Unhappy middle-aged banker Arthur Hamilton (a sturdy and heartbreaking performance by John Randolph) strikes a deal with a mysterious and sinister organization that gives Hamilton a new lease on life by transforming him into handsome and successful artist Antiochus Wilson (superbly played by Rock Hudson). Director John Frankenheimer relates the gripping story at a deliberate pace, grounds the fantastic premise in a thoroughly plausible workaday reality, and skillfully crafts a strong and unsettling paranoid atmosphere. Lewis John Carlino's ingenious script smartly explores the themes of identity, the alluring, yet elusive potential that having a second chance at life offers, how all choices come with consequences, and the basic human need for both intimate emotional connection and the ability to be the master of one's own destiny. The fine acting by the topnotch cast rates as another substantial asset: Jeff Corey as friendly company bigwig Mr. Ruby, Will Geer as the ostensibly amiable, but quietly creepy old man who runs the whole show, Salome Jens as the sweet and vibrant Nora Marcus, Murray Hamilton as sly recruiter Charlie, Richard Anderson as coldblooded surgeon Dr. Innes, Wesley Addy as helpful servant John, Khigh Dhiegh as jolly psychiatrist Davalo, and Frances Reid as Hamilton's concerned, but long-suffering wife Emily. James Wong Howe's striking black and white cinematography presents a wealth of stunningly surreal and nightmarish visuals. Jerry Goldsmith's moody score hits the brooding spot, too. An excellent film.

A middle-aged man accepts a creepy offer of a change of identity and a new life, but turns out it ain't that simple.Hmmm. Lots of interesting stuff going on with the camera, but the story is muddled and lacking motivation. I suppose it's about the search for an identity always beyond the individual's grasp, so the distortions and off-kilter close ups play a role.Starts off with Hitchcock mystery menace, switches to Kafka paranoia, followed by stick-it-to-the-Man liberation mixed with free-love silliness, then back to Kafka. The hero's final line is not, "Just like a dog", but a muffled aaarrrggggh! All along the dialogue is never really engaging, and gets daft in the California scenes where the actors seem to be in a panic over the weakness of the material. Hudson is well cast, because you get the uncertainty and lack of direction in his face, and there are some other interesting actors in there too - although the love interest is unconvincing. And I really would not recommend quaffing the wine - earthy with a hint of cum and ... touches of jam and chocolate? Music is good. Pace is OK, but the whole thing feels odd because the second act is so different.Overall - laboured historical oddity, worth a viewing.

I found this film listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, I had no idea what it was about, but it had good reviews, and I was willing to try it, directed by John Frankenheimer (Birdman of Alcatraz, The Manchurian Candidate, Ronin, Reindeer Games). Basically in Scarsdale, New York lives middle-aged banker Arthur Hamilton (John Randolph), he is married, but their love has dwindled over the years, and he has a grown up daughter, who he hardly sees anymore, he is generally disengaged with everything in life. Hamilton receives a series of phone calls from his supposedly dead friend Charlie Evans (Murray Hamilton), and following this he is drawn to a company that provides him with a second chance at life. The company convinces Hamilton that he has little to live for in his current life, his "rebirth" will include a new body to replace his current body after he dies, enough money for his family to live comfortably after his departure, enough money for him to start his new life, a surgical makeover, and a new identity based on his desires is his subconsciousness. Hamilton goes ahead with the procedure, his new identity is Malibu painter Antiochus "Tony" Wilson (Rock Hudson), a counsellor of sorts is provided for him to assist in his transition, acting as a housekeeper named John (Wesley Addy), who to make the transition successful attends his emotional requirements. But even with John's help, and despite or perhaps in spite of meeting and falling in love with Nora Marcus (Salome Jens), Tony is finding it difficult to make the transition, also despite or in. Tony decides to try and see where he went wrong in his life as Arthur Hamilton, where he went wrong in his transition to become Tony Wilson, and where to see where he will go next, it is unclear whether the company will help him get what he wants. Also starring Will Geer as Old Man, Jeff Corey as Mr. Ruby, Richard Anderson as Dr. Innes, Karl Swenson as Dr. Morris, Khigh Dhiegh as Davalo and Frances Reid as Emily Hamilton. Hudson was an underrated actor, perhaps due to his roles in romantic comedies like Pillow Talk, here he gives a good performance as the disturbed man going through drastic plastic and personality surgery, this film makes good use of black and white colour, it is very strange and often complicated, with the idea of spiritual and physical rebirth, almost ahead of its time, but it is overall an interesting cult science-fiction thriller. It was nominated the Oscar for Best Cinematography. Good!

At some point, everybody takes a good look at their lives and wants to change something about it. Maybe you're unhappy with your job. Maybe you wish you could have a hotter girlfriend. Maybe you're worried that life is passing you by, and you want to be young again and live it up some more. Maybe it's time to reinvent yourself. In this film, a guy reinvents himself to rectify all of these things. The big twist is, he does so with the help of an ominous and mysterious corporation.This film has a pretty interesting premise. Combined with its style, it comes off as a fairly gripping thriller; there is a sense of anxiety that permeates key scenes and keeps you wondering what will happen next. The film drags in just a few spots (mostly in the middle), but it is interesting and sobering to watch this guy go through an artificial rebirth and live a second life.The story is pretty well-structured. The momentum sputters a bit in the middle, as the character wanders around in his new body and figures things out. However, the set-up and conclusion are solid, and the characters overall are fairly well-developed. Above all, this is a film that boldly holds a mirror up to the 1960s culture and shows a rather eerie reflection. I could see it as the man's transformation mirroring the transformation of culture, moving from the conservative 50s to the radical free-loving 60s counter-culture movements, but the film makes it out to be a total nightmare. As such, the film challenges the notion that people have to be young and successful to be happy. It also puts a pretty ominous spin on corporations, using people like putty to shape them into whatever they determine, all for the sole purpose of making money.The film is phenomenal, for it boasts some incredible photography. There are a ton of wild and unusual camera angles, many of which seem less like what you'd find in the 60s and more like what you'd see in modern films (especially when the camera tracks a person's head or body, keeping it still while the background moves; that is very much the same kind of thing you get with webcams, which many modern movies use, and I think it's an awesome achievement for Seconds). Camera moves are especially fluid and interesting. Editing is really great, especially with some of the more surreal scenes. Acting and writing are impeccable. This production has some great-looking sets, props, and costumes. The music score is pretty effective too.Despite a few slow parts, Seconds is a bold film with a bold style and a ton of bold messages. I'd gladly recommend it to anybody.4.5/5 (Entertainment: Good | Story: Very Good | Film: Perfect)