MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for The Best Man

The Best Man

1964 · 102 min

A taut, talky political drama that feels like a tense chess match, with sharp dialogue and moral weight.

Tagline
Does The Best Man Always Get To The White House?
Overview
The other party is in disarray. Five men vie for the party nomination for president. No one has a majority as the first ballot closes and the front-runners begin to decide how badly they want the job.

Search YouTube for the trailer

Rent or buy in the UK
  • Amazon Video
More options Data from JustWatch
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • cynicalstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • politics
  • power
  • corruption
  • morality
  • ambition
Places
  • big city
  • workplace
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • ensemble
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence none
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action1
Horror0
Humour3
Realism8
Romance1
Tension7
Darkness6
Complexity7
Emotional weight6

More like this

Titles like The Best Man

Movie

Advise & Consent

1962

A slow-burning, talky political drama that feels like a tense, morally complex look behind closed doors.

Tense, earnest · about politics and power · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • politics
  • power
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
139 min
Details In your watch list
Advise & ConsentHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

House of Cards

2013–2018

Cold, calculating and quietly vicious, it draws you into a world of polished corridors where every smile hides a knife.

Tense, cynical · about power and corruption

Via
  • tense
  • cynical
  • power
  • corruption
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Seasons
6
Details In your watch list
House of CardsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Ides of March

2011

A tense, cynical plunge into political backstabbing, where idealism curdles into betrayal and the cost of winning becomes chillingly clear.

Tense, cynical · about politics and corruption

Via
  • tense
  • cynical
  • politics
  • corruption
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
101 min
Details In your watch list
The Ides of MarchHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Primary Colors

1998

A sharp, insider's look at political idealism and moral compromise, mixing wit with disillusionment as it follows a campaign's messy human cost.

Cynical · about politics and corruption · ensemble

Via
  • cynical
  • politics
  • corruption
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
143 min
Details In your watch list
Primary ColorsHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

The Defenders

1961–1965

A serious, talky courtroom drama that treats moral dilemmas with earnest gravity, asking you to weigh each case alongside the lawyers.

Same director: Franklin J. Schaffner · Tense, earnest · about politics and morality

Also
Same director: Franklin J. Schaffner
Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • politics
  • morality
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
4
Details In your watch list
The DefendersHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

All the Way

2016

A talky, tense political drama that feels like a high-stakes chess match, anchored by a towering central performance.

Tense, cynical · about politics and power · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • cynical
  • politics
  • power
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
132 min
Details In your watch list
All the WayHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Power

1986

A sleek, talky plunge into the machinery of political image-making, coolly cynical and quietly tense, with a conscience stirring beneath the polish.

Tense, cynical · about politics and power

Via
  • tense
  • cynical
  • politics
  • power
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
111 min
Details In your watch list
PowerHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Designated Survivor

2016–2019

A propulsive, straight-faced political thriller that keeps you leaning forward, rooting for an unlikely everyman president while conspiracies tighten around him.

Tense, earnest · about politics and power

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • politics
  • power
Pacing
brisk
Attention
engaged
Seasons
3
Details In your watch list
Designated SurvivorHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

State of the Union

1948

A sharp, talky political drama that mixes witty banter with moral compromise, feeling both timely and classic.

Cynical, earnest · about politics and corruption · ensemble

Via
  • cynical
  • earnest
  • politics
  • corruption
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
124 min
Details In your watch list
State of the UnionHidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Queenmaker

2023

A taut, talky political drama that feels like a chess match, with sharp performances and a slow-building sense of moral urgency.

Tense, cynical · about politics and power

Via
  • tense
  • cynical
  • politics
  • power
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
1
Details In your watch list
QueenmakerHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Good Night, and Good Luck.

2005

A taut, black-and-white plunge into a newsroom under siege, crackling with cigarette smoke and moral conviction.

Tense, earnest · about politics and power · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • politics
  • power
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
93 min
Details In your watch list
Good Night, and Good Luck.Hidden from your suggestions.
TV series

Madam Secretary

2014–2019

A steady, idealistic workplace drama that mixes global crises with domestic warmth, rewarding viewers who like competent people solving problems together.

Tense, earnest · about politics and power · ensemble

Via
  • tense
  • earnest
  • politics
  • power
  • ensemble
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
6
Details In your watch list
Madam SecretaryHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Amazon Video

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
drama
Directed by
Franklin J. Schaffner
Written by
Gore Vidal
Starring
Henry Fonda, Cliff Robertson, Edie Adams, Margaret Leighton, Shelley Berman, Lee Tracy, Ann Sothern, Gene Raymond
Music
Mort Lindsey
Cinematography
Haskell Wexler
Runtime
102 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata