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The Towering Inferno

Play trailer Poster for The Towering Inferno PG 1974 2h 45m Action Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
69% Tomatometer 91 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
Classic 1970s disaster movie about a fire that breaks out in a state-of-the-art San Francisco high-rise building during the opening ceremony attended by a host of A-list guests. An overworked fire chief and the building's architect must cooperate in the struggle to save lives and subdue panic while a corrupt, cost-cutting contractor tries to evade responsibility for the disaster.
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The Towering Inferno

The Towering Inferno

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Critics Consensus

Although it is not consistently engaging enough to fully justify its towering runtime, The Towering Inferno is a blustery spectacle that executes its disaster premise with flair.

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Critics Reviews

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Charles Champlin Los Angeles Times Apr 6, 2026
$14 million worth of Holy Cow! Spend more -- efficiently -- and you get more. More stars, more effects, more scale, more suspense, more crises, more impact, more of that feeling the foyer that you have your ticket's worth and then some. Go to Full Review Phil Strassberg Arizona Republic Apr 6, 2026
It is an almost-perfect meshing by ingenious, productive technicians and a finely-attuned acting brigade of a complicated production into a magnificent "epic" in the best C.B. DeMille tradition. Go to Full Review Elston Brooks Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com Apr 6, 2026
We finally come to the ultimate disaster picture of them all. And, in a word, the best. The Towering Inferno... is not only the best disaster picture crashing around the crowded circuit, but it is also one of the year's best films. Go to Full Review Dorothy Smiljanich Tampa Bay Times Apr 6, 2026
With The Towering Inferno, disaster movies have come of age. It is big. It is immensely engaging. And above everything else, it is terrifying. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad Sep 4, 2026 The Towering Inferno = a *3 and 1/2 star Movie* See more thiago S @Thiagostone Jun 26, 2026 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Mireille T @RT34033469 Jun 19, 2026 Great production for that genre of movie considering it was made in 1974. And of course the cast....top!!!! Its like a good scary roller coaster ride..a 3 hour long one. See more mark G @Mark_Alan_G. Jun 18, 2026 Star power like no other, involved in a long drawn out bore of a movie. No really strong written characters which weakens what legends like Newman, McQueen and Holden can do with them others like Dunaway have zero purpose. Weak story cancels out great cast. See more paul O @Paulo190408 Apr 9, 2026 Quite good film, probably 30 minutes too long .Strong performances from Paul Newman and Steve McQueen. The rest of the stars were irrelevant. Good lesson about the need for spot on electrics in tower blocks. The tragedy at Grenfell Towers , where 72 people were killed, exemplified that. See more Michael W @mawilps Dec 21, 2025 This classic disaster movie was really good. Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Robert Vaughn, Richard Chamberlain, and the rest of the cast did a fantastic job in this movie. The plot of the movie was dramatic, intense, and tragic. It's about fighting to survive in a tower on fire. If you haven't seen this movie yet, check it out sometime. It's a definite must see. See more Read all reviews
The Towering Inferno

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Cast & Crew

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John Guillermin

Director

Irwin Allen

Director

Steve McQueen

Chief O'Hallorhan

Paul Newman

Doug Roberts

William Holden

Jim Duncan

Faye Dunaway

Susan

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The Towering Inferno

The Towering Inferno (1974) The Towering Inferno (1974) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Classic 1970s disaster movie about a fire that breaks out in a state-of-the-art San Francisco high-rise building during the opening ceremony attended by a host of A-list guests. An overworked fire chief and the building's architect must cooperate in the struggle to save lives and subdue panic while a corrupt, cost-cutting contractor tries to evade responsibility for the disaster.
Director
John Guillermin, Irwin Allen
Producer
Irwin Allen
Screenwriter
Stirling Silliphant
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox
Rating
PG
Genre
Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 14, 1974, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2015
Runtime
2h 45m
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