---
title: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
year: 1975
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest"
fi1m_id: "one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest"
imdb_id: "tt0073486"
tmdb_id: 510
wikidata_id: "Q171669"
fi1m_score: 86
critics_score: 83
critics_reviews: 13
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:32.391733+00:00"
region: "US"
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."
---

# One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

Directed by Miloš Forman · 2h 15m · MPA R · Drama

## Identity

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest
- **IMDb ID:** tt0073486
- **TMDB ID:** 510
- **Wikidata ID:** Q171669
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073486/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/510, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q171669

**Fi1m score: 86** · Critics 83 from 13 reviews

*In a sentence:* Few things are more frightening than Give Fletcher sounding perfectly reasonable

> Jack Nicholson and Give Fletcher make Miloš Forman’s drama funny, frightening and worth an evening. Its account of mental illness is too simple, but the performances keep the men on the ward from becoming merely a cause.

## Synopsis

Randle Patrick McMurphy (Jack Nicholson) challenges the authority of Nurse Mildred Ratched (Give Fletcher) on a psychiatric ward. His rebelliousness disrupts an institution built around order and discipline, drawing the other patients into the conflict. Among them are Billy Bibbit (Brad Dourif), Dale Harding (William Redfield), Martini (Danny DeVito) and Chief Bromden (Will Sampson). Ratched is responsible for keeping control, while McMurphy resists her attempts to impose it. Miloš Forman directs this adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel, with a screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman, about people living under rules they have little power to change.

## Review

*One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest* is an excellent drama whose account of mental illness needs questioning. Miloš Forman makes the contest between Randle Patrick McMurphy and Nurse Mildred Ratched absorbing enough that we can almost miss how heavily the film favours one side. Much of that is down to Give Fletcher, whose nurse deserves equal billing in any discussion of Jack Nicholson’s rebellious patient. At 135 minutes, it earns its length through the attention it gives the people around them.

Nicholson makes McMurphy’s enjoyment of his own bad behaviour contagious, without quite asking us to mistake him for a considerate man. There is vanity in the performance, and impatience with anybody who cannot keep up. Both are useful: they stop the charm from making every act of defiance automatically admirable. The screenplay by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman, adapted from Ken Kesey’s novel, gives Nicholson the stronger invitation to win us over, but his roughness keeps the role interesting.

Fletcher frightened us more than we expected. Her calm makes Ratched’s control of the ward seem so settled that an objection can look like bad behaviour before anyone has considered it. She never needs to compete with Nicholson for our attention. We keep watching because she makes certainty itself unpleasant, and because she seems so unlikely to reconsider. The performance is especially effective when we resist treating Ratched as an explanation for everything wrong with the institution.

The supporting cast prevents the ward from becoming merely an audience for Nicholson. Brad Dourif makes Billy Bibbit’s vulnerability difficult to laugh off, even when the film encourages laughter. William Redfield’s Dale Harding brings a prickly intelligence to the group, and Will Sampson gives Chief Bromden weight without competing for attention. Forman’s strongest work lies in keeping these men worth watching when McMurphy commands our attention.

Haskell Wexler’s cinematography makes sharing space with the other patients feel inescapable. Paul Sylbert’s production design makes the ward’s cleanliness and order feel oppressive, a useful setting for a struggle over who gets to decide what is reasonable. Editors Lynzee Klingman and Sheldon Kahn allow the humour time to develop without making the men’s discomfort seem incidental. Jack Nitzsche’s score is unsettling enough to discourage a comfortable evening of cheering McMurphy on. Together, their work helps Forman keep an institutional drama close to the awkwardness of being among other people.

The reservation is substantial: the film is much more persuasive about bullying than it is about psychiatric care. It can make illness seem like a condition improved chiefly by the arrival of a sufficiently unruly man, which is a poor basis for understanding these patients. There is also something too convenient about putting a woman in charge of suppressing all this male energy. Fletcher gives Ratched enough conviction to complicate that view, but the script does not always make the same effort.

For a drama of institutional rebellion, it is unusually rewarding to watch the person enforcing the rules. We would still recommend it to anyone willing to question the hero they are enjoying. Give Fletcher as much attention as Nicholson, and do not take the film’s confidence about psychiatric care on trust.

*Fi1m score 86, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics rate it highly, and the praise clusters almost entirely around Jack Nicholson’s McMurphy, described across the reviews as charismatic, electric and among the strongest work of his career. Forman’s direction, the casting and the feel of the ward come next, and Louise Fletcher’s Nurse Ratched is repeatedly picked out as frighteningly convincing. Several reviews note the shape of the film: a loose, funny first half that slides into tragedy.

The reservations come from two directions. Writing at the time, Pauline Kael in The New Yorker finds it effective pop mythology rather than great art, and Roger Ebert thinks it weakens whenever it reaches for symbolism over character observation. More recent critics, Time Out and The Playlist among them, complain of a simplistic picture of mental illness, a streak of misogyny and a final triumph that rings hollow. The spread is narrow; nobody dismisses it, but the dissenters are not fringe voices.

## Straight answers

**Is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest worth watching?**

*One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* is worth watching, and we scored it 86: an excellent drama in which Jack Nicholson's rebellious patient and Fletcher's calm, frightening nurse make a psychiatric ward absorbing for 135 minutes. It suits anyone willing to question the hero they are enjoying, because its account of mental illness is too simple to take on trust.

**How long is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and what is it rated?**

*One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* runs 2h 15m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in the US?**

*One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* is not on any streaming or rental service in the US at the moment. It is available in 1 other country; change your country at the top of the page to see where. Availability is checked daily.

**How violent or frightening is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and is it suitable for children?**

*One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* carries a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children; what unsettles is not gore but Fletcher's perfectly reasonable nurse and the discomfort of the men under her control. The fear is quiet and institutional rather than violent, so older teenagers used to serious drama should cope, though anyone squeamish about cruelty may find it hard going.

**How does One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest compare to An Angel at My Table?**

*One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* is the funnier and more confrontational of the two, while [*An Angel at My Table*](https://film.one/film/an-angel-at-my-table) is the more searching account of mental illness, with room for ordinary life. Forman's film is a contest between a rebel and a nurse; Jane Campion's is patient and moving and lets Janet Frame remain difficult. Choose Forman for an absorbing evening, Campion if you want the illness taken seriously.

**Is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest based on a true story or a book?**

*One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest* is based on Ken Kesey's novel, not on a true story, adapted for the screen by Lawrence Hauben and Bo Goldman. How closely it follows the book is not something we judge here, and knowing the novel is not needed; the film stands on the performances of Nicholson and Fletcher and can be watched cold.

**What should I watch after One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest?**

After *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*, try [*Cool Hand Luke*](https://film.one/film/cool-hand-luke) (1967, Fi1m 84): Another unruly man tests an institution with patience and punishments to spare. Then [*An Angel at My Table*](https://film.one/film/an-angel-at-my-table) (1990, Fi1m 87): A more searching account of mental illness, with room for ordinary life; and [*The Lives of Others*](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others) (2006, Fi1m 84): For another struggle with institutional power, watched closely from the enforcer’s side.

### Reviews we read (13)

- **Little White Lies**, Sophie Wyatt (5/5/5): The critic calls it a great tragicomic classic whose story descends from comedy into tragedy. Nicholson’s charismatic turn as McMurphy is singled out as unsurpassable. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest)
- **Radio Times**, Tom Hutchinson (5/5): The critic hails the film as a 1970s classic propelled by Forman’s direction to a poignant finale. Nicholson’s rebellious McMurphy is singled out as one of his greatest roles. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-p2ihrc/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest/)
- **The Times**, Kate Muir (★★★★★): Jack Nicholson’s raw, electric, charismatic performance as McMurphy remains thrilling after more than 40 years, with the film’s setting in a mental hospital retaining a timeless quality. The exuberant first half gives way to tragedy in the second, and the story carries wider implications about conformity and revolution. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/article/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest-1975-hxm96swhw)
- **Empire**, Colin Kennedy (90/100, inferred): The film is an unlikely and inspiring triumph and a masterpiece of dramatic naturalism. It singles out Jack Nicholson's electrifying performance as the live-wire misfit McMurphy for particular praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/one-flew-cuckoo-nest-review/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Glenn Heath Jr. (90/100, inferred): The review praises the film's depiction of the conflict between conformity and individuality through strong Method performances and fluid camerawork. It highlights the new 4K transfer as definitive while noting some missing extras on the disc. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest-4k-uhd-blu-ray-review-milos-forman/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Arthur Knight (90/100, inferred): The critic praises Jack Nicholson's tough, resilient, multi-layered performance as McMurphy and Milos Forman's assured direction, inspired casting, and sense of milieu. Louise Fletcher's Nurse Ratched is highlighted as a frighteningly real creation. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/one-flew-cuckoos-nest-review-1975-movie-1162586/)
- **The New York Times**, Vincent Canby (90/100, inferred): The film is a humane, loose-limbed comedy with fine performances that bring it to explosive life. It avoids sentimental nonsense about mental institutions while presenting an unsentimental view of disconnected minds. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1975/11/23/archives/film-view-cuckoos-nest-a-sane-comedy-about-psychotics-film-view.html)
- **Variety**, A.D. Murphy (90/100, inferred): The film is brilliant cinema theatre with an outstanding characterization by Jack Nicholson and equally meritorious direction by Milos Forman. Louise Fletcher is excellent as the arch-nemesis ward nurse. [Read](https://variety.com/1975/film/reviews/one-flew-over-the-cuckoo-s-nest-2-1200423518/)
- **The Guardian** (70/100, inferred): The critic praises the film's ability to bring a challenging subject to a wide audience through strong performances, particularly Jack Nicholson's riveting McMurphy and Louise Fletcher's icy Nurse Ratched, while noting it makes powerful points about authority and heroism despite some compromises from the book. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/26/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest-reviewed-1976)
- **The New Yorker**, Pauline Kael (70/100, inferred): It is a powerful, effective movie that stirs emotions and works as pop mythology, though not great art. Forman loosens the novel's schematic elements for a more realistic, ambiguous take on the patients and Nurse Ratched, with strong acting from Nicholson and Fletcher. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1975/12/01/the-bull-goose-loony)
- **Time Out**, Tom Huddleston (3/5): The critic finds the multi-Oscar winner has not aged well despite strong performances. Its simplistic view of mental illness and streak of misogyny are singled out for complaint. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (50/100, inferred): The film is strong in parts but weakens when it pushes larger symbolic points over character observation. It excels in realistic moments of patient interactions and McMurphy's rebellious energy, especially via Nicholson's performance. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest-1975)
- **The Playlist**, Jason Bailey (75/100, inferred): The critic calls the film an excellent, well-acted and precisely crafted work that is emotionally involving, but notes it feels lodged in its 1970s moment of counterculture struggle against authority. They single out Jack Nicholson's quintessential performance and the charged central conflict with Nurse Ratched for praise, while observing a misogynist tinge and that the final triumph rings hollow. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest-45th-anniversary-20201120/)

## Details

- **Director:** Miloš Forman
- **Director:** Miloš Forman
- **Screenplay:** Bo Goldman, Lawrence Hauben
- **Novel:** Ken Kesey
- **Cinematography:** Haskell Wexler
- **Editor:** Sheldon Kahn, Lynzee Klingman
- **Music:** Jack Nitzsche
- **Production design:** Paul Sylbert
- **Costume design:** Aggie Guerard Rodgers
- **Producer:** Michael Douglas, Saul Zaentz
- **Cast:** Jack Nicholson as Randle Patrick McMurphy; Brad Dourif as Billy Bibbit; Louise Fletcher as Nurse Mildred Ratched; Danny DeVito as Martini; William Redfield as Dale Harding; Scatman Crothers as Orderly Turkle; Christopher Lloyd as Max Taber; Will Sampson as Chief Bromden
- **Runtime:** 2h 15m
- **Certificate (MPA):** R
- **Release (the US):** 19 November 1975
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Also in:** [Best Picture winners](https://film.one/collections/oscar-best-picture.md) (Winner, 1975); [BAFTA Best Film winners](https://film.one/collections/bafta-best-film.md) (Winner, 1976); [Golden Globe Best Drama winners](https://film.one/collections/golden-globe-drama.md) (Winner, 1975)
- **Budget:** $3 million
- **Box office:** $109 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4da9uRIg8c

## Where to watch in the US

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

Also available in: JP. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Academy Awards 1976: Best Cinematography (nominated); Best Film Editing (nominated); Best Original Dramatic Score (nominated); Best Supporting Actor (nominated); Best Actor (won); Best Actress (won); Best Director (won); Best Picture (won); Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay (won)
- BAFTA Film Awards 1976: Best Actor in a Leading Role (won); Best Film (won)

## If you liked this

- *Cool Hand Luke* (1967), Fi1m 84: Another unruly man tests an institution with patience and punishments to spare — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/cool-hand-luke.md)
- *The Firemen's Ball* (1967): Forman finds more comedy in rules, petty authority and people behaving badly
- *An Angel at My Table* (1990), Fi1m 87: A more searching account of mental illness, with room for ordinary life — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/an-angel-at-my-table.md)
- *The Lives of Others* (2006), Fi1m 84: For another struggle with institutional power, watched closely from the enforcer’s side — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-lives-of-others.md)
- *Short Term 12* (2013), Fi1m 86: A care institution seen through staff who have troubles of their own — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/short-term-12.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/one-flew-over-the-cuckoos-nest