The Third Man
Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.
Directed by Carol Reed · Drama · Film-Noir · Mystery · 104 min · 1950
Trailer
Director
Carol Reed
Studio
London Films
Release
01 Feb 1950
Runtime
104 min
Genres
Drama, Film-Noir, Mystery
Full Plot
An out of work pulp fiction novelist, Holly Martins, arrives in a post war Vienna divided into sectors by the victorious allies, and where a shortage of supplies has led to a flourishing black market. He arrives at the invitation of an ex-school friend, Harry Lime, who has offered him a job, only to discover that Lime has recently died in a peculiar traffic accident. From talking to Lime's friends and associates Martins soon notices that some of the stories are inconsistent, and determines to discover what really happened to Harry Lime.
Cast & Characters
Harry Lime
Orson Welles
Holly Martins
Joseph Cotten
Alida Valli
'Valli')}} as Anna Schmidt
Alida Valli {{small|(credited
Major Calloway
Trevor Howard
Karl, Lime's porter
Paul Hörbiger
"Baron" Kurtz
Ernst Deutsch
Dr Winkel
Erich Ponto
Popescu
Siegfried Breuer
Anna's landlady
Hedwig Bleibtreu
Sergeant Paine
Bernard Lee
Did You Know?
Did You Know that Graham Greene wrote a novella as a film treatment before writing the screenplay for The Third Man?
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Did You Know that Elizabeth Montagu introduced Orson Welles to Peter Smolka, a central European correspondent for The Times, who gave Welles stories about the black market in Vienna?
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Did You Know that Carol Reed and Graham Greene had a major dispute over the ending of the film, with Reed ultimately winning out?
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Did You Know that Orson Welles' contribution to the film's dialogue is still widely regarded as some of its best-known lines?
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
The Third Man holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (193,556 votes), 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, 97/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 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 (8.1/10 on IMDb (193,556 votes), 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, 97/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is The Third Man's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
The Third Man holds a 99% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is The Third Man's IMDb rating?+
The Third Man has a 8.1/10 rating on IMDb from 193,556 votes.
What is The Third Man's Metacritic score?+
The Third Man has a Metascore of 97/100 on Metacritic.
Is The Third Man good? What are critics saying?+
The Third Man holds 8.1/10 on IMDb (193,556 votes), 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, 97/100 on Metacritic.
How long is The Third Man?+
The Third Man has a runtime of 104 min.
Who directed The Third Man?+
The Third Man was directed by Carol Reed.
Where can I watch The Third Man?+
The Third Man is available to stream, rent, or buy on IndieFlix, Cineverse, BFI Player Amazon Channel, IndieFlix Shorts Amazon Channel, Artiflix, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Studiocanal Presents Amazon Channel, JustWatch TV, Rakuten TV, Sky Store, BFI Player.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to "The Third Man" is overwhelmingly positive, with many praising its gripping story, complex characters, and suspenseful plot. Reviewers have noted that the film is reminiscent of noir cinema, with its dark atmosphere and crime-ridden setting. Review excerpts highlight the film's strong storytelling, memorable performances, and iconic cinematography, including Anton Karas' distinctive score. The film has been described as a "masterpiece" by some reviewers and as one of the greatest films of all time by others.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
Holly Martens (Joseph Cotten) receives a job offer from his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) in postwar occupied Vienna. He arrives there only to find that Lime is dead and every witness has a different story. Being a pulp writer, Holly thinks he can solve the mystery. But this i…
Nobody thinks in terms of human beings. Governments don't. Why should we? The Third Man is directed by Carol Reed and written by Graham Greene. It stars Joseph Cotton, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard and Orson Welles. Music is by Anton Karas and cinematography by Robert Krasker. When…
Nobody thinks in terms of human beings. Governments don't. Why should we? The Third Man is directed by Carol Reed and written by Graham Greene. It stars Joseph Cotton, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard and Orson Welles. Music is by Anton Karas and cinematography by Robert Krasker. When…
Joseph Cotton ("Holly") arrives in post war Vienna to meet up with his former school friend "Harry Lime" - only to discover that he was recently killed in an automobile accident. Without his promised job, he starts to chat with the friends of the dead man and swiftly spots some i…
CinemaSerf · 7/10**Can a good movie be spoiled by an inadequate soundtrack? It can, and this film is proof of that.** I like film noir a lot, and I saw this film with pleasure. It's one of those films that you can't miss: it has an excellent story, complex characters, a lot of suspense and a good…
Filipe Manuel Neto · 8/10
From the trailer's comments
My grandad watched this in cinemas in the 40s
@kitbrown3895 · 152 likesI love how practically every frame of this film is like a great noir painting! What a cast, too! Adore Orson and Joseph Cotten!
@roxyabrooks864 · 41 likesEvery birthday, I watch this masterpiece. A great work of art.
@richmotroni · 21 likesThe greatest film of all time. When orson welles steps out of the darkened shadows has also got to be the greatest entrance of any actor in any film
@bermondsey548428 · 125 likesEven as a kid I knew this was cut above the rest, marvellous film.
@martidee3305 · 36 likesUndoubtedly one of the best endings of a film. When she walks by Martins without a glance, it's exquisite.
@jamesdrynan · 62 likesA great film is a film you can watch countless times but still be spell bound, The Third Man is a great film.
@jeep2386 · 12 likesthe film is just iconic moment after iconic moment. Incredible camera shots, editing, lighting, acting moments, again and again. And post-war torn Vienna was the perfect place and moment in time to film it. A coming together of all the best things in the film universe, never ever…
@SirArthurStreebGreebling · 12 likes
