Frequency
A New York firefighter and his future-dwelling detective son use a mysterious HAM-radio connection to rewrite a family tragedy and hunt a serial killer across time.
Overview
A father's desperate race against time to save his son from a tragic fate unfolds through a mysterious connection.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- suspenseful
- emotional
- eerie
- late night thriller viewing
- science fiction movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film an engaging, suspenseful blend of time-bending science fiction, family emotion, and crime mystery, despite contrivances and a familiar serial-killer plot.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
John's HAM-radio conversations with Frank allow them to change the warehouse fire and then confront the altered murder timeline.
Frank and John build and repair their father-son relationship through conversations separated by thirty years.
The future detective and the past firefighter exchange crime information to identify the serial killer before he strikes.
The film begins with warm family communication before shifting into a tense hunt involving the murder of John's mother.
Films like Frequency, and why
The Sixth Sense
Shares a supernatural communication premise, emotional family bond, and mystery shaped by altered reality.
The Butterfly Effect
Combines crime investigation, temporal or metaphysical disruption, suspense, and an emotionally intimate father-son dynamic.
The Lake House
Pairs a time-bending science fiction concept with a race against consequences and a romantic family-centered emotional core.
Déjà Vu
Blends serial-killer investigation, procedural suspense, and speculative temporal mechanics.
Movie Details
- Director
- Gregory Hoblit
- Release Date
- 2000-04-28
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (2122)
Cast
- Dennis Quaid
- Jim Caviezel
- Shawn Doyle
- Elizabeth Mitchell
- Andre Braugher
- Noah Emmerich
- Melissa Errico
- Jordan Bridges
- Daniel Henson
- Michael Cera
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Frequency about?
- A New York firefighter and his future-dwelling detective son use a mysterious HAM-radio connection to rewrite a family tragedy and hunt a serial killer across time.
- What is Frequency like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Frequency as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Frequency violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Frequency as moderate.
- What did critics think of Frequency?
- Critics generally found the film an engaging, suspenseful blend of time-bending science fiction, family emotion, and crime mystery, despite contrivances and a familiar serial-killer plot.
- Which films are like Frequency?
- Films with a similar feel include The Sixth Sense, The Butterfly Effect, The Lake House, and Déjà Vu.
- How long is Frequency?
- Frequency runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Frequency?
- In United States, Frequency is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
