Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- gritty
- morally conflicted
- crime movie night
- sidney poitier marathon
What critics said
Critics largely found the film’s crime plot implausible and melodramatic, offering a routine continuation of the Virgil Tibbs series.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Virgil Tibbs secretly investigates the murder while keeping his actions hidden from the SFPD.
Tibbs sympathizes with the revolutionaries’ aim of removing heroin from the streets but initially rejects their criminal methods.
Young revolutionaries drive the central theft and become Tibbs’s reluctant partners after being framed for murder.
The stolen five million dollars’ worth of heroin triggers the conflict and remains central to the investigation.
Films like The Organization, and why
In the Heat of the Night
shared police-procedural mystery, urban crime investigation, and socially aware 1970s drama
They Call Me Mister Tibbs!
shared Sidney Poitier-led crime investigation, racial and institutional tensions, and thriller structure
The French Connection
shared urban detective work, conspiracy-driven crime plotting, and gritty early-1970s thriller atmosphere
Serpico
shared rogue investigation, institutional conflict, and morally complicated crime thriller dynamics
Movie Details
- Director
- Don Medford
- Release Date
- 1971-10-20
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (60)
Cast
- Sidney Poitier
- Barbara McNair
- Gerald S. O'Loughlin
- Sheree North
- Fred Beir
- Allen Garfield
- Bernie Hamilton
- Graham Jarvis
- Raúl Juliá
- Ron O'Neal
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- FlixFling, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, ScreenPix Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Organization about?
- A principled San Francisco detective secretly joins radical fugitives to clear them of murder while tracing a stolen heroin conspiracy.
- What is The Organization like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Organization as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Organization violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Organization as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Organization?
- Critics largely found the film’s crime plot implausible and melodramatic, offering a routine continuation of the Virgil Tibbs series.
- Which films are like The Organization?
- Films with a similar feel include In the Heat of the Night, They Call Me Mister Tibbs!, The French Connection, and Serpico.
- How long is The Organization?
- The Organization runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Organization?
- In United States, The Organization streams on FlixFling, ScreenPix Apple TV channel, ScreenPix Amazon Channel .
