
Thunderbolt
George Bancroft making Love With the Determination of a Bull Dog! Fay Wray His Foil and Richard Arlen His Enemy
Directed by Josef von Sternberg
Produced by Paramount Pictures
A grim pre-code crime drama where a condemned man's jealous rage and desire for revenge create a claustrophobic prison standoff with romantic and moral stakes.
A criminal known as Thunderbolt is imprisoned and facing execution. Into the next cell is placed Bob Moran, an innocent man who has been framed and who is in love with Thunderbolt's girl, without knowing of their relationship. Thunderbolt hopes to stave off the execution long enough to kill young Moran for romancing his girl.
Questions people ask
Does Thunderbolt end with hope? No. Less hopeful than 91% of films.
Is Thunderbolt scary? Yes. More frightening than 87% of films.
Is Thunderbolt easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 74% of films.
Is Thunderbolt violent? Somewhat. More violent than 71% of films.
Is Thunderbolt sad? Somewhat. More sad than 61% of films.
These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Conventional, and it does not land.
How unlike any other film this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble










Like Thunderbolt
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Thunderbolt
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Thunderbolt, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Thunderbolt, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Thunderbolt, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

















































