The Bourne Identity (1988): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1988, The Bourne Identity is an action, thriller and drama film directed by Roger Young, running about 185 minutes.

What it’s about. An unconscious man is washed ashore on the beach of a small French village during a heavy storm. A retired doctor takes care of the unconscious stranger. When the mysterious man recovers, he can't remember a thing...he does not know his name, he does not know where his flashback memories come from, and he does not know why the access code for an anonymous Swiss bank account is implanted in his thigh. As he seeks his own identity, things quickly become dangerous. There are attempts to kill him, he is well known in first class hotels across Europe, and worst of all, there are strange similarities between his memories and reported actions of the notorious terrorist, Carlos the Jackal.

Who’s in it. The Bourne Identity stars Richard Chamberlain as Jason Bourne, Jaclyn Smith as Marie St. Jacques, Anthony Quayle as Generał Villers and Donald Moffat as David Abbott, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 4.0/10, The Bourne Identity has proved divisive with audiences.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch The Bourne Identity page.

If you liked it. Fans of The Bourne Identity tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.