Rotten Tomatoes
Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Tony Manero

Play trailer Poster for Tony Manero 2008 1h 38m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
85% Tomatometer 40 Reviews 60% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
On weekends, 50-something Raul Peralta goes to the same bar outside his native Santiago, Chile, and, with friends, dances to the hits from his favorite film, "Saturday Night Fever." When he gets wind of a TV contest seeking the best imitation of Tony Manero, the main character from the film, he becomes fixated on winning. But as Raul becomes involved in nefarious activities -- including murder -- to complete his Tony Manero transition, he puts his friends and himself at risk.
Tony Manero

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Deliberately provocative, Tony Manero is as challenging and compelling as it is difficult to describe.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Deborah Ross The Spectator Aug 29, 2018
This film is not a joy, and there is no joy in it, but it is powerfully grotesque and it will linger, whether you want it to or not. Give it a go, if you feel brave enough. Go to Full Review Jonathan Romney Sight & Sound Jul 6, 2018
As played by Alfredo Castro, Ral Peralta is one of the most disturbing and intractably unsympathetic figures in recent cinema. Go to Full Review Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly Jul 22, 2009
B+
Larrain's (literally) dark, edgy movie is a precise artistic commentary on Augusto Pinochet's miserable regime, which was 
under way while Travolta gyrated. Go to Full Review Kathy Fennessy Seattle Film Blog Sep 17, 2023
3.5/4
While some critics have described the film as "ugly," both literally and figuratively, there's a cruel beauty to [Pablo] Larraín's assured direction, the Super 16 cinematography (blown up to 35mm), and occasional, disorienting out-of-focus shot... Go to Full Review Rosa Parra Latinx Lens Jan 2, 2022
3.5/5
It's not an easy watch but it's an intriguing look at an unlikeable protagonist. Go to Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia Aug 3, 2020
6/10
Pablo Larraín's second film, 'Tony Manero', has a start as energetic as a dancer's legs, but on the way it slides until it is sown on the ground. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Claudio C @Claudio666 May 19, 2026 Tony Manero (2008) Strange Film (12,456 – 19 May 2026 – Claudio Carvalho) In 1978, In Santiago, the smalltime criminal Raúl Peralta (Alfredo Castro) is a psychopath obsessed in John Travolta’s character Tony Manero from "Saturday Night Fever" (1977). He rehearses Tony Manero’s dancing with people that live in the same boarding house while committing murders in the poor neighborhood. "Tony Manero" (2008) is a strange film by Pablo Larraín. Despite the extreme low budget, the plot is original and the viewer never foresee the next attitude from the protagonist. My vote is six. Title (Brazil): "Tony Manero" See more Dani G @RT81139271 May 13, 2024 What a disgusting lead character!!! Wow! That was the best from this film; the form in which you start to hate that man inmediately See more Rosana B @RosanaBotafogo Feb 18, 2023 É um filme extremamente ambíguo, ao mesmo tempo que nos apiadamos o protagonista dos dez primeiros minutos sentimos O incrível que pulsa e repugnância por seus dados violentos e obsessivos, beirando o doentio... Um filme muito interessante com uma abordagem diferenciada, obsessão por um ídolo, o sonho de seguir uma profissão e agressão ganhando contornos realísticos... See more Nov 26, 2021 Ruthless and unpleasant, there's yet a lot to admire in " Tony Manero", a unique and dark charachter study of a selfish person who takes the worst of himself out while the country is in crisis. Is umpredictable and powered by the special fuel provided by the cast, specially terrific Alfredo Castro and admirable Amparo Noguera. First part in Pablo Larraín's triology about dictatorship. See more Jul 10, 2021 Es una película chilena muy interesante; tiene una trama extraña y las actuaciones son buenas; es una experiencia muy bizarra. See more May 9, 2020 Raul, 1978'de, Cumartesi Gecesi Ateşi filmindeki Tony Manero karakterine takıntılı, obsesif, şiddet dolu 52 yaşındaki bir adam. Pinochet diktatörlüğü Şili'nin ahlaki değerlerini, kültürel kimliğini yok ederken, ülke de Amerikan kültürüne, yağmasına açılır. Raul, bu yeni Şili'deki Amerikayı temsil ediyor. Acımasız, dengesiz, şiddet dolu, tam bir hasta ruh. Filmdeki tv, imaj fetişizmi, özenti, başka biri olma arzusu da cabası. See more Read all reviews
Tony Manero

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Pablo Larraín

Director

Alfredo Castro

Raúl Peralta

Héctor Morales

Goyo

Paola Lattus

Pauli

Amparo Noguera

Cony

Elsa Poblete

Wilma

More Like This

View All
Post Mortem 91% 61% Post Mortem Watchlist Lake Tahoe 85% 63% Lake Tahoe Watchlist The Walker 55% 28% The Walker Watchlist Before I Forget 87% 42% Before I Forget Watchlist Yonkers Joe 52% 49% Yonkers Joe Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More
View All

Tony Manero

Tony Manero (2008) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis On weekends, 50-something Raul Peralta goes to the same bar outside his native Santiago, Chile, and, with friends, dances to the hits from his favorite film, "Saturday Night Fever." When he gets wind of a TV contest seeking the best imitation of Tony Manero, the main character from the film, he becomes fixated on winning. But as Raul becomes involved in nefarious activities -- including murder -- to complete his Tony Manero transition, he puts his friends and himself at risk.
Director
Pablo Larraín
Producer
Juan de Dios Larraín
Screenwriter
Alfredo Castro, Mateo Iribarren, Pablo Larraín
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 25, 2017
Runtime
1h 38m
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings