Overview
A sadistic gang leader's violent reign spirals into chaos as betrayal looms.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- volatile
- paranoid
- harrowing
- classic cinema night
- film noir marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Raoul Walsh's psychologically intense crime drama as a classic, especially praising its volatile antihero and James Cagney's performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cody Jarrett's sadism, headaches, volatility, and obsessive behavior make his mental instability central to the film's criminal drama.
Cody's fierce devotion to Ma Jarrett shapes his identity, loyalties, and violent reactions.
Vic Pardo befriends Cody while undercover and enters the gang to gather intelligence.
The film's ruthless gang conflicts, prison tension, headaches, and escalating betrayal create the intense quality praised by critics.
Films like White Heat, and why
The Public Enemy
volatile gangster antihero, psychologically intense crime drama, and ruthless criminal underworld
Scarface
classic gangster mythology, criminal ambition, and stylized noir-inflected violence
The Asphalt Jungle
prison infiltration, organized crime, betrayal, and tense undercover plotting
Kiss of Death
morally compromised criminals, hard-edged suspense, and fatalistic noir atmosphere
Movie Details
- Director
- Raoul Walsh
- Release Date
- 1949-09-02
- Runtime
- 114 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (561)
Cast
- James Cagney
- Virginia Mayo
- Edmond O'Brien
- Margaret Wycherly
- Steve Cochran
- John Archer
- Wally Cassell
- Fred Clark
- Ford Rainey
- Robert Foulk
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel
- 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 White Heat about?
- A volatile gang leader battles betrayal from within his criminal empire while an undercover cop closes in on the ruthless organization.
- What is White Heat like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of White Heat as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is White Heat violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in White Heat as graphic.
- What did critics think of White Heat?
- Critics broadly regard Raoul Walsh's psychologically intense crime drama as a classic, especially praising its volatile antihero and James Cagney's performance.
- Which films are like White Heat?
- Films with a similar feel include The Public Enemy, Scarface, The Asphalt Jungle, and Kiss of Death.
- How long is White Heat?
- White Heat runs 114 minutes.
- Where can I watch White Heat?
- In United States, White Heat streams on IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel.
