Sorcerer (1977) is a film that came out around the same time as the first Star Wars, and it’s been overlooked for what feels like decades. The film has recently surged in popularity.
Sorcerer (1977) is a film I have just recently started hearing a lot of attention about. On Google Trends, “Sorcerer movie” has surged in search volume over the last few years. Every now and then, we get a movie from the 70s or 80s that more or less missed its audience at the time. Movies like The Thing have recently become increasingly popular.
It feels like a lot of times, movies don’t do well in theaters and then become cult classics. Another great example is the Blade Runner films. Especially Blade Runner 2049, which did not perform well at the box office but is currently one of the most popular and highly rated films of its era.
Sorcerer (1977) is apparently one of Stephen King‘s favorite films. It is also based on an old novel. More recently, it has been added to the Criterion Collection. Criterion takes new and old films and adds them to their registry and gives them a unique physical release.
Most of the time, it’s older cult classic films that get on there. The type of films that take off have a big following, but sometimes take a little digging to learn about. Sorcerer (1977) is definitely one of those movies.
Sorcerer (1977) follows a couple of crooks transporting cargo on two separate trucks in South America.
The handful of crooks are in dire need of money and are desperate to escape their prior deeds. Not only that, but the trucks have explosives in them, so any real major hit to the truck would make it explode and kill everyone nearby.
They run into all kinds of obstacles in South America. You run into tribes, environmental issues, and local militias. The film has a simple concept, but it’s a devil-in-the-details type of movie. A lot more to it than what meets the eye.
I legitimately was glued to the edge of my seat by the end of Sorcerer (1977). It kind of has flavors of uncut gems or good times in it. Or more recently, Marty Supreme. This is the kind of movie that is just completely balls-to-the-wall. It also gains intensity slowly, like the building of a crescendo in a song.
Sorcerer (1977) really does stand the test of time, and for as old a film as it is, it’s extremely entertaining. I watch movies from all eras, from the ’20s to brand-new. I don’t have a problem watching slower films, but a lot of people nowadays don’t like older films because of their pacing. But this movie is incredibly well-paced.
In fact, the opening scene throws you right into the action.
Sorcerer (1977) is uncharacteristic in that it starts by showing the four characters doing their own thing before they all meet up. But by the time they all get rolling, which is about 30 minutes into the film, it starts getting really crazy. I don’t see how anyone could watch this movie and not be entertained if they enjoy this kind of intense film.
Sorcerer (1977) is rated PG, and if it came out nowadays, it might be rated R.
While there isn’t any nudity or anything like that, the violence in the imagery is definitely shocking and striking. This was way before PG-13; even Jaws was rated PG at the time.
Strangely enough, Roy Scheider was in both. He is also the lead in this film, and he absolutely kills it. He is such a great actor, and I don’t believe he was utilized enough in Hollywood before he passed away. In this film, he gives a chilling performance as someone running away from their sins, only to never find a true getaway.
Sorcerer (1977) also has some incredible music by Tangerine Dream. Their work was also in Risky Business, which is probably one of the more famous of their works besides their work in GTA V. But this film has an incredible soundtrack and knows when to use scored music and when not to.
As great musicians as Tangerine Dream are, you would think that the movie would just be a song after song, but they do a great job of having the silent, disturbing moments. But then you get these high-octane, super-intense scenes with the music to match. This movie really fires on all cylinders, and it definitely leaves you wanting more by the end.
This is also a film with a theme you have to think about.
Something about the greed and evil and all, how all those things follow you in life. There are so many great images in Sorcerer (1977) that I feel like it has multiple meanings. I do have to bring up the classic bridge scene, which is a pretty incredible scene.
This was way before CGI, and the way they handled heavy truck driving on a nearly destroyed bridge, with pouring rain and rising water, was incredible. Just the fact that they were able to accomplish it is so incredible.
But when you take that away and just see how it works in the movie, it’s truly something else. But the theme of the movies really hits home for me, as I feel like I was definitely thinking a lot after the movie ended.
For as old as it is, it’s definitely still worth watching, and it holds up incredibly well. It might even be worth remaking, especially seeing as it’s based on a book. The story is very timeless, as greed and evil deeds of men have never changed.
It’s always cool to see movies almost come out of nowhere and feel like you’ve found gold. The movie itself is pretty easy to find, as it’s free on YouTube right now. I was able to find it at my local library.
The DVD for Sorcerer (1977) is pretty cheap online as well, so there are many options for watching this movie. Especially since it’s free on YouTube, and that might be how a lot of people are watching it. Movies like this might also be a great gateway for people to get into older films, as it still has incredible pacing and keep you entertained as much as a newer film would.
