The Day of the Jackal

Nameless, faceless... relentlessly moving towards the date with death that would rock the world.

1973 • 143 min • Action · Thriller

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Synopsis

An international assassin known as ‘The Jackal’ is employed by disgruntled French generals to kill President Charles de Gaulle, with a dedicated gendarme on the assassin’s trail.

Our family guide

Best from age 16

Movie Knight Score

699 reviews

100 Reviewers · 2 · 51%
75 Audience · 697 · 49%

An expert assassin is hired to kill French President Charles de Gaulle, prompting a determined police chief to launch a frantic manhunt to stop him. The meticulously planned plot unfolds across Europe, as the Jackal uses various disguises to evade capture.

Violence & peril: 4/10
Language: 2/10
Drinking, drugs & smoking: 3/10
Romance & sensuality: 2/10
Scary moments: 5/10

Heads up

Depicts a cold-blooded assassin who shows no remorse
Some scenes involve tense chases and shootouts
Brief nudity and suggestive situations

What it models well

Persistence and dedication
Duty and justice
Resourcefulness

Talk about it after

The ethics of political assassination
The concept of justice vs. revenge
The impact of historical events on society

Written by the Movie Knight editorial team for The Day of the Jackal. Our own words, our own scoring — always double-check against your family's standards.

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Top billed cast

Director: Fred Zinnemann • Crew: Kenneth Ross

Trailers & clips

Reviewer notes

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
A sophisticated adaptation of Frederick Forsyth's thriller about an Englishman codenamed "the Jackal" (Edward Fox) who is hired to assassinate Charles de Gaulle, the President of France. His meticulous planning remains almost undiscovered until the redoubtable "Inspecteur Lebel" - played by the always under-rated Michael Lonsdale manages to piece together enough information to get on his tail.…
CinemaSerf, TMDB Community

RecommendedTrusted family reviewers
Chacal. The Day of the Jackal is directed by Fred Zinnerman and adapted to screenplay by Kenneth Ross from the novel of the same name written by Frederick Forsyth. It stars Edward Fox, Michael Lonsdale, Terence Alexander, Michel Auclair, Alan Badel, Tony Britton and Denis Carey. Music is by Georges Delerue and cinematography by Jean Tournier.…
John Chard, TMDB Community