Two men looking at a man with a bandaged face in Seconds
America in the 1960s was a time of panic, dysfunction, distrust, and upheaval. These sentiments were reflected on the big screen, creating a general feeling of creative rebellion that laid the groundwork for the New Hollywood movement.
While epic biopics and musicals were still the status quo at the studio level, low-level genre filmmaking, in the form of horror, thrillers, and other exploitation films, channeled the unbridled rage of its decade, including The Manchurian Candidate, Shock Corridor, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?, and Targets. Within this spiritual subgenre of"Hollywood Crack-Up," courtesy of a former program by the Criterion Channel, the film that was perhaps the most grisly, blunt, and profound was Seconds, John Frankenheimer's 1966 psychological horror-thriller that has only grown in estimation over time. Considering its themes of unhealthy desires and beauty standards, it's safe to say that this movie has never felt more relevant than today. 'Seconds' is an Exploitation Movie With Dense Thematic Weight When you need someone to direct a gripping, no-frills action movie or thriller, John Frankenheimer, best known for Seven Days in May, Black Sunday, Ronin, and the signature '60s political thriller, The Manchurian Candidate, is guaranteed to provide a shotgun blast of entertainment. The film that best captures the Frankenheimer energy is Seconds, the story of a disillusioned middle-class banker, Arthur Hamilton , who is offered a chance to restart his life with a new identity by a sinister corporation after his friend disappears. After faking his own death, Arthur undergoes a physical and psychological reconstruction, where he turns into a visual artist named Tony Wilson . In a classic tale of"be careful what you wish for," this ideal prospect turns into a Kafkaesque nightmare for Arthur/Tony. Shot by renowned cinematographer James Wong Howe, Seconds is one of the most striking films of its decade, with the noirish, shadowy atmosphere fleshing out the dread emanating from this underworld. The prospect of having your face refurbished to look like a glamorous movie star like Rock Hudson is enticing, and Frankenheimer lets the excitement resonate with you until you experience the horror through Tony's eyes, who sees nothing but paranoia in the film's second half. The director keeps you on edge through both methodical and frantic pacing, giving the audience a dizzying sensation. The casting of Rock Hudson, known for his work in weepy melodramas and romantic comedies, as well as the taboo nature of his sexual orientation at the time, is ingenious, and the star undergoes a total screen transformation, carrying the pathos of his personal life. Seconds arguably created the blueprint for the modern paranoid thriller, a subgenre that thrived a decade later with sinister government conspiracy movies like Three Days of the Condor and All the President's Men. What separates Frankenheimer's movie from its spiritual successors is the emotional heartbeat amid this tragic story of a Faustian bargain. Arthur Hamilton, motivated by the truth of his presumed-dead friend, was never destined to go down this path, but the alluring prospect of a better life and prettier face was too strong for anyone to refuse. A cautionary tale with the edge of a B-movie, Seconds finds an emotional center that was unprecedented for this brand of thriller in the '60s. 'Seconds' is a Prophetic Commentary on Social Media While the style and simmering rage exhibited by Seconds belonged to its era, the film transcends generational divides, and, if anything, it has more poignant resonance in the social media age. Our omnipresent platforms on the Internet are their own forms of identity reconstruction, as users portray an artificial and heightened version of themselves, creating a toxic cycle of other users desiring to resemble the people on their feed. Much like Arthur's transformation into Tony, social media influencers seem to attain glamor and beauty through superficial means. There are no explicit values being satisfied, other than attaining fame for fame's sake. Seconds is a striking examination into the precariousness of human nature, where we're often unequipped to make wise decisions for ourselves. Today, most people are aware of the long-term societal and psychological effects of rampant social media proliferation. We know we're poisoning our brains, but these corporations, like the evil Corporation in Seconds, have a complete grasp on our self-control. The film's paranoid second half resembles our constant hand-wringing and distrust in tech companies, even if we engage with them regularly. No one behind the production of Seconds likely knew just how prophetic the film would become over the next 60 years. Thematically and formally, John Frankenheimer's dazzling film is sure to leave you in a daze. Plenty of scenes are tough to sit through, but you'll never want to look away. Seconds Like R Sci-Fi Thriller Release Date October 2, 1966 Runtime 106 Minutes Director John Frankenheimer Writers Lewis John Carlino, David Ely Cast See All
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