A Clockwork Orange
Alex DeLarge and his droogs barbarize a decaying near-future.
Directed by Stanley Kubrick · Crime · Sci-Fi · 136 min · 1972
Trailer
Director
Stanley Kubrick
Studio
Polaris Productions / Hawk Films
Release
02 Feb 1972
Runtime
136 min
Genres
Crime, Sci-Fi
Full Plot
Protagonist Alex DeLarge is an "ultraviolent" youth in futuristic Britain. As with all luck, his eventually runs out and he's arrested and convicted of murder. While in prison, Alex learns of an experimental program in which convicts are programmed to detest violence. If he goes through the program, his sentence will be reduced and he will be back on the streets sooner than expected. But Alex's ordeals are far from over once he hits the streets of Britain..
Cast & Characters
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $2.2M, A Clockwork Orange has grossed $27.0M worldwide — about 12.3x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Stanley Kubrick has directed 7 films in our catalog, including The Shining, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Anthony Burgess sold the film rights shortly after its publication in 1962.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Originally, the film was projected to star the Rolling Stones with Mick Jagger as Alex.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
The rights ultimately fell to Kubrick due to problems with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Kubrick chose Malcolm McDowell for the role of Alex after seeing him in another film.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
A Clockwork Orange holds 8.2/10 on IMDb (930,482 votes), 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 77/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 3, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.2/10 on IMDb (930,482 votes), 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 77/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is A Clockwork Orange's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
A Clockwork Orange holds a 86% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is A Clockwork Orange's IMDb rating?+
A Clockwork Orange has a 8.2/10 rating on IMDb from 930,482 votes.
What is A Clockwork Orange's Metacritic score?+
A Clockwork Orange has a Metascore of 77/100 on Metacritic.
Is A Clockwork Orange good? What are critics saying?+
A Clockwork Orange holds 8.2/10 on IMDb (930,482 votes), 86% on Rotten Tomatoes, 77/100 on Metacritic.
How long is A Clockwork Orange?+
A Clockwork Orange has a runtime of 136 min.
Who directed A Clockwork Orange?+
A Clockwork Orange was directed by Stanley Kubrick.
Where can I watch A Clockwork Orange?+
A Clockwork Orange is available to stream, rent, or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Sky Go, Now TV Cinema, Rakuten TV, Sky Store.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The reaction to "A Clockwork Orange" has been mixed, with some praising its innovative direction and performance from Malcolm McDowell, while others have criticized it for glorifying violence and offering a "terrifying appraisal of the effects of unfettered government and science". Reviewers also note that the film's message about violence, free will, and state control feels muddled rather than meaningful.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
As time goes by, I'll always appreciate my Grade 10 English class (1984-85), taught by Mr. Terry. Looking back, it's probably the year that I was introduced to the most great literary works of all my life (especially 'Anthem' by Ayn Rand and 'Nausea' by Jean-Paul Sartre). Include…
talisencrw · 10/10Some great visuals and direction not to mention an incredible performance from Malcolm McDowell, I wasn't totally into this, the first half especially was taxing to get through to the point I stopped watching and only finished a couple days later. The rest was good and found myse…
JPV852 · 7/10With this film, a world heritage of cinema, Stanley Kubrick has reached a level of artistic mastery that would make Michelangelo pale in comparison. To make a film an art form, it must have the innovation of a Chaplin or Jean-Luc Godard. Furthermore, for a film to be a masterpiec…
This is a truly challenging film that routinely glorifies violence - especially towards women, and offers us a terrifying appraisal of the effects of unfettered government and science working in cahoots with each other. Fifty years on from it's groundbreaking release, it's great…
CinemaSerf · 7/10The film is based on Anthony Burgess‘ novel about young Alex Delarge and his droogs who go around tolchocking people and partaking of the ultraviolence and the old in-out-in-out. Yes, the language is a futuristic mix of Russian, slang and made-up words that Burgess employed so th…
*A Clockwork Orange* was garbage to me: a smug, ugly film that mistakes shock value for depth. It spends so much time glamorizing Alex’s cruelty that its supposed message about violence, free will, and state control feels muddled rather than meaningful. Yes, the movie is visually…
specimenb · 2/10
From the trailer's comments
Heath Ledger took a lot of inspiration from this movie for his Joker.
@HBarnill · 3892 likesA classic but yet disturbing at the same time! A true classic!
@michaelbolcato192 · 4072 likesI don't care if this movie didn't win any Oscars, it's still a masterpiece.
@estebandominguez141 · 5932 likesMalcolm Mcdowell is so wonderful, after seeing this movie I saw the others that he had and can do from a villain to a completely innocent character
@ailyndanaemoyabrizuela2877 · 1524 likesI can only imagine Leon Vitali watching the movie millionth time to make sure the colors are right. Props to him.
@filmffanatic · 600 likesI love how Warner Bros and Leon Vitali are restoring ALL of Kubrick’s films in proper working order. Shining, 2001, Fullmetal Jacket, Clockwork, and the non-WB films like Spartacus & Dr. Strangelove. Barry Lyndon is a must!
@markgarcia8253 · 540 likesHumor in this film is so unique and makes it more and more watchable.
@ErelfBow · 261 likes1:30 Scream always gets me! 😂
@AidantheFinalFantasyStan · 99 likes
