Overview
A tale of betrayal and revenge unfolds in the dusty streets of the Old West.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- brooding
- violent
- psychologically intense
- classic western night
- marlon brando film retrospective
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a visually ambitious, psychologically intense western whose strong characterization and realism are offset by uneven structure and romantic clichés.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rio's escape and sustained hunt for the treacherous Dad Longworth make revenge the film's governing emotional force.
Dad transforms from bank robber into a California sheriff, with his public identity threatened by Rio's return.
Rio and Dad are presented as damaged, intimate rivals whose loyalty, resentment, and violence overlap.
The Monterey and Pacific coast settings contrast scenic beauty with the characters' vicious revenge drama.
Films like One-Eyed Jacks, and why
The Wild Bunch
revisionist western style, morally conflicted antiheroes, and revenge-driven drama
The Searchers
psychological western tension, betrayal, and bleak frontier violence
Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid
stylized western tragedy centered on betrayal, identity, and corrosive revenge
McCabe & Mrs. Miller
character-focused western revisionism with conflicted outlaws and elaborate visual composition
Movie Details
- Director
- Marlon Brando
- Release Date
- 1961-03-30
- Runtime
- 141 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (264)
Cast
- Marlon Brando
- Karl Malden
- Katy Jurado
- Ben Johnson
- Slim Pickens
- Larry Duran
- Sam Gilman
- Timothy Carey
- Miriam Colon
- Elisha Cook Jr.
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Philo, Starz Apple TV channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, MovieMe
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is One-Eyed Jacks about?
- A betrayed outlaw wages a psychologically charged revenge campaign against the former partner who reinvented himself as a lawman.
- What is One-Eyed Jacks like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of One-Eyed Jacks as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is One-Eyed Jacks violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in One-Eyed Jacks as brutal.
- What did critics think of One-Eyed Jacks?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a visually ambitious, psychologically intense western whose strong characterization and realism are offset by uneven structure and romantic clichés.
- Which films are like One-Eyed Jacks?
- Films with a similar feel include The Wild Bunch, The Searchers, Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, and McCabe & Mrs. Miller.
- How long is One-Eyed Jacks?
- One-Eyed Jacks runs 141 minutes.
- Where can I watch One-Eyed Jacks?
- In United States, One-Eyed Jacks streams on fuboTV, Philo, Starz Apple TV channel.
