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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Play trailer Poster for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest R 1975 2h 13m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 140 Reviews 96% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
When Randle Patrick McMurphy gets transferred for evaluation from a prison farm to a mental institution, he assumes it will be a less restrictive environment. But the martinet Nurse Ratched runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist, keeping her patients cowed through abuse, medication and sessions of electroconvulsive therapy. The battle of wills between the rebellious McMurphy and the inflexible Ratched soon affects all the ward's patients.
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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Critics Consensus

Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher are worthy adversaries in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, with Miloš Forman's more grounded and morally ambiguous approach to Ken Kesey's surrealistic novel yielding a film of outsized power.

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Critics Reviews

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Martin Knelman Globe and Mail Mar 5
As soon as he comes on the screen, Nicholson removes all doubts about the wisdom of his taking the part. This is a lovely, remarkably restrained performance. Go to Full Review Will Jones Minneapolis Star Tribune Mar 5
What "Cuckoo's Nest" does for the Nicholson mystique is just shine it up brighter than ever. Because, even if familiar mannerisms now announce themselves, they've never been more gloriously used. Go to Full Review Adam Kempenaar Filmspotting 08/03/2025
5/5
[Ratched's] the one in a position of power, and she wields it to hurt, not to heal. Go to Full Review Patrick Taggart Austin American-Statesman Mar 6
The rebellion of the late 60s wasn't all that wonderful, but it opened some minds and eyes, and the book, the play, and now this glorious film, lay it in our laps. It's a tribute to filmmaking at its finest. Go to Full Review Frances Taylor Newark Star-Ledger Mar 5
For the last few months... There have been very few movies one could greet with joy. So it was especially fine to see One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with Jack Nicholson's virtuoso performance that can hold just about any audience. Go to Full Review Ronald E. Butler Tulsa World Mar 5
How ironic that Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, a potent allegory about the individual battling a repressive "system," should fall victim to another repressive kind of system, the California hack movie factory. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jim Haegele 08/11/2025 Spectacular acting by all the cast. Definately deservd al the nominations it received. My wife and my first time seeing it on the big screen. Absolutely worth it. See more Karen K 08/03/2025 A great movie. Loved Jack Nicholson. See more Sandy 07/19/2025 just an amazing and sad look into how mental institutions were run in many places. Great acting. many layers of society's dysfunction and realities. this book was even part of an English class I took in college back in the early 70's. See more Steven 07/18/2025 Jack Nicolson at his best. Many other actors in early career roles. From back when movies were an artform. See more Google 07/17/2025 Awesome to be able to see this again on the big screen. See more Teresa C 07/17/2025 Powerful. Back when movies were made well. See more Read all reviews
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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Cast & Crew

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Milos Forman

Director

Jack Nicholson

Randle Patrick McMurphy

Louise Fletcher

Nurse Mildred Ratched

Brad Dourif

Billy Bibbit

William Redfield

Harding

Michael Berryman

Ellis, tall bald patient

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis When Randle Patrick McMurphy gets transferred for evaluation from a prison farm to a mental institution, he assumes it will be a less restrictive environment. But the martinet Nurse Ratched runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist, keeping her patients cowed through abuse, medication and sessions of electroconvulsive therapy. The battle of wills between the rebellious McMurphy and the inflexible Ratched soon affects all the ward's patients.
Director
Milos Forman
Producer
Michael Douglas, Saul Zaentz
Screenwriter
Lawrence Hauben, Bo Goldman
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Fantasy Films
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 19, 1975, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jul 13, 2025
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2016
Runtime
2h 13m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Flat (1.85:1)
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