Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- paranoid
- tense
- foreboding
- late night thriller viewing
- 1970s cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film smart, tense, and technically accomplished, while considering its character development comparatively thin.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The plot follows the planning, concealment, and attempted disruption of a spectacular attack rather than a conventional criminal mystery.
Michael Lander’s psychological scars from Vietnam are central to Dahlia’s ability to recruit and control him.
The dirigible, stadium operation, and aerial logistics provide the film’s defining technical set pieces.
Dahlia and Lander’s operation receives unusually sustained focus alongside the investigators’ pursuit.
Films like Black Sunday, and why
The Day of the Jackal
Shared political terrorism plot, procedural investigation, international tension, and technically controlled thriller style.
The Manchurian Candidate
Shared 1970s conspiracy-thriller atmosphere, terrorist threat, morally compromised characters, and escalating suspense.
Airport
Shared airport-scale terrorism, disaster-film mechanics, and high-stakes logistical suspense.
Two-Minute Warning
Shared neo-noir tension, urban catastrophe, and emphasis on suspenseful set pieces over intimate characterization.
Movie Details
- Director
- John Frankenheimer
- Release Date
- 1977-04-01
- Runtime
- 143 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (171)
Cast
- Robert Shaw
- Bruce Dern
- Marthe Keller
- Fritz Weaver
- Steven Keats
- Bekim Fehmiu
- Michael V. Gazzo
- William Daniels
- Walter Gotell
- Pat Summerall
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, 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 Black Sunday about?
- A psychologically scarred Vietnam veteran becomes the instrument of a terrorist plot targeting the Super Bowl, forcing rival investigators into a desperate race to stop an airborne catastrophe.
- What is Black Sunday like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Black Sunday as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Black Sunday violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Black Sunday as brutal.
- What did critics think of Black Sunday?
- Critics broadly found the film smart, tense, and technically accomplished, while considering its character development comparatively thin.
- Which films are like Black Sunday?
- Films with a similar feel include The Day of the Jackal, The Manchurian Candidate, Airport, and Two-Minute Warning.
- How long is Black Sunday?
- Black Sunday runs 143 minutes.
- Where can I watch Black Sunday?
- In United States, Black Sunday streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
