Overview
A hapless Englishman in Cuba finds himself in over his head when he becomes a spy.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- sardonic
- tense
- classic film night
- spy movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly admire the film's sharp Graham Greene espionage satire, Alec Guinness's performance, and Carol Reed's handling of shifting comic and suspenseful moods, while finding it less perfectly balanced than the novel or Reed's earlier work.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jim Wormold fabricates agents and reports for British intelligence, while London treats his inventions as valuable secrets.
An unsuccessful vacuum-cleaner salesman becomes an apparently brilliant agent by inventing a fictional network.
Wormold's fabricated reports trigger real police action and a murder threat without losing the film's satirical comic register.
Wormold's shop and vacuum-cleaner business provide the practical basis for his invented spy network and reports.
Films like Our Man in Havana, and why
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
shared espionage satire, morally ambiguous comedy, and Cold War-era political absurdity
The Tailor of Panama
shared British wit, cynical intelligence bureaucracy, and blackly comic spy intrigue
The Lavender Hill Mob
shared Alec Guinness-led comic performance, mistaken identities, and breezy criminal farce
The Third Man
shared Graham Greene-style tension, international intrigue, and morally compromised characters
Movie Details
- Director
- Carol Reed
- Release Date
- 1960-01-27
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (127)
Cast
- Alec Guinness
- Burl Ives
- Maureen O'Hara
- Ernie Kovacs
- Noël Coward
- Ralph Richardson
- Jo Morrow
- Grégoire Aslan
- Paul Rogers
- Raymond Huntley
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 Our Man in Havana about?
- A struggling vacuum-cleaner salesman becomes a celebrated British agent by inventing spies, only to discover that bureaucratic fantasies can produce very real danger.
- What is Our Man in Havana like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Our Man in Havana as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Our Man in Havana violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Our Man in Havana as mild.
- What did critics think of Our Man in Havana?
- Critics broadly admire the film's sharp Graham Greene espionage satire, Alec Guinness's performance, and Carol Reed's handling of shifting comic and suspenseful moods, while finding it less perfectly balanced than the novel or Reed's earlier work.
- Which films are like Our Man in Havana?
- Films with a similar feel include The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, The Tailor of Panama, The Lavender Hill Mob, and The Third Man.
- How long is Our Man in Havana?
- Our Man in Havana runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch Our Man in Havana?
- In United States, Our Man in Havana is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
