RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / On the Beach
On the Beach

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

On the Beach (1959)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
72 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:18

Fresh:13

Rotten:5

Average Rating:6.4/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 19 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: After the entire Northern Hemisphere is destroyed by a nuclear war, a group of survivors in Australia prepare for their own inevitable demise. As a deadly cloud of radiation creeps toward the... After the entire Northern Hemisphere is destroyed by a nuclear war, a group of survivors in Australia prepare for their own inevitable demise. As a deadly cloud of radiation creeps toward the continent, some survivors cling to hopes that life as they know it has continued somewhere, hopes that are fed by the discovery of a mysterious, erratic radio signal emanating from San Diego. Others, such as Astaire's sardonic, race-car driving physicist and Gardner's world-weary, tippling party girl, throw their energies into squeezing the last drops from their lives. A grim, unflinching clarion call for sanity that inches along at a maddeningly deliberate and suspenseful pace. Based on the novel by Nevil Shute. Academy Award Nominations: 2, Best Editing (Frederic Knudtson) and Best Score (Ernest Gold). [More]

Starring: Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins

Starring: Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire, Anthony Perkins, Donna Anderson, John Tate, Lola Brooks, John Meillon, Lou Vernon, Ken Wayne, Richard Meikle, Harp McGuire, Jim Barrett, Basil Buller Murphy, Keith Eden, Guy Doleman, Grant Taylor, John Royle, Frank Gatliff

Director: Stanley Kramer

Director: Stanley Kramer
Screenwriter: John Paxton, Jim Barrett
Producer: Stanley Kramer
Composer: Ernest Gold

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Feb 29, 2000

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for On the Beach

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 19 (sorted by rotten rating)
Text View
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/09
Variety

A wasted opportunity.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
11/07/07
Channel 4 Film

A tiresome, talky 1959 film.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
11/07/07
Dave Kehr
Dave Kehr
Chicago Reader
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Gloomy doomsday film that is more talky, melodramatic and numbing than imaginative.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
03/06/08
Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Fine photography, but the script is a typically numbing affair, and the cast, aside from Peck and Meillon, seem totally out of their depth.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Geoff Andrew
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

No review available.

comment Comment
01/19/07
Jake Euker
Jake Euker
F5 (Wichita, KS)

A powerful, well-acted, deftly photographed film.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
11/07/07
TV Guide's Movie Guide

The great merit of this picture, aside from its entertaining qualities, is the fact that it carries a passionate conviction that man is worth saving, after all.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Bosley Crowther
Bosley Crowther
New York Times

One of the most powerful anti-war films ever made.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
01/01/00
Brian Webster
Brian Webster
Apollo Guide

No review available.

comment Comment
09/05/03
Carol Cling
Carol Cling
Las Vegas Review-Journal

While heartbreaking and touching, it's hard to imagine that riots aren't rampant and that martial law isn't required, but hey, it's a movie, and quite a good -- if overlong -- one, at that.

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
01/26/06
Christopher Null
Christopher Null
Filmcritic.com

Kramer's apocalyptic drama is too verbose, replete with "message" speeches, but the text is intelligent, reflecting the Cold War mentality, and well-acted by Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner, Fred Astaire (in his first nonmusical role) and Anthony Perkins.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
08/07/05
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com

Downbeat, depressing.

Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
01/01/00
James O'Ehley
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page

Typically overlong Kramer film, but still with some power.

comment Comment
09/04/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

O cenário apocalíptico continua assustador, mas o tom inadequadamente leve de algumas cenas e a péssima trilha sonora (indicada ao Oscar!) comprometem o resultado final.

comment Comment
01/13/04
Pablo Villaca
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

No review available.

comment Comment
08/30/05
Robert Roten
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope

No review available.

comment Comment
10/08/04
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

As scary a horror film as any you will find.

comment Comment
03/31/05
Rory L. Aronsky
Rory L. Aronsky
Film Threat

A nuclear war what-if starring some heavy hitters.

comment Comment
10/16/04
Steve Crum
Steve Crum
Kansas City Kansan
 
 
1 - 19 (sorted by rotten rating)
Text View
See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
66% 66% Public Enemies
83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…
75% 75% Julie & Julia
32% 32% Terminator Salvation

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
88% 88% Inglourious Basterds
78% 78% The Hangover
49% 49% Taking Woodstock
26% 26% The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard
47% 47% The Girl From Monaco

More New Releases…

See All

RT On Current TV

The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

Learn how you can be part of the show

More...

What’s Hot On RT

James Cameron

James Cameron

We look at the Avatar director's career

Alice in Wonderland

Alice in Wonderland

Check out the brand new trailer now!

Golden Globes

Golden Globes

Up in the Air leads with 6 noms!

Nominee Gallery

Nominee Gallery

See who got nominated for Golden Globes!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Trailer Bulletin: Alice in Wonderland Source: Apple
2
  • How Avatar Happened: The Path to Innovation Source: CinemaBlend.com
15
  • Rob Marshall Says Pirates 4 Is Still a Maybe Source: ComingSoon.net
24
  • ET Teases Iron Man 2 Teaser Source: Collider.com
28
  • Tobey Maguire Refutes Hobbit Rumors Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
  • Prince of Persia Featurette Posted Source: Yahoo! Movies
4
  • Trailer Bulletin: Robin Hood Source: ComingSoon.net
61
  • Mel Gibson Plans a Mexican Vacation Source: Variety
8
  • New Iron Man 2 Clue Posted Source: Screen Rant
26
  • Gibson and DiCaprio are Going Norse Source: HitFix
78
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Avatar Live Up To The Hype?
236
  • Awards Tour 2009: Golden Globe Noms Here!
140
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Girlpower Rules Again with Princess at #1
70
  • Awards Tour 2009: Inglourious Basterds Lead Critics Choice Noms
43
  • Awards Tour 2009: Avatar Best Picture at NYFCO!
38
  • Weekly Ketchup: James Cameron Plans a Fantastic Voyage
33
  • The Effects of Where the Wild Things Are
30
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Critics Consensus: Princess, Invictus Are Certified Fresh
21
  • Friday Harvest: Iron Man 2, Tron Legacy, and more!
20
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
23
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • On the Beach at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
MSN's Year in Review
MSN's Year in Review External Link

Take a look at MSN's choices for the Top 10 films of 2009.

40 Best Films of the 2000s
40 Best Films of the 2000s External Link

Last week, Moviefone offered us their worst films of the 2000s. Now see their 40 best!

Tarantino's Characters
Tarantino's Characters External Link

Hollywood.com explores why QT's characters resonate so well with audiences.

10 Questions For Zac Efron
10 Questions For Zac Efron External Link

The Me and Orson Welles star answers reader questions on TIME.com.

Top 20 of the Decade
Top 20 of the Decade External Link

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.