Ricochet

R

1991

1h 43m

Action

List

74%

19 Reviews

Tomatometer

52%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

After tracking down and arresting Earl Talbot Blake (John Lithgow), a psychotic hit man, rookie Los Angeles police officer Nick Styles (Denzel Washington) is hailed as a hero. Several years later, Styles' life appears perfect: He has married his girlfriend, started a family and risen to the position of assistant district attorney. However, his world is turned upside down when Blake escapes from prison with plans to exact brutal and well-calculated revenge.

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KB B

I saw this a couple decades ago and realize why I never watched it again. It was ok but had many things that made no sense. Finally the ending was really campy. I wouldn't bother with this one.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/22/24

Full Review

Regina P

Interesting story from the beginning of Denzel's career. It is definitely a relic of the time it was made. But I can easily see how this would make a great movie date back in the 90s.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

10/09/23

Full Review

larrykohut L

Ricochet This film is an action movie where Denzel Washington plays a cop who has busted 100s of criminals which being on case after case . One day he catches a man a criminal played by John Lithgow and arrests him . After he lets the girl go. And he's sent to prison. The bad guy ends up obsessing over him reading newspaper articles about him and watching TV about him. Trying to learn everything he can about him ( Denzel Washington's nick ) . One day he escapes prison with 2 other criminals and plans to catch nick . Which he does and he drugs him and has a woman seduce him . He wants revenge on nick for putting him in jail. Overall the plot is simple and the pacing seems fast . I think this movie was pretty good definitely worth a watch. Christian perspective/ parents discretion Violence there's a lot of gun violence in this movie lots of shooting . Fighting with fists and kicking. Also some blood depiction on screen in a few scenes. Language use of the f word several times and the lord's name in vain two gds and 2 j.c. words are said . Also crap and hell are said in this movie. Possibly a few s words as well. Shut up used once . Sex / drug references Sex there's a sex scene where villain woman seduces the cop nick and takes her clothes off. Nudity is shown in that scene and a strip club nudity is briefly shown. Drug references people are smoking cigarettes and in one scene smoking cocaine and meth . this takes place in a gangsters hideout. Played by ice - t

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/13/23

Full Review

Steve D

A fantastic cast giving strong performances and a script so over the top it is imposable to take it seriously.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Occasionally silly, like a sword fight in prison out of the blue. Denzel Washington and John Lithgow are excellent though even if the material isn’t. What does work is that no one believe Denzel that Lithgow’s killer is still alive. Framing Denzel for murders, getting with hookers and heavy drug use. Ricochet is mostly the kind of movie that feels like it would exist in the Last Action Hero movie universe. It’s a macho cop movie where nothing is realistic and the villain steals the show.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

G W

This film was rather descent for the era. Washington's performance is beyond expectation. Unfortunately, it isn't as good as his performance in the film Glory.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/03/22

Full Review

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Russell Mulcahy

Director

Denzel Washington

Nick Styles

John Lithgow

Earl Talbot Blake

Ice-T

Odessa

Kevin Pollak

Larry Doyle

Lindsay Wagner

DA Priscilla Brimleigh

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Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

"Ricochet" is genuinely scary, suspenseful and disturbing in the best sense.

Jul 25, 2018

Full Review

Variety Staff

Variety

A taut, twisty urban suspenser powered by the spring-loaded performance of Denzel Washington in his first major action role, Ricochet has a nasty streak and a tendency toward implausible excess.

Jan 6, 2010

Full Review

Kim Newman

Empire Magazine

Dynamite action. This is a good bet for a night with the lads. And weedy girlies can at least wake up every ten minutes when Denz takes his top off.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 6, 2010

Full Review

Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

As more of a nasty psychological thriller, it could conceivably be an arthouse release for Silver Pictures. In the absence of big setpieces, it evolves into an unexpectedly incisive satire on America's cycles of triumph & teardowns for famous faces.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 28, 2021

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

An absurd urban thriller, with no street cred.

Rated: C-

Jun 19, 2017

Full Review

TV Guide

A brutally entertaining film.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 6, 2010

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

After tracking down and arresting Earl Talbot Blake (John Lithgow), a psychotic hit man, rookie Los Angeles police officer Nick Styles (Denzel Washington) is hailed as a hero. Several years later, Styles' life appears perfect: He has married his girlfriend, started a family and risen to the position of assistant district attorney. However, his world is turned upside down when Blake escapes from prison with plans to exact brutal and well-calculated revenge.

Director: Russell Mulcahy
Production Co: Home Box Office (HBO), Silver Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $20.6M
Runtime: 1h 43m
Sound Mix: Stereo, Surround

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