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Talk Radio
1988 109 min Canada, United States of America R 18+
★7.3
Drama
Director: Oliver Stone
Trailers
Description
A rude, contemptuous talk show host becomes overwhelmed by the hatred that surrounds his program just before it goes national.
Budget:
$4M
US Gross:
$3.47M
Worldwide:
$3.47M
Starring
Eric Bogosian
Actor
Ellen Greene
Actor
Leslie Hope
Actor
Awards
Berlin International Film Festival 1989
— Silver Bear – Outstanding Achievement
Berlin International Film Festival 1989
— Golden Bear
Key opinion
Talk Radio is a visceral and provocative character study that utilizes the confined setting of a late-night radio booth to critique social alienation and the dark side of media sensationalism. While many praise the intensity of the performances and the political sharpness of the dialogue, others feel the film's static, stage-bound nature limits its narrative momentum.
| Acting | Eric Bogosyan delivers a powerhouse, career-defining performance that anchors the film with raw intensity and complex vulnerability. | |
| The film succeeds as a biting, prophetic critique of media exploitation and the public's voyeuristic appetite for confrontation. | ||
| Direction | Oliver Stone expertly transitions the material from the stage to the screen, maintaining the claustrophobic, high-tension atmosphere of the source play. | |
| Screenplay | The dialogue is consistently sharp and intellectually provocative, functioning as a scathing mirror to 1980s American social issues. | |
| Pacing | The film's static, single-location narrative structure keeps the focus on intense monologues, which some viewers find deeply engaging while others find narratively exhausting. |