Overview
A gripping tale of murder and conspiracy unfolds as a sniper targets the police force in Stockholm.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- tense
- austere
- paranoid
- crime film night
- scandinavian cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics responded very positively to the film's tense crime drama and especially its sharp dialogue, while its strong Swedish audience turnout confirmed its impact.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nyman's murder investigation exposes his brutal methods and the complaints made against him, while subsequent attacks target police officers.
A sniper kills policemen from a roof in central Stockholm, forcing Beck and his colleagues to investigate an active public attack.
Hult defends Nyman despite the accusations against him and becomes significant to the question of who knew Nyman's hospital location.
The thriller's central pursuit unfolds through recognizable central Stockholm streets and institutional spaces, matching its Swedish realist crime tradition.
Films like Man on the Roof, and why
The Laughing Policeman
shared police procedural framework, institutional critique, and tense urban investigation
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
shared Scandinavian crime atmosphere, morally compromised police institutions, and social realism
The Day of the Jackal
shared sniper-driven urban suspense, investigative momentum, and political unease
Zodiac
shared procedural crime structure, police corruption themes, and grounded thriller tone
Movie Details
- Director
- Bo Widerberg
- Release Date
- 1976-10-01
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (83)
Cast
- Carl-Gustaf Lindstedt
- Sven Wollter
- Thomas Hellberg
- Håkan Serner
- Ingvar Hirdwall
- Birgitta Valberg
- Carl-Axel Heiknert
- Torgny Anderberg
- Bellan Roos
- Gus Dahlström
Common questions
- What is Man on the Roof about?
- A Swedish police procedural becomes a tense urban manhunt when a sniper turns Stockholm into a killing ground and exposes the abuses behind the investigation.
- What is Man on the Roof like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Man on the Roof as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Man on the Roof violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Man on the Roof as graphic.
- What did critics think of Man on the Roof?
- Critics responded very positively to the film's tense crime drama and especially its sharp dialogue, while its strong Swedish audience turnout confirmed its impact.
- Which films are like Man on the Roof?
- Films with a similar feel include The Laughing Policeman, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Day of the Jackal, and Zodiac.
- How long is Man on the Roof?
- Man on the Roof runs 108 minutes.
