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The Outrage

The Outrage

Was It an Act of Violence or an Act of Love?

196496 minApprovedMidcredits score: 45th percentile of all films
Director
Martin Ritt
Starring
Paul Newman, Laurence Harvey, Claire Bloom, Edward G. Robinson

At a disused railway station, three men -- a con artist, a preacher, and a prospector -- discuss the recent trial and sentencing of the outlaw Juan Carrasco for the murder of a man and the rape of his wife. In their recounting, the three explore the conflicting testimonies of the parties involved in the crimes. Disconcerting new questions arise with each different version of the event.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Outrage?

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

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Outrage?

The Outrage earns 4 badges, led by Before they were famous and Thought-provoking.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Cast

Reception

Is The Outrage worth watching?

The Outrage's Midcredits score is the 45th percentile of all films, from 3.9K ratings across 4 sources. 46% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

45th percentile

Better received than 45% of films

46th percentile among Crime42nd percentile among 1960s
Acclaim (how much people like it)44th
Approval (how many liked it)46th

60 /100

44th percentile of all films

45th percentile among Crime39th percentile among 1960s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.4 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

46% liked it

46th percentile of all films

47th percentile among Crime44th percentile among 1960s
46% rated it 7–1054% rated it 1–6

Critics 20% · Audience 41%

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

67th percentile

3.9K ratings across platforms

60th percentile among Crime69th percentile among 1960s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 7% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$3M

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree it's a faithful but inferior remake of 'Rashomon' that fails to escape its shadow.

Fans praised

  • Strong ensemble cast with heavy hitters
  • Riveting whodunit structure despite original's shadow
  • Newman's bold, convincing turn as the bandit

Detractors panned

  • Unfavorable comparison to Kurosawa's original
  • Miscast Newman, stilted dialogue, and forced humor
  • Prosy, talky, and lacking the original's subtlety

What stands out

CinematographyDivisive70

Fine photography, rain-soaked station atmosphere

ActingDivisive67

Robinson excels; Newman miscast to some, convincing to others

Plot and storyDivisive55

Faithful Rashomon structure, but less compelling

TensionDivisive55

Who-done-it keeps interest, but not gripping

PacingDivisive50

Talky and claustrophobic, first half better than ending

DialogueDivisive45

Literate but prosy, some clunkers

CharactersDivisive42

Over-worked bandit, shallow supporting roles

Originality30

Derivative remake, no new ground

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 11 points higher than US viewers.

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

  • Critics vs users 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Outrage like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Mind-bender: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a puzzle and can give it your full attention.

It is intense, takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

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

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Mind-bender.

Moods
TenseMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
The answer rests on this: Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Multiple perspectives · 2% of films: The same events retold from different characters' points of view.
ToneThe film treats its themes of truth and human fallibility with gravity, occasionally flirting with satire but ultimately playing the material straight.
The rideThe film maintains a tense, brooding atmosphere throughout, with the emotional weight concentrated on the disturbing crime and the unresolved contradictions of the testimonies.
StructureThe story is framed by three men at a train station recounting events, and each presents their own version of the same crime through flashbacks.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe contradictory accounts and ambiguous ending leave the viewer questioning the reliability of memory and truth.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous 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).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 film is built around contradictory accounts of a rape and murder, with the core question being what truly happened, making the mystery archetype a clear fit.

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 filmsSelfTruthIdeas
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% (this title) · 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%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% (this title) · 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% (this title): Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Ideas

Truth · 4% of filmsViolence · 4% of filmsGreed · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates the nature of truth through conflicting eyewitness accounts of the same violent event, questioning whether any single version can be trusted.
StanceThe film questions the reliability of truth and memory, presenting conflicting accounts without endorsing any single version, thus interrogating rather than celebrating or mourning.

The world

19th centuryRuralIn transitRealistic
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Alex North
Setting1870s desert Southwest, a decrepit railroad station and the surrounding wilderness
MusicAlex North's score underscores the tense and brooding atmosphere, though it is not as foregrounded as the dialogue-driven narrative.

Content guide

Is The Outrage okay for kids?

Approved

The Outrage is rated Approved. As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (56/100), sexual content at moderate (56/100), language at minimal (0/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (0/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 1 other country
  • Germany18
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Profanity
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (9 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 Outrage have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Outrage?

Cast

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

Paul Newman
as Juan Carrasco
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.
Laurence Harvey
as Husband
Claire Bloom
as Wife
Edward G. Robinson
as Con Man
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.
William Shatner
as The Preacher
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Howard Da Silva
as Prospector
Albert Salmi
as Sheriff
Thomas Chalmers
as Judge
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Paul Fix
as Indian
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Jeffrey Darwin Bowman
as Baby

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Outrage?

Movies like The Outrage include Rashomon (1950), Hombre (1967) and The Disappearance of Alice Creed (2009). Of the 5 closest matches, two are films with Paul Newman, and two are films set in the American West.

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

Explore by

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

1.8K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: captor and captive. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.