Quartile rating: 8/10 · 1 rating
In New York, armed men hijack a subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers while the authorities question about the method of their escape.
The Taking of Pelham One Two Three is a tightly constructed thriller with a genuinely clever plot that hinges on a deceptively simple but ingenious escape scheme. The acting is a standout — Walter Matthau brings sardonic wit as transit cop Garber while Robert Shaw is icily menacing as Mr. Blue, creating a superb cat-and-mouse dynamic across a radio. The screenplay crackles with authentic New York street dialogue and dark comic undertones that balance the tension beautifully. Cinematography is solid but functional — the grimy, claustrophobic subway locations are used effectively though not with particular visual distinction. Novelty scores modestly: it perfected the hostage-negotiation thriller template and brought real procedural authenticity, but the genre beats were already established. The ending — with its darkly comic twist resolution — is one of cinema's most satisfying and memorable thriller payoffs, genuinely earned and surprising.