Overview
A reclusive writer's dark past unravels under the scrutiny of a relentless inspector on a stormy night.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- brooding
- eerie
- claustrophobic
- late night viewing
- rainy day
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as an atmospheric and inventive psychological thriller built around its central interrogation and strong performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Inspector reconstructs the unexplained night by interrogating Onoff inside a decaying police station.
Onoff is a famous but withdrawn writer who cannot clearly remember the events preceding his arrest.
The Inspector’s investigation of a mysterious killing increasingly probes Onoff’s mind and existential condition.
The interrogation takes place during a storm at a lonely, broken-down police station.
Films like A Pure Formality, and why
The Interview
psychological interrogation, unreliable memory, and metaphysical mystery
The Exterminating Angel
claustrophobic detective questioning, existential themes, and stylized mystery
Shutter Island
identity uncertainty, fractured perception, and brooding psychological thriller atmosphere
The Ninth Gate
writer-centered mystery, introspective dread, and ambiguous reality
Movie Details
- Director
- Giuseppe Tornatore
- Release Date
- 1994-05-15
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (406)
Cast
- Gérard Depardieu
- Roman Polanski
- Sergio Rubini
- Nicola Di Pinto
- Tano Cimarosa
- Paolo Lombardi
- Maria Rosa Spagnolo
- Alberto Sironi
- Giovanni Morricone
- Mahdi Kraiem
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Shout! Factory Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is A Pure Formality about?
- A reclusive novelist with no memory of a mysterious night faces an increasingly metaphysical interrogation in a storm-isolated police station.
- What is A Pure Formality like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Pure Formality as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Pure Formality violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in A Pure Formality as mild.
- What did critics think of A Pure Formality?
- Critics broadly regard the film as an atmospheric and inventive psychological thriller built around its central interrogation and strong performances.
- Which films are like A Pure Formality?
- Films with a similar feel include The Interview, The Exterminating Angel, Shutter Island, and The Ninth Gate.
- How long is A Pure Formality?
- A Pure Formality runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch A Pure Formality?
- In United States, A Pure Formality streams on Shout! Factory Amazon Channel.
