Overview
A gripping tale of espionage and moral conflict unfolds in the heart of London.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- ominous
- tragic
- classic thriller night
- hitchcock film marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a highly effective and distinctive Hitchcock suspense melodrama, especially praising its direction and escalating tension while finding the terrorists' motivations underdeveloped.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The audience understands Verloc's sabotage role and the danger surrounding Stevie before the family fully grasps the conspiracy.
The family cinema functions simultaneously as a domestic workplace, a criminal cover, and a site where suspense gathers.
Stevie's teenage vulnerability and trust make him central to the film's emotional and suspenseful pressure.
The London delivery sequence turns an ordinary trip across the city into a tense race against an unseen catastrophic risk.
Films like Sabotage, and why
The 39 Steps
Shared British espionage atmosphere, suspense-driven sabotage plot, and morally fraught thriller structure.
The Lady Vanishes
Shared Hitchcockian suspense, ordinary urban spaces threatened by covert criminal conspiracies, and black-and-white visual tension.
The Man Who Knew Too Much
Shared prewar British crime intrigue, undercover investigation, and tightly constructed suspense around political violence.
Movie Details
- Director
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Release Date
- 1936-12-02
- Runtime
- 77 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (383)
Cast
- Sylvia Sidney
- Oskar Homolka
- Desmond Tester
- John Loder
- Joyce Barbour
- Matthew Boulton
- S. J. Warmington
- William Dewhurst
- Clare Greet
- Aubrey Mather
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max, Artiflix
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Sabotage about?
- A London cinema proprietor’s secret life as a saboteur collides with an undercover investigation and the fragile innocence of his wife’s teenage brother.
- What is Sabotage like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Sabotage as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Sabotage violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Sabotage as mild.
- What did critics think of Sabotage?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a highly effective and distinctive Hitchcock suspense melodrama, especially praising its direction and escalating tension while finding the terrorists' motivations underdeveloped.
- Which films are like Sabotage?
- Films with a similar feel include The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, and The Man Who Knew Too Much.
- How long is Sabotage?
- Sabotage runs 77 minutes.
- Where can I watch Sabotage?
- In United States, Sabotage streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max, Artiflix.
