The Manchurian Candidate

A pretty decent conspiracy thriller in the vein of Enemy of the State or Conspiracy Theory. However, unlike Ridley Scott and Richard Donner, Jonathan Demme is significantly weaker both in visuals and content. (23/07/2005)

Given that I was expecting a formally conservative political thriller, this paranoid sicko raised creases in my face. A fantastically shot drama comparable in every way to Jacob's Ladder. But here it also hits hard, because what worked in the 50s might work today on a more metaphorical level, reflecting even more overtly American wounds than the conflict half of people have forgotten nowadays anyway. After all, every politician has a trigger chip and without necessarily needing to drill into his skull. (25/08/2012)

It's not exactly a great remake, but it's not a completely bad movie either. Jonathan Demme is such an experienced director that he managed to make a quality film, but it lacks the strength and impressions that you will have after watching the original film. Moreover, even the final outcome is quite different, which is just a pity. History did not repeat itself here. (05/05/2015)

If I overlook the fact that the book is markedly different (and, unsurprisingly, much better), this is a well-acted, solid thriller with a few illogicalities. But what buries this further underground is its attempt to adapt it to fit the current political situation. This attempt was seriously unsuccessful and it lacks the “urgency" of the original. (06/02/2005)