Movie · 1968 · Crime, Romance · 1h 42m · PG · English
Curator score: 4.2/10 (31.9K ratings)
McQueen and Dunaway... partners in crime.
Overview
A debonair, adventuresome bank executive believes that he has pulled off the perfect multi-million dollar heist--until he must match wits with an insurance investigator who will do anything to get her man.
Ratings
Curator score: 4.2/10
IMDb: 6.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Metacritic: 66
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
Norman Jewison
Production
The Mirisch Company, Norman Jewison Productions
Cast
Steve McQueen, Faye Dunaway, Paul Burke, Jack Weston, Biff McGuire, Addison Powell, Astrid Heeren, Gordon Pinsent, Yaphet Kotto, Sidney Armus, Richard Bull, Peg Shirley, Patrick Horgan, Carol Corbett, Tom Rosqui, Michael Shillo, Nora Marlowe, Sam Melville, Ted Gehring, Paul Verdier
Where to watch
fuboTV, MGM Plus, Philo
Curator Review
Verdict
A sleek, late-60s caper-romance that lives on style, charisma, and playful cat-and-mouse tension. The plotting is lighter than the visual invention, but the split-screen editing, chess flirtation, and star chemistry make it an easy recommendation for viewers who enjoy cool, polished crime films with a seductive edge.
Best for
fans of stylish caper movies
viewers who like crime stories with romantic tension
people interested in late-1960s visual experimentation
fans of charismatic star-driven cinema
Skip if
you want a tightly plotted thriller
you dislike dated gender dynamics
you need a high-stakes heist movie with constant momentum
you prefer grounded realism over glossy style
Overview
The Thomas Crown Affair is less interested in the mechanics of the heist than in the pleasure of watching two beautiful, intelligent people circle each other. That choice gives the film a breezy, almost decadent confidence, and it’s the reason the movie still feels distinctive. The split screens, the fashion, and the coolly detached attitude all work together to make the film feel like a time capsule of late-60s sophistication.
Worth noting
Its biggest asset is the star power. McQueen projects effortless control, while Dunaway gives the investigation a sharp, teasing charge that keeps the movie from becoming pure vanity. Their scenes together are the real engine here, even when the script is more interested in mood than in depth.
Bottom line
Not everything lands equally well. The film can feel thin once the novelty of the style settles in, and some viewers will find the romance underwritten or the character dynamics dated. But as a chic, playful crime picture with a strong visual identity, it remains an easy watch and a memorable one.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Steven Sheehan (3★) · 386 likes
The opening twenty minutes of the film seem to promise a stylish, smartly constructed thriller, filled with suavely dressed guys in suits slickly out manoeuvring the law. Of course Steve McQueen is the smoothest looking of them all, the playboy ring leader who plans it all from his ivory tower and sits back to count the cool $2.5m once it is time to collect.
McQueen is cast as the perfect little Action Man figure, beautifully photographed and dressed in the… more
Ethan Colburn (3★) · 289 likes
Stylish, but I found myself wondering most of the time “why am I here?”
I love the cinematography, and the collages of shots, especially during the heist scene. It felt like it was pushing the envelope in terms of style, especially for the late 60s. As the movie when went on however, I didn’t get any more fun than that opening scene. I liked Steve McQueen’s character, but ultimately didn’t know what Faye Dunaway was doing there and didn’t buy there chemistry.
A lot to like, I wish I connected to this one a bit more.
Matthew Noble (4★) · 240 likes
"It's my funeral. You're just along for the ride."
Attractive people,in fashionable clothing,doing very cool things,in a very stylish way.
Also: split screens and chess flirting. C'mon.
demi adejuyigbe · 198 likes
Stylish, but silly! Love the square blocks and the way it paces the movie, but it feels like things take a real hit when Vicki is introduced (which I don’t fault fo Faye Dunaway as much as I do to them just using her to bolster Steve McQueen’s character and not doing anything interesting with her.) My ex made me watch the remake years ago and I had fun with it, but I can’t remember much of it. Wonder if I’ll still enjoy it now. Guess I will see in like three minutes when I watch it!
Dale Ranger (3.5★) · 165 likes
The most seductive game of chess ever!
This is a classic, catch me if you can thriller.Steve McQueen emboding his usual heavy levels of charisma and charm. Faye Dunaway hot of the success of Bonnie and Clyde, she’s a perfect match for McQueen in this.Yaphet Kotto is in this for a short while too, he’s always
The cat and mouse in this film is so much fun and it’s really fast paced. I love the individual split screens,… more
1963 · Comedy, Mystery, Romance · 1h 53m · NR · Curator 8.5/10 (289K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Philo, Pure Flix, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Bloodstream
A glossy, witty blend of suspense and romance with a similarly elegant tone and playful chemistry.