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5.6/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 5.6/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. The Man Who Dared remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that move fast and don’t mind if they skip over the actual nuance of history, you'll probably have a good time. It’s for the folks who prefer their biographies to feel like a pulpy detective novel. If you’re looking for a serious, academic look at 1930s politics, you’re going to be annoyed by how fast this thing tears through decades.
The whole thing feels like it was put together on a shoestring, and honestly, that helps it. Preston Foster plays Cermak with this weird, restless energy. He’s always moving, always talking, like he’s trying to outrun the next scene change.
There’s a moment early on where the transition between his childhood and his political rise feels like a jump cut in a music video. One minute he’s a coal miner, the next he’s basically running the city. It’s hilarious.
The background extras in the city hall scenes seem like they’re just waiting for lunch. You can spot one guy in the back left just staring at the wall for like, ten seconds straight. It’s hypnotic.
Compared to something more polished like Myrt and Marge, this movie doesn't bother with the frills. It just wants to get to the shooting in Miami and be done with it.
The assassination scene itself is handled with such weird, blunt force. It happens, people yell, and then—boom—the movie is basically over. It’s not trying to be a deep dive. It’s just trying to tell you a story before the reel runs out.
It’s not perfect. Sometimes the sets look like they’re made of cardboard and hope. But there’s a certain charm to it. It’s not trying to be a masterpiece. It just wants to exist for an hour or so.
If you’ve seen The Show Down, you know how these quick, budget-conscious films can sometimes feel more alive than the big, expensive studio stuff. This is one of those times. It’s messy, it’s rushed, and I kind of liked it for that. 🎥