--- title: "The Day of the Jackal: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-day-of-the-jackal/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/the-day-of-the-jackal" critics_score: 69 critics_reviews: 7 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." --- # The Day of the Jackal (1973): what the critics said Critics' score 69 from 7 reviews: 5 positive, 1 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics regard The Day of the Jackal as a successful procedural thriller, with praise centred on Fred Zinnemann’s patient direction and Edward Fox’s controlled performance as the assassin. The reviews repeatedly note the attention to planning, investigation and practical detail, which gives the pursuit its steady momentum. Fox’s coldness is a particular strength for several critics, while the methodical pacing and documentary-like approach draw much of the admiration. The spread is wide, however, ranging from strong enthusiasm to doubts about whether the premise can sustain suspense. Historical foreknowledge is a recurring concern, though several critics find the film absorbing despite it. Some describe its appeal as more intellectual than emotional. Time Out offers the clearest dissent, questioning its documentary conviction and political depth while acknowledging some tension in the contrast between the assassin’s adaptability and the security services’ bureaucracy. ## Radio Times — David Parkinson Rating 5/5. A magnificent script and masterly central performance from Edward Fox underpin this compelling adaptation, but it is Zinnemann's matchless direction that elevates it into an object lesson in suspense. The superb pacing methodically builds detail across Europe with atmospheric precision and an outstanding supporting cast. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-yccm7s/the-day-of-the-jackal/) ## Empire — Ian Nathan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 1 January 2000. The film is an outstanding procedural thriller built with Swiss-watch precision around the cold planning of Edward Fox’s charismatic assassin and the diligent investigation opposing him. Zinnemann roots the audience for the Jackal while exposing the moral ambiguities and the documentary-like realism of its execution. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/day-jackal-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Jake Cole Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 1 October 2018. The critic calls it a foundational text for modern thrillers whose precise, process-driven style prefigures films by Michael Mann and David Fincher. Edward Fox’s dead-eyed, emotionless portrayal of the assassin is singled out as influential, replacing political rage with nihilism. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/dvd/the-day-of-the-jackal/) ## The New York Times — Vincent Canby Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 17 May 1973. Zinnemann's thoroughly competent film version is cool, sober and geographically stunning, playing the material straight where Hitchcock might have made it funny. The suspense depends on wondering how the assassin will fail, given historical foreknowledge. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/1973/05/17/archives/screenday-of-jackal-fox-cast-as-assassin-in-zinnemann-drama.html) ## Variety — Variety Staff Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 31 December 1972. The film is a patient, studied and quasi-documentary translation of the novel that appeals more to the intellect than the senses. It succeeds in maintaining interest and suspense despite foreknowledge of the outcome, with strong work from Edward Fox as the meticulous assassin. [Read the review](https://variety.com/1972/film/reviews/the-day-of-the-jackal-1200422943/) ## The New Yorker — Penelope Gilliatt Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 1973. The review pairs the film with another release in a Current Cinema column. It covers Zinnemann's adaptation starring Edward Fox as the assassin. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1973/06/02/noah-and-nora) ## Time Out — PT Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 10 September 2012. The adaptation is inherently suspenseless given historical knowledge of de Gaulle's survival, but builds some tension through the contrast between the cold, chameleonic assassin and the bureaucratic French security efforts. It lacks documentary conviction and political depth but offers an intriguing exercise in procedural concealment. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-day-of-the-jackal) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/the-day-of-the-jackal.md