Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- sensual
- brooding
- paranoid
- late night noir viewing
- adult movie night
What critics said
Critics generally find the remake stylish and strongly acted, with erotic intensity and noir atmosphere offset by an uneven adaptation.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Frank and Cora's sexual obsession propels the affair, conspiracy, and murder at the roadside café.
The affair is presented as an escalating fixation that overwhelms loyalty, judgment, and self-preservation.
The café and its surrounding gas-station environment concentrate the characters' dependence, secrecy, and criminal plotting.
The film frames the attraction between Frank and Cora against an increasingly ominous crime melodrama.
Films like The Postman Always Rings Twice, and why
Body Heat
shared neo-noir atmosphere, sexual obsession, criminal plotting, and doomed romance
Double Indemnity
shared noir fatalism, adulterous desire, murder conspiracy, and morally compromised protagonists
The Hot Spot
shared erotic tension, crime melodrama, destructive desire, and psychological intensity
The Grifters
shared literary crime drama, illicit passion, and bleak consequences
Movie Details
- Director
- Bob Rafelson
- Release Date
- 1981-03-20
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (580)
Cast
- Jack Nicholson
- Jessica Lange
- John Colicos
- Michael Lerner
- John P. Ryan
- Anjelica Huston
- William Traylor
- Thomas Hill
- Jon Van Ness
- Brian Farrell
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Postman Always Rings Twice about?
- A drifter and a café owner's wife turn an illicit roadside affair into a fatal spiral of obsession, murder, and betrayal.
- What is The Postman Always Rings Twice like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Postman Always Rings Twice as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Postman Always Rings Twice violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Postman Always Rings Twice as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Postman Always Rings Twice?
- Critics generally find the remake stylish and strongly acted, with erotic intensity and noir atmosphere offset by an uneven adaptation.
- Which films are like The Postman Always Rings Twice?
- Films with a similar feel include Body Heat, Double Indemnity, The Hot Spot, and The Grifters.
- How long is The Postman Always Rings Twice?
- The Postman Always Rings Twice runs 122 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Postman Always Rings Twice?
- In United States, The Postman Always Rings Twice is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
