Overview
A gripping tale of crime and survival unfolds in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- hard-boiled
- melancholic
- nostalgic
- classic cinema night
- film noir marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praise the film as a fast, suspenseful gangster noir elevated by its sensitive characterization and strong performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Roy Earle seeks freedom and a straighter life while remaining marked by his criminal past and the Mad Dog persona.
Earle returns from prison to a younger, unfamiliar criminal milieu and struggles with the world that has replaced him.
The robbery escape and final police siege relocate hard-boiled criminal tension to the isolated Sierra Nevada peaks.
Earle cares for the mongrel dog, befriends Marie, and helps Velma despite his record as a violent gunman.
Films like High Sierra, and why
The Petrified Forest
shared film noir fatalism, organized crime, doomed criminal protagonist, and hard-boiled suspense
White Heat
shared gangster drama, moral conflict, romantic attachment, and tragic underworld atmosphere
Gun Crazy
shared crime melodrama, doomed outlaw trajectory, romantic tenderness, and pursuit by law enforcement
Out of the Past
shared film noir style, criminal desperation, robbery plot, and bleak romantic fatalism
Movie Details
- Director
- Raoul Walsh
- Release Date
- 1941-01-23
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (368)
Cast
- Ida Lupino
- Humphrey Bogart
- Alan Curtis
- Arthur Kennedy
- Joan Leslie
- Henry Travers
- Henry Hull
- Jerome Cowan
- Minna Gombell
- Barton MacLane
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 High Sierra about?
- A weary ex-con seeks one last robbery and a chance at ordinary freedom, but the mountains become the stage for his violent past and fragile attachments to collide.
- What is High Sierra like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of High Sierra as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is High Sierra violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in High Sierra as moderate.
- What did critics think of High Sierra?
- Critics broadly praise the film as a fast, suspenseful gangster noir elevated by its sensitive characterization and strong performances.
- Which films are like High Sierra?
- Films with a similar feel include The Petrified Forest, White Heat, Gun Crazy, and Out of the Past.
- How long is High Sierra?
- High Sierra runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch High Sierra?
- In United States, High Sierra is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
