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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Play trailerPoster for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's NestRReleased Nov 19, 19752h 13mDramaPlay Trailer Watchlist
WatchlistTomatometerPopcornmeter
93%Tomatometer 128 Reviews 96%Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
When Randle Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) gets transferred for evaluation from a prison farm to a mental institution, he assumes it will be a less restrictive environment. But the martinet Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist, keeping her patients cowed through abuse, medication and sessions of electroconvulsive therapy. The battle of wills between the rebellious McMurphy and the inflexible Ratched soon affects all the ward's patients.
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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Critics Consensus

Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher are worthy adversaries in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, with Miloš Forman's more grounded and morally ambiguous approach to Ken Kesey's surrealistic novel yielding a film of outsized power.

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Critics Reviews

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Frank Rich New York Post While Milos Forman has made a frightfully mindless film, he's made it damn well -- cloaking Kesey's irresponsible pap in trappings of immediacy and legitimacy that aren't easily stripped away. Feb 25, 2025 Full Review Jack Kroll Newsweek Most of the characters are thinned out... But Forman directs his players superbly, and Louise Fletcher as the nurse turns impassive coolness into a destructive force. Feb 25, 2025 Full Review Molly Haskell Village Voice As for Nicholson, he is nothing short of miraculous. Feb 25, 2025 Full Review Ted Mahar Oregonian Yes, it's a good movie, a very good one; no, it's not precisely Ken Kesey's novel... It's almost as if the saga of Randle P. McMurphy were a historical incident reported novelistically by Kesey and filmically by Forman, each in a distinctive style. Feb 25, 2025 Full Review Tom Milne Monthly Film Bulletin About midway through the film, two things happen, transforming a facile tract about the repressive society into an honest polemic. Feb 25, 2025 Full Review David Sterritt Christian Science Monitor One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a bruising film -- boisterous, unflinching, sometimes ugly. Yet it is tempered with a quiet humanity, a genuine regard for people and their impossible predicaments. Feb 25, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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matthias s *One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest* is a masterpiece that totally earns its classic status. First off, the cast is insanely stacked—Jack Nicholson is magnetic as ever (I’m always a fan), and it's such a joy to see young Danny DeVito and Christopher Lloyd doing their thing. Milos Forman really knew what he was doing here; the whole film feels authentic and alive from the very first scene. The premise is already fascinating, but it’s the execution that makes it soar. The acting? Unbelievable. Not just Nicholson, but even the background characters—everyone feels genuinely unwell in a way that’s never cartoonish. You honestly forget you're watching actors. There's a real sense of brotherhood among the patients, and that mix of heartbreaking moments with unexpected laughs keeps you emotionally whiplashed—in the best way. And let’s talk about Billy Bibbit. What a character. Vulnerable, sweet, tragic... I felt for him deeply. I didn’t even realize it was Brad Dourif until the credits rolled—wild, considering I know him from *Lord of the Rings*. In just two hours, I laughed, teared up, got angry, and even felt hope. That’s rare. A must-watch for literally anyone who likes movies that matter. 4.5 stars, easy. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars04/18/25 Full Review Frans B In awe when I first watched this. I don't think anything will ever be made like this again. so much originality in here, downright crazy and mind bending perspectives. Brilliant to really tax your senses. Probably the most mixed emotions I've ever experienced after watching any movie. Classic in my book Rated 5 out of 5 stars04/08/25 Full Review Peter V One of the greatest movies of Jack Nicholson. Was honestly thinking that I would not like this movie, but I definitely recommend it to see. What a actor that Jack Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars03/23/25 Full Review Matt C Aside from the actors’ portrayals of mental illness, including a good but not great performance from Nicholson, this movie has very little going for it. It’s extremely slow, feels aimless most of the time and despite it’s subject matter creates virtually no care factor in the viewer. Rated 2 out of 5 stars03/21/25 Full Review Frans B Way ahead if it's time. Milos Forman dared to tread where nobody ever even considered going. Nicholson truly excels here. One of those movies you will discover something new after watching it again. Real deep dive into human psyche and very "abnormal" for the time, amazing movie Rated 5 out of 5 stars03/19/25 Full Review bob c Jack nails it and the nasty nurse is really nasty. A sort of post-modern Foucault critique of institutionalised power before it became commonplace. But greatly entertaining for all that. Plenty of later famous actors playing supporting roles. Rated 4 out of 5 stars02/20/25 Full Review Read all reviews
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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Cast & Crew

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Milos Forman

Director

Jack Nicholson

Randle Patrick McMurphy

Louise Fletcher

Nurse Mildred Ratched

Brad Dourif

Billy Bibbit

William Redfield

Harding

Michael Berryman

Ellis, tall bald patient

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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

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Movie Info

SynopsisWhen Randle Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) gets transferred for evaluation from a prison farm to a mental institution, he assumes it will be a less restrictive environment. But the martinet Nurse Ratched (Louise Fletcher) runs the psychiatric ward with an iron fist, keeping her patients cowed through abuse, medication and sessions of electroconvulsive therapy. The battle of wills between the rebellious McMurphy and the inflexible Ratched soon affects all the ward's patients.
Director
Milos Forman
Producer
Michael Douglas, Saul Zaentz
Screenwriter
Lawrence Hauben, Bo Goldman
Distributor
Pioneer Entertainment, Warner Home Vídeo, Republic Pictures, United Artists
Production Co
Fantasy Films
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 19, 1975, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2016
Runtime
2h 13m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
35mm, Flat (1.85:1)
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