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Fail-Safe Reviews

1963

80
from 450 members

Based on the novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, Fail-Safe is set for the most part at Strategic Air Command headquarters, where a misguided transmission sends a squadron of bombers hurtling towards Russia, fully prepared to drop their atomic weaponry on Moscow. Air Force commander Frank Overton desperately tries to .. Read more

Starring	Dan O'Herlihy, Walter Matthau, Frank Overton, Edward Binns
Director	Sidney Lumet
Genres	Thriller

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Critic's review of Fail-Safe
View all (1)
- Eclipsed by its contemporary, Dr Strangelove, Fail Safe eschews the former's black humour and opts for a deadly serious... read more on Time Out
- 50067
- - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:20
Write your own review »
Most helpful member's review of Fail-Safe
View all members' reviews (12)
- - 9
  - 0
  Unfairly overlooked.
  
  Seeing Sidney Lumet's much ignored film Fail Safe, its not hard to see why it was so utterly overshadowed by Kubrick's similarly themed masterpiece. If ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 742610
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - Ben4King
  - 14 reviews
  - London
  - 14 Apr 2009 at 03:27
Most recent members' reviews of Fail-Safe
View all members' reviews (12)
- - 0
  - 0
  Unmissable. The best cold war film todate
  
  One of the most gripping films I have seen. This is basically a serious version of Dr Strangelove. It will have you on the edge of your seat. I remember seeing ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 1114931
- - kentfilmbuff
  - 5 reviews
  - 28 Apr 2012 at 17:01
- - 25
  - 26
  A movie that is well above the average---highly recommended.
  
  This is a good film, based on a storyline scenario that has been covered in quite a few movies. The scenario is such a gripping one that, quite frankly, most ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 988663
- - roncoach
  - 263 reviews
  - suffolk
  - 03 May 2011 at 19:51
- - 0
  - 0
  Utterly gripping
  
  Nearly 40 years old, this film hasn't lost its power to chill. Relying on great acting and an intelligent script, and with silence on the soundtrack only ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 859393
- - a customer
  - BANBURY
  - 08 Feb 2010 at 22:10
- - 0
  - 0
  Best film
  
  This is one of the best films I have ever rented from Lovefilm. What a pity it was overshadowed by Dr. Strangelove (a film I could never get on with). This ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 854935
- - a customer
  - Exeter
  - 29 Jan 2010 at 10:59
- - 0
  - 0
  an outstanding movie
  
  Little known and often overlooked, this is an outstanding movie. Tense, engaging, subtle and thought provoking, it tackles the futility of nuclear war head on ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 816281
- - KWD
  - 16 reviews
  - London
  - 30 Sep 2009 at 17:56
- - 3
  - 0
  Tension and terror
  
  This is the best film you've never heard of. The reason might be something to do with Stanley Kubrick and his lawyers.
  
  My advice, don't read ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 774725
- - a customer
  - London
  - 22 Jun 2009 at 23:37
- - 9
  - 0
  Unfairly overlooked.
  
  Seeing Sidney Lumet's much ignored film Fail Safe, its not hard to see why it was so utterly overshadowed by Kubrick's similarly themed masterpiece. If ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 742610
- - Ben4King
  - 14 reviews
  - London
  - 14 Apr 2009 at 03:27
- - 3
  - 0
  Bleakness
  
  This is straight out of the Cold War, but its impact is visceral. Stylistically crude, with a question mark over some of the plotting (which is probably a ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 740814
- - Leni
  - 179 reviews
  - London
  - 09 Apr 2009 at 17:58
- - 0
  - 0
  Better than the remake.
  
  A tense, rivetting, well-paced thriller. Excellent all round.
  
  Report this review
- 509846
- - sirbob
  - 19 reviews
  - Ringwood
  - 07 Jan 2008 at 13:12
- - 1
  - 0
  loved it
  
  Great story of Cold War brinkmanship. The dialogue makes sense, and there is no music to drown it out. It may have been made in black and white with the ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 468692
- - a customer
  - Britain
  - 23 Aug 2007 at 20:38
View all members' reviews (12)

- - 9
  - 0
  Unfairly overlooked.
  
  Seeing Sidney Lumet's much ignored film Fail Safe, its not hard to see why it was so utterly overshadowed by Kubrick's similarly themed masterpiece. If ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 742610
- [Highly rated reviewer]
  - Ben4King
  - 14 reviews
  - London
  - 14 Apr 2009 at 03:27
- - 4
  - 0
  They don't make them like this anymore
  
  A tense, relentless plot, this film manages to make the prospect of nuclear war horrifying without showing bombed out cities and ragged survivors fighting over ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 461897
- - a customer
  - Edinburgh, Scotland
  - 28 Jul 2007 at 19:23
- - 3
  - 0
  Bleakness
  
  This is straight out of the Cold War, but its impact is visceral. Stylistically crude, with a question mark over some of the plotting (which is probably a ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 740814
- - Leni
  - 179 reviews
  - London
  - 09 Apr 2009 at 17:58
- - 3
  - 0
  Tension and terror
  
  This is the best film you've never heard of. The reason might be something to do with Stanley Kubrick and his lawyers.
  
  My advice, don't read ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 774725
- - a customer
  - London
  - 22 Jun 2009 at 23:37
- - 2
  - 0
  Chilling - even now
  
  Dr Strangelove played nuclear armageddon for laughs - Failsafe plays it as a tragedy in waiting, all it needs is just the right combination of technical ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 453143
- - Harry Lime
  - London, England
  - 25 Jun 2007 at 20:30
- - 1
  - 0
  loved it
  
  Great story of Cold War brinkmanship. The dialogue makes sense, and there is no music to drown it out. It may have been made in black and white with the ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 468692
- - a customer
  - Britain
  - 23 Aug 2007 at 20:38
- - 0
  - 0
  Better than the remake.
  
  A tense, rivetting, well-paced thriller. Excellent all round.
  
  Report this review
- 509846
- - sirbob
  - 19 reviews
  - Ringwood
  - 07 Jan 2008 at 13:12
- - 0
  - 0
  an outstanding movie
  
  Little known and often overlooked, this is an outstanding movie. Tense, engaging, subtle and thought provoking, it tackles the futility of nuclear war head on ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 816281
- - KWD
  - 16 reviews
  - London
  - 30 Sep 2009 at 17:56
- - 0
  - 0
  Best film
  
  This is one of the best films I have ever rented from Lovefilm. What a pity it was overshadowed by Dr. Strangelove (a film I could never get on with). This ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 854935
- - a customer
  - Exeter
  - 29 Jan 2010 at 10:59
- - 0
  - 0
  Utterly gripping
  
  Nearly 40 years old, this film hasn't lost its power to chill. Relying on great acting and an intelligent script, and with silence on the soundtrack only ... read more »
  
  Report this review
- 859393
- - a customer
  - BANBURY
  - 08 Feb 2010 at 22:10

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Critic's review
- Eclipsed by its contemporary, Dr Strangelove, Fail Safe eschews the former's black humour and opts for a deadly serious... read more on Time Out
- 50067
- - Time Out
  - 04 Nov 2008 at 00:20

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Buy from Amazon.co.uk

- - Buy
- Fail-Safe
  
  Based on the novel by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler, Fail-Safe is set for the most part at Strategic Air Command headquarters, where a misguided transmission sends a squadron of bombers hurtling towards Russia, fully prepared to drop their atomic weaponry on Moscow. Air Force commander Frank ...