A Clockwork Orange Returns to HBO Max in September 2026

Stanley Kubrick marks a before-and-after in the history of cinema. Few directors have received as much acclaim in life and death, admired by peers and audiences alike. Kubrick might be the ultimate gateway filmmaker for cinephiles, a step beyond the delightful and accessible thrills of Quentin Tarantino but not as far removed and cerebral as Andrei Tarkovsky. Kubrick always managed to make entertainment that was high art, adding an implicating twist to all of his films. They never leave you off the hook.

One of his boldest and most uncomfortable movies in a career known for pushing audiences to their limits was A Clockwork Orange. It is now available on HBO Max.

Making a model citizen

Based on Anthony Burgess’ novel of the same name, A Clockwork Orange is set in a dystopian near-future Britain, trailing Alex DeLarge, played by Malcolm McDowell, as a terrible young man. As a charming hoodlum speaking in a slang created by Burgess, Alex is instantly memorable, parading through the streets of London with his droogs while on the hunt for robbery and rape. Together, they bond as they get drunk, beat up homeless people, and break into strangers’ homes. By day, Alex sleeps in his parents’ apartment, skipping school and finding girls to sleep with while the house is empty. He is fully satisfied with his life, feeling no remorse or showing the inklings of a conscience.

One night, after pushing his luck too far, Alex kills a woman and is abandoned by his friends. Arrested and sentenced to 14 years in prison, Alex looks for an easy way out and volunteers for an experiment that promises to cure criminals of their evil impulses. Scientists subject him to a radical treatment where they pry his eyes open and force him to watch an endless stream of violent imagery. This conditions him to associate any form of violence and aggression with feeling sick. Whenever he feels the urge to hurt anyone, his body shuts down. The treatment grants him an early release as he is no longer deemed a threat to society.

Entertainment with a guilty conscience

Upon its release, A Clockwork Orange was immensely controversial, inspiring commentary on the perils of depicting violence and evil acts in media. The Village Voice wrote at the time that they were tired of people smashing other people in the name of self-expression. Despite its status as a pop culture relic, the movie remains a very unpleasant experience while paradoxically being incredibly entertaining. You feel terrible, but you keep watching, taking in the memorable white outfits and masks of the droogs, the beautiful seventies-era homes with their retro-futuristic and phallic decorations, and the precise balance of every shot. One of the film’s most emblematic sequences depicts Alex and his droogs breaking into a writer’s home. While the man is tied down and tortured, Alex sets his sights on his wife, performing a skilled rendition of Singin’ in the Rain as he cuts her clothes off. Performance, cruelty, and framing align in this moment to make a striking cinematic experience. The song was a detail added by Kubrick and a wonderful example of his skills beyond visual instincts. Kubrick was also an intelligent screenwriter with a sharp ear for finding the perfect needle drop, which sometimes got him in trouble.

This was one of the more important ideas which arose during rehearsal, Kubrick told Sight & Sound in 1972. This scene, in fact, was rehearsed longer than any other scene in the film and appeared to be going nowhere. We spent three days trying to work out just what was going to happen, and somehow it all seemed a bit inadequate. Then suddenly the idea popped into my head — I don’t know where it came from or what triggered it off.

Audiences might encounter A Clockwork Orange when young and impressionable, after a recommendation from a wise friend or while scrolling through a best-of list on Letterboxd. Years later, a revisit might reveal a harder watch, with the story and craft showcasing just how disturbing the narrative is. The film packs perfect images and stands at the root of many fanboy origin stories, much like most of Kubrick’s best-known works, but that is its trap. The craft that lets viewers marvel at a stunningly composed shot also makes them complicit in it, laughing along to Alex’s gall when performing Singin’ in the Rain despite the awfulness. The magic of Kubrick lies in his understanding of human impulses, and A Clockwork Orange is his best example. He never lets anyone walk away clean.

A Clockwork Orange is streaming on HBO Max.

Source: Polygon