Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- paranoid
- stormy
- late night thriller viewing
- 1980s movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the thriller brisk and watchable, with strong momentum and tension but underdeveloped social commentary and overly conspicuous red herrings.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The murderer repeatedly phones reporter Malcolm Anderson with advance warnings, making Malcolm both investigator and target.
Malcolm’s murder reporting becomes inseparable from the killer’s attempts to control public attention and the story.
Miami’s roiling clouds, thunder, and oppressive weather accompany the escalating phone calls and murders.
Malcolm begins wanting to leave murder reporting behind but is forced into the center of the killer’s narrative.
Films like The Mean Season, and why
Absence of Malice
shared investigative crime thriller structure, media ethics, and tense urban atmosphere
Body Heat
shared Florida neo-noir mood, criminal manipulation, and morally compromised suspense
Manhunter
shared serial-killer pursuit, psychological pressure, and media-centered crime narrative
The Drowning Pool
shared reporter protagonist, escalating danger, and suspense built around a criminal investigation
Movie Details
- Director
- Phillip Borsos
- Release Date
- 1985-02-15
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (121)
Cast
- Kurt Russell
- Mariel Hemingway
- Richard Jordan
- Richard Masur
- Richard Bradford
- Joe Pantoliano
- Andy Garcia
- Rose Portillo
- William Smith
- Lee Sandman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Mean Season about?
- A Miami crime reporter becomes the killer’s chosen conduit and eventual target when threatening phone calls transform his latest murder story into a dangerous personal ordeal.
- What is The Mean Season like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Mean Season as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Mean Season violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Mean Season as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Mean Season?
- Critics broadly found the thriller brisk and watchable, with strong momentum and tension but underdeveloped social commentary and overly conspicuous red herrings.
- Which films are like The Mean Season?
- Films with a similar feel include Absence of Malice, Body Heat, Manhunter, and The Drowning Pool.
- How long is The Mean Season?
- The Mean Season runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Mean Season?
- In United States, The Mean Season streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
