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The Quiet American

The Quiet American

In war, the most powerful weapon is seduction.

2002101 minRMidcredits score: 83rd percentile of all films
Director
Phillip Noyce
Starring
Michael Caine, Brendan Fraser, Do Thi Hai Yen, Tzi Ma

Cynical British journalist Fowler falls in love with a young Vietnamese woman but is dismayed when a naïve U.S. official also begins vying for her attention. In retaliation, Fowler informs the communists that the American is selling arms to their enemy.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Quiet American?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Quiet American streaming on Pluto TV (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about The Quiet American?

The Quiet American earns 11 badges, led by Visual feast and Atmospheric.

Show 3 more
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Quiet American worth watching?

The Quiet American's Midcredits score is the 83rd percentile of all films, from 42K ratings across 6 sources. 74% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

83rd percentile

Better received than 83% of films

85th percentile among Drama81st percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)79th
Approval (how many liked it)84th

70 /100

79th percentile of all films

82nd percentile among Drama78th percentile among 2000s

Critics 84 · Audience 68

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.1 — solid but not unanimous.

74% liked it

84th percentile of all films

85th percentile among Drama82nd percentile among 2000s
74% rated it 7–1026% rated it 1–6

Critics 87% · Audience 72%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 12 wins / 14 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Actor in a Leading Role
  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama

91st percentile

42K ratings across platforms

93rd percentile among Drama85th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 34% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$30M
Opening weekend$102K
Domestic gross$13M
Worldwide gross$28M

Returned 0.9× its budget — 92nd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slow-burn romantic thriller set against the murky beginnings of American involvement in Vietnam, driven by Michael Caine's commanding central performance.

Fans praised

  • Michael Caine's deeply nuanced, career-best performance
  • Faithful, intelligent adaptation of Greene's novel
  • Atmospheric cinematography capturing 1950s Saigon

Detractors panned

  • Underdeveloped, passive female lead
  • Overemphasis on love triangle undermines political drama
  • Brendan Fraser miscast and outmatched by Caine

What stands out

ActingDivisive85

Caine's career-best nuanced portrayal; Fraser divisive but praised by many

Cinematography85

Lush, evocative visuals of 1950s Saigon

Atmosphere85

Thick, humid sense of place and impending doom

Emotional impactDivisive75

Fowler's romantic desperation and ethical collapse resonate

Plot and storyDivisive70

Love triangle overshadows political intrigue for some

Tension70

Moral suspense and political intrigue build effectively

CharactersDivisive60

Phuong underdeveloped; Fowler rich and layered, Pyle enigmatic but uneven

Pacing60

Deliberate, slow-burn; some find it too languid

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 10 points higher than women.

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

  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 1 point apart

Watch experience

What is The Quiet American like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense and leaves you thinking. 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 and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film treats its political and romantic turmoil with gravity and restraint, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe synopsis builds romantic and political tension throughout, with the heaviest emotional weight falling after Pyle's murder and the war's aftermath.
StructureThe film opens with Pyle's murder and Inspector Vigot's questioning of Fowler, then flashes back to tell the story of how they arrived there.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you reflecting on the tragic consequences of good intentions and the personal cost of political manipulation.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

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

Why this archetypeFowler's moral descent from detached observer to complicit killer, driven by love and political awakening, follows a tragic arc of corruption.

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 filmsSelfBetrayalMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% (this title) · 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% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% (this title) · 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%

Morality

Betrayal · 5% of filmsRomantic love · 15% of filmsDeception · 9% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores trust broken in love and politics — Fowler is deceived by Pyle and in turn betrays him, while personal and national loyalties become tangled.
StanceThe film mourns the betrayal of love and the corruption of American idealism as it leads to war, centred on Fowler's perspective.

The world

Mid 20th centuryUrbanWildernessInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalSupportive music · original score · Craig Armstrong
SettingSaigon, Vietnam, early 1950s during the First Indochina War
MusicArmstrong's score underpins the melancholic and tense atmosphere of colonial Saigon.

Content guide

Is The Quiet American okay for kids?

R

The Quiet American is rated R: “Rated R for images of violence and some language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (60/100), sexual content at mild (30/100), language at mild (33/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at severe (92/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 9 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18A
  • Germany12
  • FranceU
  • Ireland15
  • South Korea19
  • Czechia12+
  • Hungary16
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Intense
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (9 votes)
Profanity
Mild
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (5 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Severe
too few votes to rank (4 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (29 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

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 The Quiet American have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Quiet American?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Michael Caine
as Thomas Fowler
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.
Brendan Fraser
as Alden Pyle
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Do Thi Hai Yen
as Phuong
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Tzi Ma
as Hinh
Rade Šerbedžija
as Inspector Vigot
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Robert Stanton
as Joe Tunney
Holmes Osborne
as Bill Granger
Ferdinand Hoang
as Mr. Muoi
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Mathias Mlekuz
as French Captain
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Kevin Tran
as Watch Tower Soldier

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Quiet American?

Movies like The Quiet American include Wonder Wheel (2017), Enigma (2001) and Indochine (1992). Of the 12 closest matches, several are political thrillers, and most are films set in the 1950s.

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

8 of these 12 share its praise for cinematography. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Quiet American?

243 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: spy. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.