Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- rugged
- tense
- suspenseful
- action movie night
- mountain adventure marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the screenplay and espionage plot confused or implausible but praised the gripping climbing footage, mountain photography, and suspenseful action.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jonathan Hemlock joins an international Eiger climbing team to identify which member is the Russian killer targeted by his intelligence bureau.
Hemlock is both an art history professor and collector and a government-sanctioned hitman who finances his collection through assassinations.
The film’s major set pieces rely on difficult, beautiful climbing footage on the Swiss Alps and Monument Valley rock faces.
Eastwood’s film blends secret-service intrigue and morally ambiguous violence with large-scale location shooting and unusually prominent mountaineering sequences.
Films like The Eiger Sanction, and why
The Day of the Jackal
shared espionage thriller framework, charismatic assassin protagonist, international intrigue, and kinetic action
Five Days One Summer
shared mountain-climbing suspense, dangerous alpine expedition, and survival-driven action
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
shared Cold War-adjacent spy adventure, exotic locations, glamorous danger, and athletic set pieces
Cliffhanger
shared climber-in-peril premise, treacherous vertical environments, and muscular adventure suspense
Movie Details
- Director
- Clint Eastwood
- Release Date
- 1975-05-21
- Runtime
- 129 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (470)
Cast
- Clint Eastwood
- George Kennedy
- Vonetta McGee
- Jack Cassidy
- Heidi Brühl
- Thayer David
- Reiner Schöne
- Michael Grimm
- Jean-Pierre Bernard
- Brenda Venus
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Eiger Sanction about?
- An art professor turned government assassin infiltrates a perilous Eiger expedition to identify a Russian killer among the climbers.
- What is The Eiger Sanction like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Eiger Sanction as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Eiger Sanction violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Eiger Sanction as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Eiger Sanction?
- Critics broadly found the screenplay and espionage plot confused or implausible but praised the gripping climbing footage, mountain photography, and suspenseful action.
- Which films are like The Eiger Sanction?
- Films with a similar feel include The Day of the Jackal, Five Days One Summer, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and Cliffhanger.
- How long is The Eiger Sanction?
- The Eiger Sanction runs 129 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Eiger Sanction?
- In United States, The Eiger Sanction is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
