Close Encounters of the Third Kind poster

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Close Encounters of the Third Kind

1977 · Movie · 138 min
B

MEANRANK

80/100

Averaged across 11 ratings · 778.6K votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 30 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

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71–91 out of 100

Mostly agreed

Lowest is Kinopoisk on 71, highest is Rotten Tomatoes critics on 91. Critics average 90, everyone else 78.

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Compare Trailer

After an encounter with an unidentified flying object, an everyday electrician becomes increasingly obsessed with a unique mental image: a strange mountain shape. His life begins to unravel as this fixation takes over. He is not alone, as others around the world share the same vision, drawing them all toward a remote location for a destined meeting with something not of this world.

Details

Released
14 December 1977
Country
United Kingdom, United States
Language
English
Runtime
138 min
Rated
PG
Budget
$20.0M
Box office
$306.9M
Awards
15 wins, 36 nominations

This title elsewhere

Richard Dreyfuss

Richard Dreyfuss

Roy Neary

François Truffaut

François Truffaut

Claude Lacombe

Teri Garr

Teri Garr

Ronnie Neary

Melinda Dillon

Melinda Dillon

Jillian Guiler

Bob Balaban

Bob Balaban

David Laughlin

J. Patrick McNamara

J. Patrick McNamara

Project Leader

Awards & nominations

See all 51 →

4 major awards won · 15 wins from 51 nominations across 20 ceremonies

Academy Awards 1977 Best Cinematography Vilmos Zsigmond Winner
Academy Awards 1977 Special Achievement Academy Award (for "Sound Effects Editing") Frank Warner Winner
Grammy Awards 1977 Best Album of Original Score Written for a Motion Picture or a Television Special Close Encounters of the Third Kind – John Williams Winner
Grammy Awards 1977 Best Instrumental Composition " Theme from Close Encounters of the Third Kind " – John Williams Winner
Academy Awards 1977 Best Director Steven Spielberg Nominee
Academy Awards 1977 Best Supporting Actress Melinda Dillon Nominee
Academy Awards 1977 Best Art Direction Art Direction: Joe Alves and Dan Lomino, Set Decoration: Phil Abramson Nominee
Academy Awards 1977 Best Film Editing Michael Kahn Nominee
Show all 51 awards across 20 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.