Overview
A chilling exploration of the human psyche and the darkness within.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- cerebral
- paranoid
- classic noir night
- serious movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a dark, compelling true-crime courtroom drama elevated by its performances and sophisticated moral argument.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jonathan Wilk's defense turns the murder trial into an argument over the death penalty and the limits of retribution.
Artie and Judd treat kidnapping and murder as a test of superiority, distancing themselves from conventional morality.
The film moves from a calculated murder to a tense trial while maintaining film noir's moral darkness and visual severity.
Artie's dominance and Judd's compliance provide the emotional and psychological engine of their criminal partnership.
Films like Compulsion, and why
The Black Mirror
shared film noir atmosphere, criminal psychology, and moral examination of capital punishment
In Cold Blood
shared true-crime courtroom focus, intellectual arrogance, and psychological tension
Anatomy of a Murder
shared trial drama structure, criminal culpability questions, and performances centered on moral ambiguity
Rope
shared real-crime inspiration, calculating young offenders, and critique of elite privilege
Movie Details
- Director
- Richard Fleischer
- Release Date
- 1959-04-01
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (174)
Cast
- Dean Stockwell
- Bradford Dillman
- Orson Welles
- E.G. Marshall
- Diane Varsi
- Martin Milner
- Richard Anderson
- Robert F. Simon
- Robert Burton
- Wilton Graff
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- 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 Compulsion about?
- Two privileged law students pursue the perfect murder, only to face an unforgiving trial that exposes their intellectual vanity and the moral costs of punishment.
- What is Compulsion like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Compulsion as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Compulsion violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Compulsion as moderate.
- What did critics think of Compulsion?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a dark, compelling true-crime courtroom drama elevated by its performances and sophisticated moral argument.
- Which films are like Compulsion?
- Films with a similar feel include The Black Mirror, In Cold Blood, Anatomy of a Murder, and Rope.
- How long is Compulsion?
- Compulsion runs 103 minutes.
- Where can I watch Compulsion?
- In United States, Compulsion streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
