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Celluloid
ComedyWarRomance Editor's Pick

The General Review (1926) — 89% Celluloid Score

Directed by Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton · 1926 ·

Short answer

Is The General worth watching?

Yes. The General (1926) earns an 89% Celluloid Score. That puts it in our Recommended tier. Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one. See the 4 inputs.

89%
Celluloid Score Recommended

4-input transparent breakdown

93% Editorial Rating
91% Audience snapshot · excluded
97 Metascore
★★★★☆ Letterboxd 4.3
8.1 IMDb /10
0
Watch Trailer
Released
Runtime
1h 19m
Age rating
NR (US) · U (UK) · G (Australia) · G (Canada)
Cast
Buster Keaton , Marion Mack , Glen Cavender , Jim Farley , Frederick Vroom , Frank Barnes , Charles Henry Smith , Joe Keaton
Streaming
Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+
Language
English

Also known as El maquinista de La General Le Mécano de la Générale Der General A General キートン将軍 제너럴 将军号 將軍號

Where to watch

  • Prime Video
  • fuboTV
  • MGM+

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home

Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube, Fandango at Home

Where to watch The General by country

Country Streaming on
Nigeria Prime Video
Turkey MUBI
United Kingdom Prime Video, MUBI
United States Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+

Subscription availability, refreshed from TMDB. Rental and purchase options may differ.

Why this score?

  • Celluloid's editorial rating is exceptional (93/100).
  • Audiences widely enjoyed it (91%).
  • Metascore signals universal acclaim (97/100).
  • Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4.3/5).
  • IMDb users score it 8.1/10.

Best for

  • Viewers who want a well-regarded comedy, war, romance pick
  • Short runtime — easy weeknight watch

Not ideal for

    Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

    Streaming availability, artwork and title metadata courtesy of TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

    Is The General worth watching?

    Yes — The General earns an 89% Celluloid Score. That puts it in our Recommended tier. It suits viewers who want a well-regarded comedy, war, romance pick. Read our full review (4/5).

    Celluloid verdict

    Buster Keaton’s Civil War chase comedy is the silent era’s great action picture — every gag engineered, performed and paid off in a single unbroken piece of craft.

    , Founder & Editor

    Critics and audiences are closely aligned on this one.

    What is The General about?

    During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnny Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The General'—with Johnnie's lady love aboard an attached boxcar—and he single-handedly must do all in his power to both get The General back and to rescue Annabelle.

    Watch the Trailer

    Critic Reviews

    Short review 4 min read English The General

    The General (1926) Review: Keaton's Runaway Masterwork

    The General is Buster Keaton's silent Civil War train-chase comedy, a feat of stunt engineering and deadpan timing that still outpaces most modern action films.

    Yes. It is one of the great silent comedies and an ideal first Keaton film, provided you can accept a hero who is fighting for the Confederacy.

    Kaiser Khan Founder & Editor

    The General stills

    Official production imagery supplied through TMDB, kept with the movie instead of split into a thin gallery page.

    The General production still 1
    The General production still 2
    The General production still 3
    The General production still 4
    The General production still 5
    The General production still 6

    Images courtesy of TMDB. TMDB does not endorse or certify Celluloid.

    Reader takes

    No reader takes published yet. Send yours and we may publish it after editing.

    The General: frequently asked questions

    Is The General worth watching?

    Yes. The General (1926) has a Celluloid Score of 89%, averaged from the available Celluloid editorial, Metascore, Letterboxd and IMDb ratings. That puts it in our Recommended tier. Audience sentiment is shown separately and does not change the score.

    Where can I watch The General?

    In the United States, The General streams on Prime Video, fuboTV, MGM+ with a subscription, and you can rent it from Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, YouTube. Elsewhere: Prime Video in Nigeria; MUBI in Turkey; Prime Video, MUBI in the United Kingdom. Availability changes; the where-to-watch table on this page is refreshed from TMDB.

    How long is The General?

    The General runs 1 hour 19 minutes (79 minutes).

    What is The General rated?

    The General is rated NR in the United States, U in the UK, G in Australia and G in Canada. These are the official classifications as recorded on TMDB; check your local classification board for content advice.

    Who stars in The General?

    The General is directed by Clyde Bruckman & Buster Keaton and stars Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley, Frederick Vroom.

    What is the Metascore for The General?

    Metacritic's Metascore for The General is 97 out of 100. It is one of the inputs to the Celluloid Score.

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