Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- breezy
- irreverent
- lazy sunday
- lighthearted movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly found the high-concept premise underdeveloped, with routine execution and limited laughs despite Bill Murray and a capable supporting cast.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Wallace interprets assassins, escapes, and an international conspiracy as parts of his audience-participation game.
An American visitor navigating London becomes accidentally entangled with hitmen, diplomats, and a time bomb.
The film borrows espionage conventions including assassins, coded language, diplomatic intrigue, helicopter pursuit, and explosive threats.
Wallace repeatedly misreads expressions and references, treating real criminal signals as playful game instructions.
Films like The Man Who Knew Too Little, and why
The Pink Panther
mistaken-identity comedy, international intrigue, and broad physical humor
Charade
ordinary-person entanglement in espionage, comic misunderstandings, and brisk action
The Big Bus
wrong-man premise, spy-film parody, and fish-out-of-water comedy
Movie Details
- Director
- Jon Amiel
- Release Date
- 1997-11-14
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (604)
Cast
- Bill Murray
- Peter Gallagher
- Joanne Whalley
- Alfred Molina
- Richard Wilson
- John Standing
- Simon Chandler
- Geraldine James
- Anna Chancellor
- Nicholas Woodeson
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 The Man Who Knew Too Little about?
- A blissfully oblivious American tourist mistakes a real London conspiracy for an interactive comedy show and stumbles through danger by refusing to take it seriously.
- What is The Man Who Knew Too Little like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Man Who Knew Too Little as brisk, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.
- Is The Man Who Knew Too Little violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Man Who Knew Too Little as mild.
- What did critics think of The Man Who Knew Too Little?
- Critics broadly found the high-concept premise underdeveloped, with routine execution and limited laughs despite Bill Murray and a capable supporting cast.
- Which films are like The Man Who Knew Too Little?
- Films with a similar feel include The Pink Panther, Charade, and The Big Bus.
- How long is The Man Who Knew Too Little?
- The Man Who Knew Too Little runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Man Who Knew Too Little?
- In United States, The Man Who Knew Too Little streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
