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Network

Network

Television will never be the same.

1976121 minRMidcredits score: 98th percentile of all films
Director
Sidney Lumet
Starring
Faye Dunaway, William Holden, Peter Finch, Robert Duvall

When veteran anchorman Howard Beale is forced to retire his 25-year post because of his age, he announces to viewers that he will kill himself during his farewell broadcast. Network executives rethink their decision when his fanatical tirade results in a spike in ratings.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Network?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Network to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Network?

Network earns 8 badges, led by Stood the test of time and Oscar Winner.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Network worth watching?

Network's Midcredits score is the 98th percentile of all films, from 449K ratings across 6 sources. 87% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

98th percentile

Better received than 98% of films

98th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 1970s
Acclaim (how much people like it)97th
Approval (how many liked it)96th

82 /100

97th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 1970s

Critics 83 · Audience 81

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

87% liked it

96th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Drama98th percentile among 1970s
87% rated it 7–1013% rated it 1–6

Critics 90% · Audience 93%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

4 Oscars won · 6 Oscar noms · 18 wins / 27 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Actor in a Leading Role
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Actress in a Leading Role

97th percentile

449K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Drama99th percentile among 1970s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 10% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$3.8M
Domestic gross$24M
Worldwide gross$24M

Returned 6.2× its budget — 91st percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a sharp media satire with strong acting and writing, though its dialogue can feel overly theatrical and its relevance has shifted with changes in the media landscape.

Fans praised

  • Prophetic, prescient satire that grows more relevant with age
  • Intricate, involving characters in realistic situations
  • Sharp, memorable dialogue and powerhouse performances, especially Finch

Detractors panned

  • Overloaded, pompous dialogue with intensifiers
  • Dated premise and execution in a pre-cable, pre-internet era
  • Characters come across as one-note and unlikable

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive95

Groundbreaking for its time, unmatched in its critique

ActingDivisive90

Acclaimed performances, especially Finch and Holden

DialogueDivisive80

Memorable, quotable, but sometimes pompous and overbearing

CharactersDivisive75

Intricate but sometimes one-note, unlikable figures

AtmosphereDivisive75

Immersive depiction of the TV news world and its cynicism

Plot and storyDivisive70

Prophetic, relevant story but with a weak ending for some

HumorDivisive70

Dark satire that lands for fans, falls flat for some

PacingDivisive65

Some felt it could be shorter; others saw it as deliberately paced

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 12 points higher than women.

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

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Network like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark comedy: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want to laugh at things you probably shouldn't.

It is intense and leaves you angry. Skip it when you want an easy night.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark comedy.

Moods
TenseAbsurd
Heaviest: late
Dark humor
The answer rests on this: Register
Satirical · 5% of filmsCynical · 1% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its outrageous material with deadpan commitment—the satire lands because the drama is never undercut; the absurdity is real.
The rideThe film builds tension through corporate maneuvering and Beale's outbursts, shifts into absurd comedy as the show becomes a hit, and settles into a bleak final act culminating in assassination.
StructureConventional three-act shape: Beale's outburst (Act I), his rise and exploitation (Act II), and the network's final solution (Act III).

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Angry.

Infuriating · 4% of films: Leaves you angry at an injustice the film shows, never at the film.Thought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves you enraged at the corporate exploitation it depicts and still running the argument about media's corrupting power.
How it ends · evidence
Tragic 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).Tragedy
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% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% (this title) · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Corruption arc: Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).

9% of films fit this archetype

with Overcoming the monster underneath

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeHoward Beale's transformation from fired newsman to exploited prophet whose anger is commodified follows a tragedy of moral decay driven by corporate greed. The film also satirizes the network as a monster that destroys integrity, paralleling an overcoming_the_monster arc.

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 filmsSelfCorruption
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% (this title): Power 2% · Corruption 3% (this title) · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • 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% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Power

Corruption · 3% of filmsDeception · 9% of films
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film relentlessly exposes how the pursuit of profit and ratings corrupts every human value, turning news into entertainment and murder into a season premiere.
StanceThe film takes a satirical stance toward the corruption of media by corporate power, attacking the entire television industry as a system that devours its own prophets.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Elliot Lawrence
SettingNew York City television network headquarters in 1975
MusicThe score uses a jazzy, dissonant orchestral style that underscores the film's cynical energy.

Content guide

Is Network okay for kids?

R

Network is rated R. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (37/100), sexual content at moderate (42/100), language at intense (80/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (40/100) and frightening material at moderate (54/100). Overall it is heavier than 33% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 11 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • FranceU
  • Ireland15
  • Brazil14
  • Belgium16
  • FinlandK-16
  • Hungary16
  • Netherlands12
  • Spain18
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 58% of all filmsHeavier than 33% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 18%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 40%
Profanity
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 73%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 50%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 36%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Network have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Network?

Cast

3 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Faye Dunaway won the Oscar for this film.

Faye Dunaway
as Diana Christensen
Oscar win: Academy Award — Best Actress in a Leading RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
William Holden
as Max Schumacher
Oscar nominee: Academy Award nomination — Best Actor in a Leading RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Peter Finch
as Howard Beale
Robert Duvall
as Frank Hackett
BAFTA nominee: BAFTA Award nomination — Best Supporting ActorTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Wesley Addy
as Nelson Chaney
Ned Beatty
as Arthur Jensen
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Arthur Burghardt
as Great Ahmed Kahn
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Bill Burrows
as TV Director
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
John Carpenter
as George Bosch
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Jordan Charney
as Harry Hunter
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

Directed by

Sidney Lumet

Written by

Paddy Chayefsky

Cinematography

Owen Roizman

Edited by

Alan Heim

Music by

Elliot Lawrence

Produced by

Fred C. CarusoHoward Gottfried

More like this

What are movies like Network?

Movies like Network include Night Falls on Manhattan (1996), Ace in the Hole (1951) and Bamboozled (2000). Of the 12 closest matches, most are films set in New York, and several are corruption arc stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 12 share its world: high finance. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Network?

980 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: conspiracy thriller. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.