One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
In this clean, orderly, disciplined world, who needs guys like McMurphy? Everybody.
A petty criminal fakes insanity to serve his sentence in a mental ward rather than prison. He soon finds himself as a leader to the other patients—and an enemy to the cruel, domineering nurse who runs the ward.
| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 19 November 1975 |
| Genre | Drama |
| Director | Miloš Forman |
| Starring | Jack Nicholson, Brad Dourif and Louise Fletcher |
| Runtime | 135 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 9.1/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 93% · Metacritic 84/100 · IMDb 8.6/10 · Letterboxd 4.4/5 · TMDB users 8.4/10 |
| Budget | $3 million |
| Box office | $109 million worldwide |
Where to watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
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Rent or buy
You can rent or buy One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
Where to watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in 2 other countries
| Country | Streaming on (price a month) |
|---|---|
| Belgium | NRK |
| Spain | Filmin |
Subscription, free and ad-supported services we track; prices where Binge Boss has a price list for the country. All countries as data.
What kind of watch this is
Miloš Forman’s 1975 drama runs 135 minutes and finds its hook in the tension between order and chaos. Jack Nicholson plays a man who chooses a psychiatric ward over prison, only to become the spark that ignites the other patients against the staff in charge. Louise Fletcher anchors the other side of that conflict, projecting a calm that feels less like care and more like control. The film is quiet in its staging but loud in its intent. It is a study in how institutional rules suppress individuality, and what happens when one person refuses to stop speaking. It is not a gentle watch.
What the critics said
Critics largely agreed the film hit hard. Rotten Tomatoes reports a 93% Tomatometer score as of January 2026. Metacritic sits at 84, a solidly favorable mark. The consensus highlights Nicholson and Fletcher as worthy adversaries under Forman’s direction. Not everyone bought the ending, though. Roger Ebert admitted a "temptation to forgive" the film when it "goes wrong" by forcing larger points than the story carries. Vincent Canby found the tragic conclusion "too schematic to be honestly moving." The praise rests on the acting and the director’s grounded approach, even when the metaphors feel programmed.
How it did with audiences
It cost $3 million and took in $109 million worldwide, a ratio that makes the accounting department smile while the rest of us just watch. On TMDB, users rate it 8.4 out of 10. IMDb lists an 8.6/10 score as of February 2026. The math is simple: high return, low risk, high impact.
Awards
It won 8 awards from 9 nominations. The Academy gave it Best Picture to Saul Zaentz, Best Director to Miloš Forman, and Best Actress to Louise Fletcher. Jack Nicholson took Best Actor, while Lawrence Hauben won for the adapted screenplay. It also picked up BAFTAs for Best Film and Best Actor. A clean sweep, assuming you count the one nomination it didn't win.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.
Read more: The Green Mile
Sources
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q171669 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (film)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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