Overview
A tense bank heist spirals into a gripping standoff as desperation mounts.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- tense
- sardonic
- harrowing
- crime movie night
- new hollywood retrospective
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Sidney Lumet's tightly observed true-crime drama as a gripping, humane, and darkly comic showcase for Al Pacino's performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Sonny's bank siege becomes a televised event, with chanting crowds and news coverage influencing the negotiation.
Sonny robs the bank to fund Leon's gender-affirming surgery, making personal devotion inseparable from social exclusion.
The hot Brooklyn bank, congested streets, police cordon, and crowded sidewalks create sustained physical and social compression.
Sonny's charisma and stated motive win over bystanders even as the hostage situation and police pursuit intensify.
Films like Dog Day Afternoon, and why
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three
shared new hollywood crime drama, volatile hostage crisis, urban realism, and morally complicated protagonist
The French Connection
shared gritty 1970s crime filmmaking, police pressure, improvised criminal schemes, and bleakly comic tension
The King of Comedy
shared true-crime atmosphere, socially observant direction, charismatic criminal lead, and escalating public spectacle
The Bank Job
shared bank robbery premise, tense negotiation, working-class alienation, and tragic criminal desperation
Movie Details
- Director
- Sidney Lumet
- Release Date
- 1975-09-21
- Runtime
- 124 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (3516)
Cast
- Al Pacino
- John Cazale
- Charles Durning
- Chris Sarandon
- James Broderick
- Penelope Allen
- Sully Boyar
- Beulah Garrick
- Carol Kane
- Sandra Kazan
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- 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 Dog Day Afternoon about?
- A desperate Brooklyn bank robber turns a botched heist into a volatile hostage spectacle while trying to secure a new life for his partner.
- What is Dog Day Afternoon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dog Day Afternoon as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Dog Day Afternoon violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Dog Day Afternoon as mild.
- What did critics think of Dog Day Afternoon?
- Critics broadly regard Sidney Lumet's tightly observed true-crime drama as a gripping, humane, and darkly comic showcase for Al Pacino's performance.
- Which films are like Dog Day Afternoon?
- Films with a similar feel include The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, The French Connection, The King of Comedy, and The Bank Job.
- How long is Dog Day Afternoon?
- Dog Day Afternoon runs 124 minutes.
- Where can I watch Dog Day Afternoon?
- In United States, Dog Day Afternoon is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
