Foul Play

PG

Released Jul 14, 1978

1h 56m

Mystery & Thriller

Comedy

List

74%

27 Reviews

Tomatometer

68%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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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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

Full Review

Kris C

A good movie for that era.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/05/23

Full Review

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

Full Review

Kimberly A

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

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/17/23

Full Review

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

Full Review

isla s

This is a pretty cheesy film - cheesy but amusing. There are some pretty big names present in the cast, from Goldie Hawn and Chevy Chase to Dudley Moore. It dates from 1978 and it has some pretty sexist moments. I felt frustrated for the female character - goodness knows Goldie Hawn has had to play scared young(ish) women for a long time, who often male characters take what's said with a pinch of salt. It's an easy watch and is fairly entertaining and I sort of liked the quirkiness aspect of it but it's not the kind of film I'm likely to remember in much detail or want to see again really. The old 'damsel in distress' plotline feels so outdated and uncomfortable to me but that's just my opinion. There are some surprisingly amusing pieces of dialogue present, that aside. It's worth a watch if your particularly interested in it I suppose but otherwise I wouldn't say its worth paying much to see as such. An alright film, mildly amusing and cringe-y at the same time. Esme - how many times do I have to tell you? don't eat the cigarettes!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Colin Higgins

Director

Goldie Hawn

Gloria Mundy

Chevy Chase

Tony Carlson

Burgess Meredith

Mr. Hennessey

Rachel Roberts

Gerda Casswell

Eugene Roche

Archbishop Thorncrest

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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

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

Writer Colin Higgins makes a good directorial bow.

Oct 30, 2007

Full Review

Time Out

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

Jan 26, 2006

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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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
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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