Sabotage

Sabotage

Year: 1937

Runtime: 76 min

Language: English

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

ThrillerCrime

An elite DEA team, led by John "Breacher" Wharton, successfully raids a cartel safe house and steals ten million dollars. Their actions quickly backfire when members of the team begin to die, leading to suspicion and paranoia. As they are systematically targeted, the surviving agents must determine who among them is responsible for the deadly betrayal and unravel a dangerous conspiracy.

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Timeline & Setting – Sabotage (1937)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Sabotage (1937). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

London, Piccadilly Circus

The story unfolds across central London, centering on a cinema above Verloc's residence and the bustling streets around Piccadilly Circus. The setting emphasizes a modern, urban environment where public spaces like cinemas, markets, and tube stations become stages for a terrorist plot. The Lord Mayor's Show processional route and the street life convey a sense of crowded, patriotic London atmosphere that intersects with crime and investigation.

🌆 Urban London 🎬 Cinema setting 🗺️ Piccadilly Circus area

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 08:03

Main Characters – Sabotage (1937)

Meet the key characters of Sabotage (1937), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Karl Verloc (Oskar Homolka)

A cinema owner whose outwardly ordinary life masks his ties to a terrorist network. He orchestrates or tolerates an attack plan, yet he tries to shield himself by misdirecting others and avoiding direct involvement in violence. His calm demeanor and evasions culminate in a coercive confession and suicide as the net closes around him.

🎬 Cinema Owner ⚖️ Moral Ambiguity 🕵️‍♂️ Secret Terrorist Activities

Mrs. Verloc (Sylvia Sidney)

Verloc's wife, who becomes a focal point of suspicion yet is shown as morally innocent by Spencer. After Verloc's confession and death, she faces the consequences of the plot, with the possibility that her actions may be misinterpreted in court. Her emotional arc centers on loyalty, fear, and the price of truth.

💔 Wife in danger 🕊️ Innocence under suspicion 🎭 Domestic life

Detective Sergeant Ted Spencer (John Loder)

An undercover Scotland Yard officer who befriends Verloc's family and tries to determine Verloc's involvement. He wrestles with suspicion and mounting sympathy for Mrs. Verloc, ultimately choosing moral responsibility over pure duty as the case unfolds.

🕵️‍♂️ Undercover detective 🎭 Moral dilemma ⚖️ Law and order

Stevie (Desmond Tester)

Verloc's younger brother who unknowingly carries the time bomb and becomes a tragic casualty of the plot. His delays and missteps propel the disaster, highlighting the innocent collateral harm at the heart of political violence.

🕊️ Innocent child 💥 Victim 🎈 Innocence lost

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 08:03

Major Themes – Sabotage (1937)

Explore the central themes of Sabotage (1937), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⚖️ Moral Ambiguity

The film probes how guilt and innocence can blur when ordinary people become entangled with crime. Verloc hides his complicity behind a calm facade, while Spencer questions who truly bears responsibility—the terrorist network, the police, or those around Verloc. The characters' choices force viewers to weigh loyalty, deception, and the cost of actions on innocents.

💔 Tragic Consequences

Collateral damage threads through the narrative, with Stevie's death on the bus and the destruction that follows. Mrs. Verloc's fate remains uncertain, caught between truth and self-defence. The plot shows how plans intended to threaten a city can devastate the very people they claim to protect or target.

🕵️‍♂️ Surveillance and Suspicion

Spencer's undercover position drives the plot, highlighting how observation can expose truth but also erode trust. The investigation shifts from arrest to moral consideration as he grows sympathetic to Mrs. Verloc. The film frames state power, personal inquiry, and the ambiguous line between policing and intrusion.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 08:03

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Paranoid team thrillers like Sabotage

A trusted group turns suspicious as members are picked off one by one.For viewers who enjoyed the intense paranoia and internal betrayal in Sabotage, this list features movies with similar high-stakes scenarios where a close-knit group unravels from within. These stories deliver a similar mix of suspense, moral compromise, and the tragic consequences of suspicion among allies.

paranoidsuspensefulclaustrophobicgrippinganxioustragictensebetrayal

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern often begins with a successful team facing a shared goal or heist, which is quickly followed by a devastating betrayal. Members are systematically eliminated or targeted, leading to a frantic search for the traitor within their ranks. The journey is defined by eroded trust, rising paranoia, and a tragic, often bittersweet, reckoning.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared focus on a team dynamic shattered by internal conflict. They create a specific mood of claustrophobic suspicion and high-stakes tension, often culminating in heavy emotional weight and a morally complex resolution that leaves characters forever changed.

Crime dramas with tragic fallout like Sabotage

Criminal acts set off a chain of devastating, unintended repercussions.If you appreciated the heavy emotional weight and tragic consequences of the cartel raid in Sabotage, this collection features similar crime stories. These films explore the bleak aftermath of criminal acts, focusing on moral compromise, profound loss, and a somber, often bittersweet, sense of resolution.

tragicmelancholicgrippingheavysuspensefulmoral ambiguitygriefbleak

Narrative Summary

These stories typically follow a clear cause-and-effect structure: a crime is committed with specific intentions, but it triggers a chain of events leading to profound personal loss, often involving innocent bystanders. The narrative journey is one of grappling with guilt and the futility of seeking redemption after crossing a moral event horizon.

Why These Movies?

Movies in this thread share a core theme of actions having severe, tragic consequences. They are united by a steady pacing that builds towards an emotionally devastating climax, a straightforward narrative complexity that emphasizes the stark cause-and-effect, and a consistently heavy, melancholic mood.

Unlock the Full Story of Sabotage

Don't stop at just watching — explore Sabotage in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Sabotage is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

Sabotage Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Sabotage, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Sabotage Summary

Sabotage Timeline

Track the full timeline of Sabotage with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Sabotage Timeline

Sabotage Spoiler-Free Summary

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Sabotage Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Sabotage

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