Touch of Evil
-
Showtimes
-
Movie Details
We didn't find this title in your area
Videos & Photos
- Trailer 1 (02:09)
-
Movie Info & Cast
Synopsis
A stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in a Mexican border town.
Cast
- Charlton Heston
- Janet Leigh
- Orson Welles
- Joseph Calleia
- Akim Tamiroff
- Joanna Moore
- Ray Collins
- Dennis Weaver
- Valentin de Vargas
- Mort Mills
Letterboxd User Reviews
4.2
162.2K
80.7K
46.6K
- Sep 27, 2019
why didn't anyone ever tell janet leigh to stay away from motels?
Roberto_Jun 8, 2017"A policeman's job is only easy in a police state." An incredible back-and-forth between seedy, pulpy B-noir good cop-bad cop philosophical clash/conspiracy thriller material and one of the all-time genius stylists who through sheer technical mastery and baroque…
Josh LewisApr 9, 2016Touch of Evil might be the Citizen Kane of Orson Welles filmography.
Wood - Dec 16, 2019
Folks... this is what a movie looks like when it's firing on all cylinders. It's a masterstroke that in the last minute of the movie, we find out that the Mexican kid who the corrupt cop Quinlan (Welles) framed... confessed to the crime! That's right: at the end of a…
Will SloanPart of Noir-November “He was some kind of a man. What does it matter what you say about people?” The end justifies the means. That was his mantra. Shortcuts, grandstanding, rule-bending, hubristic excess and excessive hubris—all was fair game, so long as the final…
AaronDec 8, 2021Welles constantly sucks on a cigar like it's a lollipop in this, and every time he takes it out of his mouth it's visibly glistening. Unbelievably gross. 4.5 stars
brendan o'hare - Jan 5, 2026
Insanee cast. Orson wells is so sleazy scary sicko in this, also omg why was I so unsettled by a full-browed Marlene Dietrich?? I literally stop functioning normally when she’s on screen, whatta face!
Iman VellaniFeb 8, 2014Ben-Hur, Citizen Kane, and Norman Bates's shower-buddy in the middle of a murder-mystery in this Orson Welles timeless classic. Border-patrol-agents. A big fuckin' kaboom. A pretty baby. A baddie who's seen way too many gangsta movies. An attempted acid-attack. A piano that…
Todd GainesDec 27, 2018Orson Welles really looked at this man and said, yes, he's the perfect actor to play the Mexican cop in my movie.
sarah
Queue Community Reviews
87%
Community 679
Top Reviews
- hanne is "meh" onTouch of Evil
rating: 🧨🧨 janet leigh really has to stop going to sketchy motels; kind of a flop husband if we’re being honest; sort of a waste of marlene dietrich
Ben Lecker likedTouch of EvilThis was the first of the films watched for my film class and I really enjoyed it. The directing was very unique, especially for the time, using extremely cool shots such as the one shot at the beginning. I’m not a massive fan of acting from this time but I really enjoyed Orson Welles performance…
Jacob Hall is "meh" onTouch of EvilI'll be the first to say it idgaf, Orson Welles movies are a snoozefest. This was a movie of a bunch of people aimlessly following each other doing absolutely nothing. No real intense moments, just waiting for it to be over. I can see why the studio tried to change it on him
- Alexa lovedTouch of Evil
Damn good movie. A perfect noir combination of thrilling and weird, with excellent performances. You barely notice Charlton Heston in brown face. Also, I will always remember the girl in film class who gasped in horror the first time Orson Welles appears in this movie.
Platypus Lord likedTouch of EvilReally solid noir with plenty of suspense and themes of corruption & truth VS appearances. Has some memorable shots and great cinematography/lighting. The studies of Quinlan and Vargas and how someone's renown does not always match their actions really resonated.
James New likedTouch of EvilOne of my favourite opening shots ever. The camera work is second to none. Great performances and Orson Welles’ direction is great. The murky and mysterious vibe works well. Noirs aren’t 100% my thing aside from Casablanca but this is a very good one
- Nothuman likedTouch of Evil
Some cool innovative technical aspects and some fun tense moments, but story was a bit all over the and not really good performances besides Welles, but I appreciate the historical significance and interesting from that angle
Mickerdoo likedTouch of EvilDecent dirty cop crime thriller. Poor Mrs. Vargas. Take that woman home. Welles was a bad dude. Didn’t even really gain much from framing.
Garrison is "meh" onTouch of EvilGood, interesting shots and cuts but worth the hype?
Atom Users Reviews
Metacritic
It is typical of Orson Welles that he takes a B-movie thriller set on the Mexican border and gives it a Shakespearian grandeur.
Geoffrey Macnab
The Independent
Amazingly, Welles gets away with it. Citizen Kane may be the more weighty, rounded work, but Touch of Evil is a heap more fun.
Xan Brooks
The Independent
The film has always been a favorite of those who enjoy visual and dramatic flamboyance.
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Touch of Evil (1958) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as PG-13, meaning that some material may be considered inappropriate for children under 13.
How long is Touch of Evil (1958)?
The movie is 1hr 35min long.
What's Touch of Evil (1958) about?
A stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in a Mexican border town.
Who's the cast of Touch of Evil (1958)?
- Charlton Heston as Mike Vargas
- Janet Leigh as Susan Vargas
- Orson Welles as Police Captain Hank Quinlan
- Joseph Calleia as Police Sergeant Pete Menzies
- Akim Tamiroff as 'Uncle' Joe Grandi
- Joanna Moore as Marcia Linnekar
- Ray Collins as District Attorney Adair
- Dennis Weaver as Mirador Motel Night Manager
- Valentin de Vargas as Pancho
- Mort Mills as Al Schwartz
Who's the director behind Touch of Evil (1958)?
Orson Welles directed Touch of Evil (1958).
Who produced Touch of Evil (1958)?
Albert Zugsmith produced Touch of Evil (1958).
Full Screen Image Viewer
Target Exclusive Showing
Don't Have The Password?