The Maltese Falcon | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

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Where to Watch The Maltese Falcon What to Know Critics Reviews Audience Reviews My Rating Cast & Crew More Like This Photos The Maltese Falcon References

99%

Tomatometer

110 Reviews

91%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

In this noir classic, detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) gets more than he bargained for when he takes a case brought to him by a beautiful but secretive woman (Mary Astor). As soon as Miss Wonderly shows up, trouble follows as Sam's partner is murdered and Sam is accosted by a man (Peter Lorre) demanding he locate a valuable statuette. Sam, entangled in a dangerous web of crime and intrigue, soon realizes he must find the one thing they all seem to want: the bejeweled Maltese falcon.

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The Maltese Falcon

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Suspenseful, labyrinthine, and brilliantly cast, The Maltese Falcon is one of the most influential noirs -- as well as a showcase for Humphrey Bogart at his finest.

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Critics Reviews

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The Maltese Falcon | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Patricia Ward

London Evening Standard

The best crook film that's ever been made. Certainly it's the best I've ever seen. Because of brilliant casting, acting and direction it does what every thriller should do: thrills you genuinely and tremendously from start to finish.

Nov 16, 2022

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The Maltese Falcon | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

Evelyn Russell

Sight & Sound

The story is strong of itself with an unusual ending and fine acting, but it is the treatment which makes it the best thriller so far this year.

Nov 16, 2022

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The Maltese Falcon | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

Pauline Kael

New Yorker

It is (and this is rare in American films) a work of entertainment that is yet so skillfully constructed that after many years and many viewings it has the same brittle explosiveness -- and even some of the same surprise -- that it had in its first run.

Nov 16, 2022

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The Maltese Falcon | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

“The stuff that dreams are made of,” comments Spade about the elusive black bird of the title, a sentiment easily applied to this indisputable masterpiece.

Rated: 4/4

Apr 8, 2023

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The Maltese Falcon | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

Allison Rose

FlickDirect

Many people feel The Maltese Falcon is when Bogart became “Bogie”. He exuded a certain calm and cool demeanor that made guys want to grab a beer with him and made women want to date him.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 4, 2023

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The Maltese Falcon | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

Danielle Solzman

Solzy at the Movies

The Maltese Falcon gives Humphrey Bogart one of his best roles while playing a pivotal role in shaping the film noir genre for years to come.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 4, 2023

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Audience Reviews

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Andrew L Considered by many to be one of the top two best film noirs ever made ("Double Indemnity" being the other one), this film is the stuff that dreams are made of. A man's partner is murdered and all the suspects involved seem to be chasing after a priceless statue. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/06/24 Full Review James B a perfect noir film a classic great detective film a must see Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/13/24 Full Review Aender S An OK film to watch to see Humphrey Bogart playing the gritty guy again. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/11/24 Full Review Alec B The constant reversals and reveals continue to be compelling even after multiple viewings. And yeah Bogart is absolutely perfect. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/26/24 Full Review Narciso R I love the cast, perfect. Bogart rolling his own cigarette. NRJ. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/24 Full Review St R Defined many crime thrillers for decades to come. Bogart is fantastic. Lorre is at the top of his game. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

John Huston Director Humphrey Bogart Sam Spade Mary Astor Brigid O'Shaughnessy Peter Lorre Joel Cairo Gladys George Iva Archer Barton MacLane Det. Lt. Dundy

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The Maltese Falcon

The Maltese Falcon (1941)

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Synopsis In this noir classic, detective Sam Spade (Humphrey Bogart) gets more than he bargained for when he takes a case brought to him by a beautiful but secretive woman (Mary Astor). As soon as Miss Wonderly shows up, trouble follows as Sam's partner is murdered and Sam is accosted by a man (Peter Lorre) demanding he locate a valuable statuette. Sam, entangled in a dangerous web of crime and intrigue, soon realizes he must find the one thing they all seem to want: the bejeweled Maltese falcon.

Director: John Huston
Screenwriter: Dashiell Hammett, John Huston
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Warner Brothers, First National Pictures
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 18, 1941, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 19, 2016
Runtime: 1h 40m
Sound Mix: Mono