Foul Play

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Foul Play

PG

Released Jul 14, 1978

1h 56m

Mystery & Thriller

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

69%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Librarian Gloria Mundy (Goldie Hawn) leads a relatively uneventful life. When she looks to shake things up, she somehow winds up in the middle of an assassination plot against the pope. Calling the police, Mundy meets the hapless detective Tony Carlson (Chevy Chase), who takes the case. During the course of the investigation, the two fall in love, but the assassin (Marc Lawrence) is still after Mundy -- and anyone with her -- to keep her from foiling the plot.

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Critics Consensus

Entertaining and charming like its charismatic leads, Foul Play is a rollicking homage to the master of suspense for those who prefer mysteries with gags on top.

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Gary Arnold

Washington Post

One recognizes the romantic comedy impulse behind the sexual sparrings of Hawn and Chase. It's the execution that leaves everything to be desired.

May 9, 2017

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Variety Staff

Variety

Writer Colin Higgins makes a good directorial bow.

Oct 30, 2007

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Time Out

Unsatisfactory as a whole, the film is hilarious and tense in bits.

Jan 26, 2006

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a comfortably familiar premise that's employed to somewhat overlong yet mostly entertaining effect...

Rated: 3/4

Nov 22, 2020

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Fernando Trueba

El Pais (Spain)

Colin Higgins proves himself adept at recreating the style and themes of Hitchcock's films, as well as creating entertaining schemes. [Full Review in Spanish]

Aug 5, 2019

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Bernard Drew

Gannett News Service

Somewhere in the cumbersome comedy thriller Colin Higgins has made of Foul Play, lies the ghost of a good, old-fashioned mystery-comedy-romance.

Jul 17, 2019

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Melinda W

My daughter and I love, love, love this movie, and we can quote it word for word. I grew up watching this movie in the 80s when the first house on our street got a VCR!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/03/25

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S R

Unlike anything I've ever seen. It was so bad it was good. Props for the Mikado, Hitchcock dwarves, Japanese Tourists and the not being able to decide between suspense and romantic comedy. It was on YouTube.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/04/23

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Kris C

A good movie for that era.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/05/23

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penelope w

This is my all time favorite comedy. I and my daughter can quote this whole movie and no matter how many times we've seen it we still laugh out loud. Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase and Dudley Moore all have the best comedic timing. All at their prime here. This film combines my favorite to genres mystery and comedy. But hats off really to the screen writer, Higgins, who in my opinion wrote a brilliant script that pays homage to Hitchcock and all the neo-noir films of the Hollywood golden age. No other film makes me laugh and excited at the same time! The two old ladies playing Scrabble is an added bonus of comedy. Billy Barry, Burgess Meredith, Brian Dennehy and "Stella" make this film hysterical. It's even funnier now that it's so dated to the 70's. Do yourself a favor and really pay attention to the lines and us people of the certain age will get all the references ie Kojak. Lol Enjoy!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/28/23

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Kimberly A

A classic… fun, mystery, and comedy all in one. Love this movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/17/23

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caitlyn h

My all-time favorite movie. Goldie Hawn, Chevy Chase, San Francisco, albinism AND dwarves!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Colin Higgins

Director

Goldie Hawn

Gloria Mundy

Chevy Chase

Tony Carlson

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Synopsis

Librarian Gloria Mundy (Goldie Hawn) leads a relatively uneventful life. When she looks to shake things up, she somehow winds up in the middle of an assassination plot against the pope. Calling the police, Mundy meets the hapless detective Tony Carlson (Chevy Chase), who takes the case. During the course of the investigation, the two fall in love, but the assassin (Marc Lawrence) is still after Mundy -- and anyone with her -- to keep her from foiling the plot.

Director: Colin Higgins
Producer: Thomas L. Miller, Edward K. Milkis
Screenwriter: Colin Higgins
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 14, 1978, Original
Release Date (DVD): Jan 1, 2013
Runtime: 1h 56m

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