Touch of Evil

Name: Touch of Evil
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime, Film-Noir
Released: February 1, 1958
Duration: 95 min
Rating: 99
Cast: Akim Tamiroff, Charlton Heston, Dennis Weaver, Janet Leigh, Joanna Moore

1958

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 24 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 107 Ratings

See All

8.4

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

8.4	Your Score
8.4	User Score Universal acclaim based on 107 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Touch Of Evil

Now Playing: Touch Of Evil

Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: February 1, 1958 | PG-13

Starring: Akim Tamiroff, Charlton Heston, Dennis Weaver, Janet Leigh, Joanna Moore, Joseph Calleia, Mort Mills, Orson Welles, Ray Collins, Valentin de Vargas

Summary: This film noir portrait of corruption and morally-compromised obsessions stars Welles as Hank Quinlan, a crooked police chief who frames a Mexican youth as part of an intricate criminal plot. Charlton Heston plays an honorable Mexican narcotics investigator who clashes with the bigoted Quinlan after probing into his dark past. A memorableThis film noir portrait of corruption and morally-compromised obsessions stars Welles as Hank Quinlan, a crooked police chief who frames a Mexican youth as part of an intricate criminal plot. Charlton Heston plays an honorable Mexican narcotics investigator who clashes with the bigoted Quinlan after probing into his dark past. A memorable supporting cast including Janet Leigh as Heston's inquisitive wife, Akim Tamiroff as a seedy underworld leader, Zsa Zsa Gabor and Marlene Dietrich as an enigmatic gypsy complete this fascinating drama engulfed in haunting cinematography and a magnificently eerie score by Henry Mancini.… Expand

Director: Orson Welles

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime, Film-Noir

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 95 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

100

Jay Carr

The greatest B-movie ever made. [Director's Cut; 18 Sept 1998, p.D5]

100

Steven Rea

What Touch of Evil is really about, though, is filmmaking: evoking a mood of sweaty despair, of sour, sinister doom, using the vocabulary of a crime picture and a group of remarkable talents, in front of and behind the camera. [Director's Cut; 25 Sept 1998, p.04]

100

The Independent Geoffrey Macnab

It is typical of Orson Welles that he takes a B-movie thriller set on the Mexican border and gives it a Shakespearian grandeur. Read full review

100

Michael Wilmington

Still seems close to the pinnacle of film noir. [Director's Cut] Read full review

100

Martyn Conterio

Touch of Evil proceeds with one of the most celebrated long-takes in screen history. The sequence is a marvel of technical virtuosity and staged action. From the very start, Orson Welles’s grubby and sweaty noir classic has us in its grip with a gloriously devised piece of showmanship emblematic of the director’s audaciously talented spirit. Read full review

100

The Guardian Peter Bradshaw

Brilliant. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Touch of Evil smacks of brilliance but ultimately flounders in it. Read full review

SEE ALL 24 REVIEWS

Write a Review

User Reviews

alejandro970

Nov 25, 2018

An essential from Orson Welles. Police thriller with the well-known ingredents that makes works clockwise: crooked policemen, femmes fatale, an overwhemed atmosphere and intrigue.

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

TMProofreader3

Aug 23, 2019

The best, GREATEST thrilling gangster movie ever portrayed! With the best movie character ever portrayed: Orson Welles as Capt. Hank Quinlan! Plus the best movie quote ever spoken: "He was some kind of a man. What does it matter what you say about people?" And the best movie score ever composed!

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

Deanomite

Jan 31, 2020

Interesting title considering the studio recut it in a fight with Welles that ended in them not wanting to submit it for awards and him never working for a studio again. Also interesting is that Welles' character mirrored his life at that time. I saw the 1998 version, reconstructed fromInteresting title considering the studio recut it in a fight with Welles that ended in them not wanting to submit it for awards and him never working for a studio again. Also interesting is that Welles' character mirrored his life at that time. I saw the 1998 version, reconstructed from Welles' notes. It is fantastic, his 2nd best movie, just have to get past Charlton Heston as a Mexican.… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful30

gracjanski

May 17, 2020

Not my favourite Film Noir. Quinlan is so disgusting. And somehow I find this movie was so cheap, many scenes are in the studio with artificial light. There are some very mean scenes, but somehow I just wanted to see the end.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 4 REVIEWS