Lumet... has a knack for landing a tight, winning premise. Fail Safe, a box office failure in its time that's been considered a classic ever since, is no exception.

| May 11, 2020

Fail Safe imagines a no-win situation backing a sturdy, dependable American president in the proverbial corner, where, in a bit of sentimental and masochistically crowd-pleasing fantasy, he manages to do the right thing.

| Apr 29, 2020

An impressive and disturbing brink-of-doom thriller.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Oct 21, 2015

It packs a melodramatic wallop that will rattle a lot of chattering teeth.

| Oct 21, 2015

It faithfully translates on the screen the power and seething drama of the Eugene Burdick-Harvey Wheeler book.

| Jun 29, 2011

Lumet sensibly avoids pyrotechnics in favour of tightening the psychological screws ...

| Jan 26, 2006

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 23, 2004