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Getting Away with Murder

Getting Away with Murder

One bad apple can spoil the whole line-up.

199691 minRMidcredits score: 11th percentile of all films
Director
Harvey Miller
Starring
Dan Aykroyd, Lily Tomlin, Jack Lemmon, Bonnie Hunt

When the very moralistic college ethics instructor Jack Lambert finds himself living next door to an accused German death camp commander, he takes it upon himself to rid the world of this man.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Getting Away with Murder?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove does not list Getting Away with Murder on any major US streaming service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Getting Away with Murder?

Getting Away with Murder earns 1 badge: Thought-provoking.

Reception

Is Getting Away with Murder worth watching?

Getting Away with Murder's Midcredits score is the 11th percentile of all films, from 1.9K ratings across 4 sources. 17% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

11th percentile

Better received than 11% of films

10th percentile among Comedy12th percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)21st
Approval (how many liked it)5th

52 /100

21st percentile of all films

20th percentile among Comedy21st percentile among 1990s

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

Approval

How many liked it

17% liked it

5th percentile of all films

4th percentile among Comedy5th percentile among 1990s
17% rated it 7–1083% rated it 1–6

Critics 0% · Audience 20%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Reach

How many have seen it

61st percentile

1.9K ratings across platforms

55th percentile among Comedy55th percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 41% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$128K
Domestic gross$197K
Worldwide gross$197K

28th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A dark comedy about a professor who plots to kill his Nazi-neighbor, driven by moral crisis rather than laughs.

Fans praised

  • enjoyable and keeps watching late into the night
  • unpredictable from moment to moment
  • serious-minded comedy with dark humor

Detractors panned

  • almost no laughs despite comic cast
  • leads wasted in underwritten roles
  • uncomfortable tone that fails as either comedy or drama

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive60

bold subject for comedy but derivative of darker satires

ActingDivisive55

talented cast largely wasted, Lemmon and Aykroyd given little to do

Plot and storyDivisive45

interesting premise undermined by muddled execution and cop-out ending

CharactersDivisive40

professor's morality central but inconsistent, supporting roles superfluous

Pacing30

drawn out, 91 minutes feels much longer

HumorDivisive25

few chuckles at best, desperately needed more comic relief

Ending20

unsatisfying, feels like film just stops

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 4 points apart

Watch experience

What is Getting Away with Murder like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Quiet and reflective: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are in a patient, quiet mood.

It is gentle, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want things to move fast or you want every question answered.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Quiet and reflective.

Moods
ContemplativeAbsurd
Heaviest: middle
Dark humor
Register
Satirical · 5% of filmsWry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film attempts a dark comedy about a serious moral dilemma, with a poker-faced delivery that results in a lukewarm tone.
The rideThe film's mood is contemplative and absurd, with a low-intensity, flat emotional arc centered on the murder and its aftermath.
StructureThe story follows a linear sequence of events from the instructor's discovery to his act and its aftermath.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves the viewer with lingering moral questions and an uneasy sense of unresolved justice.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe story centers on a college instructor who takes vigilante action against his neighbor, an accused Nazi war criminal, only to later discover the truth, turning the narrative into an unresolved moral puzzle.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsGuilt · 3% of filmsTruth · 4% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film examines the ambiguity of vigilantism and the weight of acting on incomplete knowledge.
StanceThe film probes the ambiguity of taking justice into one's own hands, leaving the viewer to ponder rather than moralizing.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · John Debney
SettingA Massachusetts college town

Content guide

Is Getting Away with Murder okay for kids?

R

Getting Away with Murder is rated R.

Ratings in 2 other countries
  • Germany16
  • Sweden15

No detailed content scores for this title yet.

What content warnings does Getting Away with Murder have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Getting Away with Murder?

Cast

Dan Aykroyd
as Jack Lambert
Lily Tomlin
as Inga Mueller
Jack Lemmon
as Max Mueller
Bonnie Hunt
as Dr. Gail Holland
Brian Kerwin
as Marty Lambert
Jerry Adler
as Judge
Andy Romano
as Psychiatrist
Robert Fields
as Sergeant Roarke
J.C. Quinn
as Detective Stanley
Susan Forristal
as Waitress Patti

Crew

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