---
title: "Cool Hand Luke"
year: 1967
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/cool-hand-luke"
fi1m_id: "cool-hand-luke"
imdb_id: "tt0061512"
tmdb_id: 903
wikidata_id: "Q684150"
fi1m_score: 84
critics_score: 79
critics_reviews: 10
published: "2026-09-26T16:19:51.737785+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-26T16:19:52.200613+00:00"
region: "MY"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Cool Hand Luke (1967)

Directed by Stuart Rosenberg · 2h 07m · Drama, Crime

## Identity

Cool Hand Luke

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/cool-hand-luke
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** cool-hand-luke
- **IMDb ID:** tt0061512
- **TMDB ID:** 903
- **Wikidata ID:** Q684150
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061512/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/903, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q684150

**Fi1m score: 84** · Critics 79 from 10 reviews

*In a sentence:* Paul Newman makes eating eggs a better use of our evening than it sounds

> Paul Newman and George Kennedy make this prison drama funny, painful and worth its leisurely pace. Stuart Rosenberg sometimes presses the religious symbolism too hard, but the performances give us ample reason to stay.

## Synopsis

Luke Jackson (Paul Newman) is a prisoner on a chain gang, unwilling to let captivity make him obedient. Among the other men is Dragline (George Kennedy), while the Captain (Strother Martin) represents the authority Luke resists. Luke wants to preserve his independence, but he has to live under rules he does not accept and alongside men who must endure the same confinement. His defiance draws attention in a place where keeping quiet and following orders would make life considerably easier.

## Review

*Cool Hand Luke* is a prison drama worth seeing for Paul Newman, and for the way Stuart Rosenberg lets other men respond to him. Luke Jackson’s refusal to submit has a comic stubbornness that prevents the film from becoming a lecture about freedom. We recommend it warmly, despite religious symbolism that makes a point the acting has already made. Luke is more interesting when he is allowed to be difficult without being treated as holy.

Paul Newman plays Luke Jackson as someone who will not give authority the satisfaction of an earnest argument. The dry humour is appealing, but it also makes him hard to reach; we cannot always tell how much of his defiance he understands himself. That uncertainty is useful. A prison film can make its rebel so admirable that we never question his behaviour, and Paul Newman keeps enough awkwardness in the performance to avoid that trap.

George Kennedy gives Dragline enough force to prevent the film becoming a long appreciation of its leading man. He makes another prisoner’s attention matter, so that Luke’s behaviour feels watched and judged within the film, not merely offered for our approval. Stuart Rosenberg is good at letting the supporting cast complicate our liking for Luke. The men have personalities beyond their opinions of him, even when the writing starts to use him as an example.

Conrad Hall’s cinematography gives these men a convincing physical presence; we are allowed to notice weariness as well as bravado. The images make confinement feel exhausting, and they do not make Paul Newman look exempt from it. Lalo Schifrin’s music suits the changes of mood, accommodating the humour without making captivity seem cosy. Those contributions help Stuart Rosenberg keep the film watchable when the writing grows insistent about what Luke represents.

Sam O’Steen’s editing is most persuasive when the film takes its time over an apparently foolish pursuit, such as the egg-eating scene. Staying with the business gives a ridiculous act enough weight to become a test of character, without making the comedy disappear. Elsewhere, patience turns into slackness: the exposition wanders, and we occasionally wait for scenes to justify their place. At 127 minutes, the film has room for its ensemble, though we would not defend every pause.

Jo Van Fleet, playing Arletta, briefly changes the balance. We were moved by her scene with Paul Newman: her weary delivery makes his usual defiance seem suddenly beside the point. Neither performer needs to make the encounter grand for it to hurt. It also exposes the weakness of the heavier Christ imagery: Stuart Rosenberg has actors capable of suggesting suffering without underlining its importance, and the insistence on a religious parallel makes Luke a simpler man than the performances suggest.

Come for the performances, and allow the film to settle among its prisoners. It takes its time, sometimes more than it needs. Paul Newman and George Kennedy are worth giving up an evening for.

*Fi1m score 84, published 26 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Cool Hand Luke, with praise centred on Paul Newman’s understated performance as a defiant prisoner. The reviews repeatedly find humour alongside the brutality of captivity, and several admire how the film handles individual freedom without losing sight of the people involved. Newman’s sardonic manner and quiet authority draw consistent approval, while the supporting cast also earns praise, particularly George Kennedy and Jo Van Fleet.

The differences concern how firmly the film presses its themes and how efficiently it tells its story. Slant Magazine finds the Christ imagery heavy-handed and the sentiment intrusive, despite admiring the ensemble; Variety finds the film engaging but its exposition rambling. The spread runs from enthusiastic endorsement to qualified approval rather than outright rejection, with Newman remaining a point of agreement even among the more reserved notices.

## Straight answers

**Is Cool Hand Luke worth watching?**

*Cool Hand Luke* is worth watching for Paul Newman and George Kennedy’s funny, painful performances, and we score it 84 out of 100. We recommend it warmly to anyone who enjoys character-led prison dramas, with a caveat: the leisurely pacing sometimes drifts, and the religious symbolism presses harder than the acting needs.

**How long is Cool Hand Luke, and what is it rated?**

*Cool Hand Luke* runs 2h 07m. It is a drama and crime film.

**Where can I watch Cool Hand Luke in Malaysia?**

*Cool Hand Luke* is not on any streaming or rental service in Malaysia at the moment. It is available in 8 other countries; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is Cool Hand Luke, and is it suitable for children?**

*Cool Hand Luke* carries a UK 15 certificate, so it is not suitable for children under 15. We find its portrayal of confinement exhausting and emotionally painful, though humour offers some relief. The certificate is the clearest guide for suitability; we cannot give a more specific warning about violence or frightening scenes from the evidence available.

**How does Cool Hand Luke compare to A Man Escaped?**

*Cool Hand Luke* is the warmer, more performance-led choice beside [*A Man Escaped*](https://film.one/film/a-man-escaped), which makes practical preparation and prison resistance engrossing without the swagger. We favour Newman and Kennedy’s film for humour and relationships among prisoners, and Bresson’s for concentrated suspense, although its restraint keeps the other men at more of a distance.

**Is Cool Hand Luke based on a true story or a book?**

*Cool Hand Luke* is adapted from a novel by Donn Pearce. We cannot establish how faithfully it follows the book, but we recommend it as a prison drama in its own right: Newman and Kennedy’s performances give us ample reason to watch without prior reading.

**What should I watch after Cool Hand Luke?**

After *Cool Hand Luke*, try [*A Man Escaped*](https://film.one/film/a-man-escaped) (1956, Fi1m 90): For prison resistance stripped of swagger, with attention paid to every practical obstacle. Then [*One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*](https://film.one/film/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest) (1975, Fi1m 86): Another charismatic troublemaker tests an institution, while the supporting players make confinement personal; and [*The Lives of Others*](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others) (2006, Fi1m 84): For quieter defiance, and the strain of living under constant official scrutiny.

### Reviews we read (10)

- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (4/4): The page’s review content could not be accessed, so its verdict and specific praise cannot be verified. The available page provides no reliable details about what the critic singled out. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/cool-hand-luke-1967)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, John Mahoney (90/100, inferred): Mahoney praises the film as a powerful, humorous and deeply dramatic study of people in captivity. He singles out Jo Van Fleet’s brief scene with Newman as one of the film’s finest moments. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/cool-hand-luke-review-1967-movie-1206020/)
- **Radio Times**, Tony Sloman (4/5): The critic regards the film as a key American work, praising its subtle treatment of individual freedom. Paul Newman’s performance and the prologue and egg-eating scene stand out as especially memorable. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-1m956j/cool-hand-luke/)
- **Empire**, Kim Newman (78/100, inferred): Newman gives the film a strongly positive verdict, calling it both an excellent prison movie and a comic allegory of redemption. He singles out Paul Newman’s performance and the film’s memorable moments and supporting cast for praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/cool-hand-luke-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Bill Weber (3.5/5): Weber finds the film compelling but undermined by its heavy-handed Christ imagery and sentimental touches. He praises the ensemble cast and the strong, detailed 4K transfer. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/cool-hand-luke-4k-ultra-hd-blu-ray-review-paul-newman/)
- **The New York Times**, Bosley Crowther (70/100, inferred): Crowther presents the film as a forceful portrait of a man born to lose. He singles out Paul Newman’s performance as superb. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1967/11/02/archives/screen-forceful-portrait-of-a-man-born-to-losepaul-newman-superb-as.html)
- **Time Out**, TM (70/100, inferred): The review presents the film as caustically witty and speaks approvingly of Paul Newman’s sardonic performance. It singles out Newman’s portrayal of a defiant chain-gang prisoner, though the full review text is unavailable. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/cool-hand-luke)
- **Variety**, Variety Staff (65/100, inferred): The review finds the film engaging overall, though its exposition rambles and it ends on a downbeat note. It especially praises Paul Newman’s performance and the strong supporting cast. [Read](https://variety.com/1966/film/reviews/cool-hand-luke-1200421403/)
- **Paste**, Jonah Flicker (90/100, inferred): The review finds the film as fresh and vibrant decades later. It singles out Paul Newman’s understated, quietly compelling performance as the film’s anchor. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/paul-newman/cool-hand-luke-deluxe-edition)
- **Den of Geek**, Simon Brew (5 out of 5): Brew calls the film brilliant and says it retains its dramatic power, while the Blu-ray disc itself is not essential. He especially praises Paul Newman’s subtle, mesmerizing performance, with George Kennedy also singled out for an excellent supporting turn. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/cool-hand-luke-blu-ray-review/)

## Details

- **Director:** Stuart Rosenberg
- **Director:** Stuart Rosenberg
- **Screenplay:** Donn Pearce, Frank Pierson
- **Writer:** Hal Dresner
- **Novel:** Donn Pearce
- **Cinematography:** Conrad Hall
- **Editor:** Sam O'Steen
- **Music:** Lalo Schifrin
- **Costume design:** Howard Shoup
- **Producer:** Carter DeHaven Jr., Gordon Carroll
- **Cast:** Paul Newman as Luke Jackson; George Kennedy as Dragline; Luke Askew as Boss Paul; Morgan Woodward as Boss Godfrey; Harry Dean Stanton as Tramp; Dennis Hopper as Babalugats; Lou Antonio as Koko; Robert Drivas as Loudmouth Steve
- **Runtime:** 2h 07m
- **First release (Denmark):** 1 November 1967
- **Genres:** Drama, Crime
- **Budget:** $3 million
- **Box office:** $16 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxKUupk0kbY

## Where to watch in Malaysia

Not streaming, renting or buying in Malaysia at the last check.

Also available in: AR, AU, BR, CL, CO, EC, PA, PE. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1968: Best Actor (nominated); Best Original Score (nominated); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (won)

## If you liked this

- *A Man Escaped* (1956), Fi1m 90: For prison resistance stripped of swagger, with attention paid to every practical obstacle. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-man-escaped.md)
- *The Hill* (1965): Military imprisonment makes obedience a brutal business; the ensemble gives resistance its weight.
- *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* (1975), Fi1m 86: Another charismatic troublemaker tests an institution, while the supporting players make confinement personal. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest.md)
- *The Lives of Others* (2006), Fi1m 84: For quieter defiance, and the strain of living under constant official scrutiny. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others.md)
- *Hunger* (2008), Fi1m 86: A harsher examination of bodily resistance, with little comfort offered along the way. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hunger.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/cool-hand-luke