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Seven Days in May

Seven Days in May

Drama · Thriller · 1964

A U.S. Marine Corps colonel alerts the president of a planned military coup against him.

Movie details

Seven Days in May

“The astounding story of an astounding military plot to take over the United States! The time is 1970 or 1980 or, possibly, tomorrow!”

1964 Drama · Thriller 1h 58m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.4 / 10

Community rating

A U.S. Marine Corps colonel alerts the president of a planned military coup against him.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Seven Days in May?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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All the President's Men

All the President's Men

Drama · 1976

During the 1972 elections, two reporters' investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Nixon to resign from his post.

The Falcon and the Snowman

The Falcon and the Snowman

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Missing

Missing

Drama · 1982

Based on the real-life experiences of Ed Horman. A conservative American businessman travels to Chile to investigate the sudden disappearance of his son after a military takeover. Accompanied by his son's wife he uncovers a trail of cover-ups that implicate the US State department which supports the dictatorship.

Thirteen Days

Thirteen Days

History · 2000

The story of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962—the nuclear standoff with the USSR sparked by the discovery by the Americans of missile bases established on the Soviet-allied island of Cuba.

Argo

Argo

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As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA 'exfiltration' specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.

Three Days of the Condor

Three Days of the Condor

Thriller · 1975

When bookish CIA researcher Joe Turner finds all his co-workers dead, he, together with a woman he has kidnapped, must work together to outwit those responsible until he determines who he can really trust.

Clear and Present Danger

Clear and Present Danger

Action · 1994

Agent Jack Ryan becomes acting Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA when Admiral Greer is diagnosed with cancer. When an American businessman, and friend of the president, is murdered on his yacht, Ryan starts discovering links between the man and drug dealers. As former CIA agent John Clark is sent to Colombia to kill drug cartel kingpins in retaliation, Ryan must fight through multiple cover-ups to figure out what happened and who's responsible.

The Independent

The Independent

Thriller · 2022

It's the final weeks of the most consequential presidential election in history. America is poised to elect either its first female president or its first viable independent candidate. Reporting history as it's made, an idealistic young journalist teams up with her idol, legendary journalist Nick Booker, to uncover a conspiracy that places the fate of the election, and the country, in their hands.

Where it lives

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

John Frankenheimer

Written by

Rod Serling

Burt Lancaster

Burt Lancaster

Gen. James Mattoon Scott

Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas

Col. Martin "Jiggs" Casey

Fredric March

Fredric March

President Jordan Lyman

Ava Gardner

Ava Gardner

Eleanor Holbrook

Edmond O'Brien

Edmond O'Brien

Sen. Raymond Clark

Martin Balsam

Martin Balsam

Paul Girard

Andrew Duggan

Andrew Duggan

Col. William "Mutt" Henderson

Court is in session

Put Seven Days in May on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.