Overview
A chilling tale of deception and murder unfolds as a psychiatrist's double life spirals out of control.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- methodical
- wry
- psychological
- classic mystery night
- detective marathon
What critics said
The pilot is chiefly valued for establishing Columbo's distinctive inverted mystery format and Peter Falk's quietly formidable detective performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The murder plot is shown before Columbo begins pursuing evidence against the psychiatrist.
Columbo's apparently intrusive, low-key manner contrasts with his persistent questioning of Ray Flemming.
The psychiatrist's professional confidence and status are challenged by Columbo's deliberately unassuming police persona.
Ray Flemming uses his psychiatric expertise and composed demeanor to construct a false account of his wife's death.
Films like Prescription: Murder, and why
Columbo: Murder by the Book
shared inverted detective structure, methodical investigation, and cat-and-mouse crime tension
Murder, She Wrote: Gin and Arsenic
shared mystery procedural, amateur-seeming investigator, and psychologically manipulative murderer
The Mirror Crack'd
shared classic crime mystery, murder investigation, and understated detective performance
Movie Details
- Director
- Richard Irving
- Release Date
- 1968-02-20
- Runtime
- 100 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (41)
Cast
- Peter Falk
- Gene Barry
- Katherine Justice
- William Windom
- Nina Foch
- Virginia Gregg
- Andrea King
- Susanne Benton
- Ena Hartman
- Sherry Boucher
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium 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 Prescription: Murder about?
- A calculating psychiatrist engineers his wife's murder, only to face the relentless questions of the deceptively rumpled Lieutenant Columbo.
- What is Prescription: Murder like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Prescription: Murder as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Prescription: Murder violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Prescription: Murder as moderate.
- What did critics think of Prescription: Murder?
- The pilot is chiefly valued for establishing Columbo's distinctive inverted mystery format and Peter Falk's quietly formidable detective performance.
- Which films are like Prescription: Murder?
- Films with a similar feel include Columbo: Murder by the Book, Murder, She Wrote: Gin and Arsenic, and The Mirror Crack'd.
- How long is Prescription: Murder?
- Prescription: Murder runs 100 minutes.
- Where can I watch Prescription: Murder?
- In United States, Prescription: Murder streams on Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus.
