# The Onion Field (1979)

> A grim true-crime drama follows a botched police kidnapping into the psychological wreckage of murder, trials, and institutional justice.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/movie/21186

## Facts

- Runtime: 122 min
- Genres: Crime, Drama
- Director: Harold Becker
- Cast: John Savage, James Woods, Franklyn Seales, Ted Danson, Ronny Cox, David Huffman, Christopher Lloyd, Dianne Hull
- TMDB rating: 6.0/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0079668/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Mood: bleak, harrowing, procedural, serious movie night, true crime viewing

## Movies like The Onion Field

- [The Zodiac (2005)](https://ember.film/movie/6328)
- [The Star Chamber (1983)](https://ember.film/movie/7267)
- [In Cold Blood (1967)](https://ember.film/movie/11416)
- [Best Seller (1987)](https://ember.film/movie/2677)
- [An Innocent Man (1989)](https://ember.film/movie/17947)
- [The Thin Blue Line (1988)](https://ember.film/movie/8430)
- [Fort Apache, the Bronx (1981)](https://ember.film/movie/13983)
- [Dead Man's Wire (2026)](https://ember.film/movie/3945934)
- [The Seven-Ups (1973)](https://ember.film/movie/20140)
- [Dog Day Afternoon (1975)](https://ember.film/movie/805)

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