Dog Day Afternoon

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Dog Day Afternoon

R

1975

2h 10m

Crime

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

125 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

When inexperienced criminal Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) leads a bank robbery in Brooklyn, things quickly go wrong, and a hostage situation develops. As Sonny and his accomplice, Sal Naturile (John Cazale), try desperately to remain in control, a media circus develops, and the FBI arrives, creating even more tension. Gradually, Sonny's surprising motivations behind the robbery are revealed, and his standoff with law enforcement moves toward its inevitable end.

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Critics Consensus

Framed by great work from director Sidney Lumet and fueled by a gripping performance from Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon offers a finely detailed snapshot of people in crisis with tension-soaked drama shaded in black humor.

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Jeff Millar

Houston Chronicle

Mar 5, 2026

The film is wonderfully acted, truly in ensemble. Pacino's character lives in those vibrant brown eyes of his.

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Martin Knelman

Globe and Mail

Mar 5, 2026

It's a rewarding, richly detailed film -- not only the best work Sidney Lumet has ever done but also possibly the most perceptive movie ever made on the intriguing subject of New York City's collapse.

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Will Jones

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Mar 5, 2026

True the incident may have been, but Pierson, Lumet, Pacino and company have packed more art into the replaying of it than the last dozen works of pure film fiction anybody is likely to have seen.

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Ted Mahar

Oregonian

Mar 5, 2026

"Day" refuses to be classified. Comedy, drama, adventure, suspense -- it's all of them.

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Ed Hayman

Flint Journal

Mar 5, 2026

What Lumet has created, however, is an example of the very thing he warns against -- a report that is more concerned with spectacle and tasteless jokes than with understanding.

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Emerson Batdorff

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Mar 5, 2026

Pacino carries the picture, as much as it is carried, by sheer brilliance. Great acting, fine directing, all waiting for a movie to happen.

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Max

Sep 4, 2025

Awesome movie, probably Al Pacino’s best performance. This was my first time seeing the movie and it holds up 50 years later

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Shannon P

Sep 4, 2025

By turns funny and heartbreaking based on the true story of a bank robbery gone very wrong. Al Pacino was amazing two thumbs way up from me!

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Janav S

@TheCoolJ92781 Oct 31, 2026

Such a brilliant heist movie, which is barely even a heist!

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Ryan T

@RT91888008 Sep 25, 2026

I love this movie! Awesome bank heist, hostage style. And the cast is the best!

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R T

@Pinagong777 Sep 8, 2026

love how it came along

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Tim M

@tgmacman Jul 24, 2026

Hugely ahead of its time, Dog Day Afternoon rides a nuanced screenplay and a vigorous Al Pacino performance to crime-drama brilliance.

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Sidney Lumet

Director

Al Pacino

Sonny Wortzik

John Cazale

Salvatore

Charles Durning

Eugene Moretti

Chris Sarandon

Leon Shermer

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Synopsis

When inexperienced criminal Sonny Wortzik (Al Pacino) leads a bank robbery in Brooklyn, things quickly go wrong, and a hostage situation develops. As Sonny and his accomplice, Sal Naturile (John Cazale), try desperately to remain in control, a media circus develops, and the FBI arrives, creating even more tension. Gradually, Sonny's surprising motivations behind the robbery are revealed, and his standoff with law enforcement moves toward its inevitable end.

Director: Sidney Lumet
Producer: Martin Bregman, Martin Elfand
Screenwriter: Frank Pierson
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Artists Entertainment Complex
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 21, 1975, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 15, 2008
Runtime: 2h 10m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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