The Manchurian Candidate

Friday, November 22 - Saturday, November 23, 2019

*Please note the late-night screenings on Fri Nov 22 & Sat Nov 23 begin at 12:05am, not 11:59pm!*

“THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE raises the same red flags today as it did in the early 1960s, when its story of political intrigue and assassination became all too relevant following the death of JFK, causing the film’s abrupt disappearance from screens. Re-released to coincide with the current election campaign, it remains a nightmarish tale of high-level subterfuge, mental manipulation and the futility of one man’s rebellion against an ingrained social system. In one of his last roles as a genuine actor before he was swallowed by shallow fame, Frank Sinatra stars as disturbed Korean war veteran Bennett Marco, who uncovers a plot to murder a presidential frontrunner. One of the first films to voice the growing belief that the American system of power and privilege was corrupt, it prefigures not just the Kennedy and King murders, but Vietnam, Watergate and the entire ’70s conspiracy boom. More importantly, it’s a sensational piece of genre filmmaking: pacy, compelling, witty and cynical, it depicts, in unflinching detail, the beginning of the end for post-war American optimism.” – Time Out (London)

Screening as part of our Autumn 2019 series, “Waverly Midnights: Spy Games.”

  • Country USA
  • Year 1962
  • Running Time 126 minutes
  • Distributor Park Circus
  • Director John Frankenheimer
  • Writer Richard Condon (novel), George Axelrod (screenplay)
  • Editor Ferris Webster
  • Cinematographer Lionel Lindon
  • Cast Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, Henry Silva
  • Accessibility Assistive Listening, T-Coil

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.