Watch The Slender Thread

The Slender Thread is a tense and emotionally-charged thriller from 1965, starring some of Hollywood's most talented actors of the era, including Sidney Poitier, Anne Bancroft, and Telly Savalas. The movie takes place in Seattle, where a young woman, named Alan (played by Bancroft), attempts to commit suicide by swallowing pills. When she realizes the gravity of her decision, she immediately regrets it, and calls up a crisis center, seeking someone to talk her out of it. Sidney Poitier stars as Alan's rescuer, a university psychology professor named Dr. Schaefer, who takes the phone call and attempts to help her through the night.

The call center is overwhelmed with callers, and the situation becomes increasingly difficult as the night goes on. As Dr. Schaefer tries to keep Alan on the line, he contacts others in the crisis center for backup, including a police detective named Lt. Reardon (Savalas). The police launch a desperate search around the city looking for clues to Alan's whereabouts, while Schaefer tries to keep Alan on the line and prevent her from attempting to swallow any more pills.

The Slender Thread has many layers and themes. It explores the nature of human existence, as well as the existential questions that we all face at some point in our lives. The movie also touches on the complexities of mental health issues, and the profound effects of substance abuse on individuals and their families. Despite tackling some truly heavy topics, The Slender Thread manages to deliver moments of humanity, compassion, and hope.

The film is also notable for its experimental use of audio and visual effects, including innovative color schemes, and unusual camera angles to heighten the suspense of the drama. The Brooding, melancholic score by Quincy Jones only adds to the film's tense atmosphere, creating an unsettling and haunting mood. The Slender Thread is a work of art, as much as it is a thrilling piece of entertainment.

Directed by Sydney Pollack, The Slender Thread is a landmark film from the 1960s, capturing the essence of the era's preoccupation with the human condition, and the moral questions that plagued American society in the wake of the Cold War. The film's depiction of mental health issues, and the way they were viewed by the public at the time, is especially interesting in today's more enlightened times. The Slender Thread speaks to a sense of compassion and understanding that was sorely needed in the world during the tumultuous and divisive 1960s.

Overall, The Slender Thread is a powerful and evocative movie, marked by its fascinating characters, its intense drama, its innovative storytelling techniques, and its stunning cast. It is a movie that will stay with you long after it has ended, as you reflect on the profound questions it raises about the human condition, and the fragility of life itself.

The Slender Thread is a 1965 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 38 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.0.