaps the child responsible, igniting a frenzied manhunt fueled by a powerful politician -- the father of the kidnapped boy.

The Public Eye

The Public Eye

Crime · 1992

A crime photographer gets involved in a conspiracy.

Prisoners

Prisoners

Drama · 2013

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.

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done

My Son, My Son, What Have Ye Done

Crime · 2010

Brad has committed murder and barricaded himself inside his house. With the help of his friends and neighbours, the cops piece together the strange tale of how this nice young man arrived at such a dark place.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Peter Weir

Written by

Earl W. Wallace · William Kelley · Pamela Wallace

Harrison Ford

Harrison Ford

John Book

Kelly McGillis

Kelly McGillis

Rachel

Josef Sommer

Josef Sommer

Schaeffer

Lukas Haas

Lukas Haas

Samuel

Jan Rubeš

Jan Rubeš

Eli Lapp

Alexander Godunov

Alexander Godunov

Daniel Hochleitner

Danny Glover

Danny Glover

McFee

Court is in session

Put Witness 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.