Guilty by Suspicion | Rotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      Guilty by Suspicion

      PG-13 Released Mar 15, 1991 1 hr. 45 min. Drama List
      68% 19 Reviews Tomatometer 55% 2,500+ Ratings Audience Score When director David Merrill (Robert De Niro) returns to the United States from Paris, he is called before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Though he is not a communist, he refuses to cooperate in order to protect his friend, screenwriter Bunny Baxter (George Wendt). Merrill faces severe repercussions, however, and is blacklisted. Already on rocky terms with his wife, Ruth (Annette Bening) and unable to work in film, theater or advertising, Merrill starts to waver in his principles. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Mar 05 Buy Now

      Where to Watch

      Guilty by Suspicion

      Fandango at Home Prime Video Apple TV

      Rent Guilty by Suspicion on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

      Audience Reviews

      View All (70) audience reviews
      jon c Its 1951 and the communist scare is at an all time high. Robert Dr Niro is David Merrill, he works in Hollywood but the government with the House of Un-American Activities Committee is having him under investigation after coming back from Paris. Attacking the creative community of Hollywood is what they do through censorship and fear. Annette Bening as his wife, Ruth is staring to have doubts about his affiliations and his friend Bunny after he's blacklisted. Merrill wavering his principles might be the only thing he has to combat this deadly confrontation. Because of his political affiliation he can no longer write. His son faces the same kind of backlash being branded a communist, Merrill loses his house, and the studio won't grant him access. This film is based on an actual occurrence known as the Hollywood Blacklist of the 1950s. Books were banned; some were burned. It's a big witch-hunt to track down as many sympathizers without hearing their cases. The final scene leads to a big showdown of proving once and for all Merills involvement. It's brutal and will keep you invested seeing as how so many accused like him were persecuted for years standing up for their beliefs. De Niro is awesome playing a man caught in a world of watchful eyes and unwarranted hate. Sometimes being true to our conscience is more important. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review steve d Forgettable beside the one courtroom scene. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member to search under the sheets.. Guilty By Suspicion Winkler's scattered vision and fatal attempts of creating an art-sy factory, is a vicious circle that is self-obsessed on its husky bits that clearly isn't concrete enough to stand on the grounds, and fails to focus or even sincerely respect its crispiness. It is well made, the execution too is right on mark, but the script isn't gripping enough to withhold its audience for the runtime. The subject explored is taken granted for the most of the part of it, where the poignancy is manipulated to make you feel for the characters who are frankly undercooked and one-dimensionally displayed. Aforementioned, the narration is neither gripping nor layered enough to search under the sheets, it is flat on emotional level that unfortunately grows shallow as it ages on screen. The final act, that actually is what Winkler has been building up to, is undoubtedly exhilarating and compelling but to suffer for art and that too to this extent, has never been the medium that the audience spoke to. De Niro is hands down, still delivering unflinchingly whether then be its blatant one liners that echos in your mind throughout the course or the tiny notions that his act is brimmed with that speaks more volume than the storytelling itself. He is coy and humble, he is hardworking and firm on his beliefs which is all acted out in its last argument at which every hand of the clock comes down to. Benning, Cooper and Wendt (he is good but fails to steal the show despite of being offered a much stronger role) are supporting him convincingly although surprisingly Benning is underused and isn't given the appropriated range and space to factor in on the bigger picture. Guilty By Suspicion is actually guilty for keeping things mellow, no matter how loud and affirmative Winkler may sound, it certainly isn't that cinematic. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review alex k 1957 Was 34 Years Old In 1991 And 1922 Was 69 Years Old In 1991 As Well. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Surprisingly thoughtful account of the Red Scare. De Niro does some great work here. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member I watched it with my junior English class just after reading The Crucible. I can't say too much about it because people kept talking over it. From what I could gather: the story was slow, but the acting was great. I felt like it ended a bit abruptly. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      Discover

      Best Movies to Stream at Home

      View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
      95% 92% Hundreds of Beavers TRAILER for Hundreds of Beavers 67% 29% The Stranger TRAILER for The Stranger 50% 92% The Stolen Valley TRAILER for The Stolen Valley 93% 95% Dune: Part Two TRAILER for Dune: Part Two 71% 60% Immaculate TRAILER for Immaculate 82% 75% In the Land of Saints and Sinners TRAILER for In the Land of Saints and Sinners 69% 87% Sweet Dreams TRAILER for Sweet Dreams 56% 84% DogMan TRAILER for DogMan % 41% Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer % % An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th TRAILER for An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

      Photos

      View All Guilty by Suspicion photos

      Guilty by Suspicion

      Guilty by Suspicion (1991) Guilty by Suspicion (1991) Guilty by Suspicion (1991) Guilty by Suspicion (1991) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (19) Critics Reviews
      Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader The fact that Guilty by Suspicion has been made at all shows to what extent we’ve recovered; the fact that it leaves so much of the story still untold shows to what extent we haven’t. Rated: 3/4 May 24, 2022 Full Review Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: C- Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Nell Minow Movie Mom Rated: 1/5 Dec 16, 2003 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...compelling subject matter that’s employed to periodically watchable yet mostly underwhelming effect by Irwin Winkler... Rated: 2.5/4 Jul 27, 2023 Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Rated: 4/5 Nov 7, 2005 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Jun 27, 2005 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis When director David Merrill (Robert De Niro) returns to the United States from Paris, he is called before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Though he is not a communist, he refuses to cooperate in order to protect his friend, screenwriter Bunny Baxter (George Wendt). Merrill faces severe repercussions, however, and is blacklisted. Already on rocky terms with his wife, Ruth (Annette Bening) and unable to work in film, theater or advertising, Merrill starts to waver in his principles.
      Director
      Irwin Winkler
      Executive Producer
      Steven Reuther
      Screenwriter
      Irwin Winkler
      Distributor
      Warner Bros.
      Production Co
      Warner Brothers
      Rating
      PG-13
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Mar 15, 1991, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jan 1, 2009
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $8.4M
      Sound Mix
      Dolby, Surround
      Aspect Ratio
      35mm
      Most Popular at Home Now