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If...

Play trailer Poster for If... R 1968 1h 51m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
90% Tomatometer 50 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Teenage rebel Mick Travis (Malcolm McDowell) returns to his upper-crust English public school, caught between the sadistic older boys known as the Whips and the first-year students, known as Scum, who are forced to do their bidding. The petty thefts and anti-social behavior of Travis and his two henchmen, Johnny (David Wood) and Wallace (Richard Warwick), soon attract the attention of both the Whips and the school's out-of-touch administration, and lead to an unexpected showdown.
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If...

If...

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Critics Consensus

Incendiary, subversive, and darkly humorous, If.... is a landmark of British countercultural cinema.

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Critics Reviews

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Pauline Kael The New Yorker Jul 6, 2022
The ways in which Anderson tries to illustrate the desire for freedom are so mechanical and carry so little conviction that I think one may conclude that the heroes are shooting because he needs to discharge his rage. Go to Full Review
Adam Nayman The Ringer Apr 6, 2020
From its title on down, If ... is a movie about the power and peril of imagination, and the seductive thrill of wishing that we might externalize our inner lives for all to see and fear. Go to Full Review
Ben Walsh Independent (UK) Mar 20, 2020
5/5
If.... remains a relevant and visceral howl at the "Establishment". Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy May 18, 2026
3.5/4
A key British film of the 1960s. Go to Full Review
Bianca Garner Filmotomy Oct 10, 2024
Despite the film being very much of its era, there is a strong sense that it exists in a world outside the constraints of time. Go to Full Review
Harvey G. Cox Tempo (National Council of Churches) Jan 6, 2021
Especially in its fantasy episodes, If... celebrates the emergence of subjectivity, feeling, expression and imagination that means so much to young people today. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Maurice S @Moonbeam57 Oct 15, 2026 I watch this film every afternoon because it is so funny. See more
thiago S @Thiagostone May 26, 2026 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more
Adam A. @AdamBaum Mar 31, 2026 Best transitional movie from boring 50's beach movies. 1968-1969 best years for movies. See more
Jay B @RT51160356 Sep 22, 2024 Kino. Must watch for any young man. See more
Harsit p @RT81557535 Aug 27, 2024 This need to be a must watch film See more
Alec B @Alec97 Feb 28, 2024 One of those movies that really sees people as they are. Most remember the brutality of the ending but few remark on its enigmatic nature. See more
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If...

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Cast & Crew

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Lindsay Anderson

Director

Malcolm McDowell

Mick Travis

David Wood

Johnny

Richard Warwick

Wallace

Robert Swann

Rowntree

Christine Noonan

The Girl

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If...

If... (1968) If... (1968) If... (1968) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Teenage rebel Mick Travis (Malcolm McDowell) returns to his upper-crust English public school, caught between the sadistic older boys known as the Whips and the first-year students, known as Scum, who are forced to do their bidding. The petty thefts and anti-social behavior of Travis and his two henchmen, Johnny (David Wood) and Wallace (Richard Warwick), soon attract the attention of both the Whips and the school's out-of-touch administration, and lead to an unexpected showdown.
Director
Lindsay Anderson
Producer
Lindsay Anderson, Michael Medwin
Screenwriter
David Sherwin, John Howlett
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Memorial Enterprises
Rating
R
Genre
Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 9, 1968, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 15, 2017
Runtime
1h 51m
Sound Mix
Stereo, Mono
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