Needs a lot more love
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — The Manchurian Candidate
Melton1 — 1 month ago(February 09, 2026 12:28 AM)
This is a fantastic thriller and doesn’t get the praise it deserves, most likely because fans of the original saw it as blasphemy.
I urge people to give it another chance. Jonathan Demme was one of our greatest directors, this guy gave us The Silence Of The Lambs and this superb thriller is the closest he got to that vibe before he was taken too soon. All his trademarks are there - actors looking right down the lens for that unparalleled empathy, an uncanny ability to creep out the audience when necessary, perfect pacing, great use of music, his usual company of supporting actors.
Denzel is
on fire
here, he’s playing a much more vulnerable character and he really looks like a guy who’s clinging on to sanity by his fingertips. When your supporting cast includes Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber, John Voight and Bruno Ganz then you’re in good company.
Demme’s long time cinematographer Tak Fujimoto repeats his Lambs trick of flitting between realism and highly expressive imagery when needed, it’s a great film to look at.
I generally loathe remakes but I think 40+ years and a shift from black & white to colour is enough distance for someone to try a fresh take. If you’ve dismissed this one then please give it another shot, and if you’ve never seen either and just want to see Denzel stretch himself then you’re in for a treat. Hollywood basically doesn’t make mature thrillers like this anymore.