Tommy

Play trailer

2:15

Tommy

PG

1975

1h 51m

Musical

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

71%

Tomatometer

94 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

After seeing his stepfather murder his father during an argument over his mother, young Tommy goes into shock, suddenly becoming psychosomatically deaf, dumb and blind. As a teenager, Tommy stumbles upon a pinball machine and discovers he is a natural prodigy at the game. Fame and fortune follow for Tommy, as he becomes a pinball champion and later the messiah of a religious cult, which views his pinball skills as a miraculous sign of divine intervention.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Tommy is as erratic and propulsive as a game of pinball, incorporating The Who's songs into an irreverent odyssey with the visual imagination that only director Ken Russell can conjure.

Read Critics Reviews

Martin Knelman

Globe and Mail

Oct 8, 2025

Russell smashes everything he touches, but there's no affirmation; he smashes because he enjoys destruction.

Go to Full Review

Phil Strassberg

Arizona Republic

Apr 24, 2025

Not all the "arias" work, though all are given spectacular, kaleidoscopic production values under Russell's shrewd and resourceful direction.

Go to Full Review

Charles Champlin

Los Angeles Times

Mar 19, 2025

"Tommy" is an overwhelming, thunderous, almost continuously astonishing achievement, coherent and consistent from first frames to last.

Go to Full Review

Frank Gagnard

Times-Picayune

Mar 30, 2026

Although "Tommy" suffers from excessive length, Russell's familiar theatrical excesses, and from the fact that it is five years too late, it contains some of his most striking work.

Go to Full Review

Charles Brock

Florida Times-Union

Feb 3, 2026

Ken Russell tackles The Who's bestselling rock opera and comes up with a sense-assaulting, visually stunning movie.

Go to Full Review

Lou Cedrone

Baltimore Sun

Oct 7, 2025

As imaginative and exciting as it is stunning.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Tina

Mar 19, 2026

I saw this 50 years ago. Excellent sound and cinematography!

See more

Brian G

Mar 19, 2026

Powerful music is the best character in the film, right alongside Ann Margret. Tommy provides a strange combination of experiences: on one hand, it is mesmerizing, captivating, and compelling, full of moments and images that are iconic or disturbing--while on the other hand, it is drawn-out, far-fetched, and simply nonsensical. One thing is for certain, though: it is unforgettable.

See more

Patty E

Mar 19, 2026

I never liked the Champagne scene. Despite, the movie is a great piece of Rock History

See more

Liam G

@RT38448069 2 days ago

Wow… that’s a trippy one. Great music

See more

thiago S

@Thiagostone Jun 17, 2026

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

See more

Roy L.

@roylisi Jun 2, 2026

When viewing a Ken Russell film you have to expect cinematic excess. Russell takes the music of The Who and turns it into the intended opera, a panoply of parody and critique of cult of the individual. It is clearly the story of a man on the autism spectrum. Russell's technique is carried it out magnificently in relating this story of abuse and perhaps redemption. The narrative itself is one of excess: the murder of Tommy's father, the religous cult, the Acid Queen drug trip, the sadistic sitter, perverted uncle Ernie, and so on. Lurid colors, lavish sets, inspired casting all work to create and parody opera genre. Oliver Reed's dissipate stepfather punctuates all the tragic abuse. Ann Margret's smoulder condemns the male glance while passively accepting her fate, until she smashes the mirror that seems to entrap Tommy. The ending of the work comes directly from "We Won't Be Fooled Again!" While not great cinema, it still is one of the better cinematic productions of opera.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Ken Russell

Director

Roger Daltrey

Tommy

Ann-Margret

Nora

Oliver Reed

Frank Hobbs

Elton John

The Pinball Wizard

Eric Clapton

The Preacher

Tommy: Official Clip - See Me, Feel Me/Listening to You

4:38

Now Playing

Tommy: Official Clip - Tina Turner - Acid Queen Full Song

7:40

Now Playing

Tommy: Official Clip - Eric Clapton Sings Eyesight to the Blind

5:38

Now Playing

Tommy: Official Clip - Elton John Sings Pinball Wizard

4:22

Now Playing

Tommy: Official Clip - Ann-Margaret Sings Champagne

6:01

Now Playing

Tommy: Official Clip - Jack Nicholson Sings Go to the Mirror

1:39

Now Playing

View more videos

The Jazz Singer

26%

69%

The Jazz Singer

Watchlist

Sparkle

18%

90%

Sparkle

Watchlist

The Idolmaker

90%

84%

The Idolmaker

Watchlist

Roller Boogie

0%

53%

Roller Boogie

Watchlist

Man of La Mancha

53%

71%

Man of La Mancha

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Hit Movie Songs from the 1970s

Digital Multiplex: Cloud Atlas, Pulp Fiction and more

"Lookout" for Gugino, Goode, and Fisher

Tommy: 50th Anniversary Trailer

2:15

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

After seeing his stepfather murder his father during an argument over his mother, young Tommy goes into shock, suddenly becoming psychosomatically deaf, dumb and blind. As a teenager, Tommy stumbles upon a pinball machine and discovers he is a natural prodigy at the game. Fame and fortune follow for Tommy, as he becomes a pinball champion and later the messiah of a religious cult, which views his pinball skills as a miraculous sign of divine intervention.

Director: Ken Russell
Producer: Robert Stigwood, Ken Russell
Screenwriter: Ken Russell
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Hemdale Film Corporation [us]
Rating: PG
Genre: Musical
Original Language: British English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 19, 1975, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Mar 17, 2026
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings