Dirty Work

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Dirty Work

PG-13

1998

1h 21m

Comedy

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21%

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58 Reviews

66%

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25,000+ Ratings

Friends Sam (Artie Lange) and Mitch (Norm Macdonald) need $50,000 to pay for Sam's dad's heart surgery. When they're fired for getting revenge on their abusive theater-owner boss, they have a great money-making idea: a revenge-for-hire business. The friends are soon successful, but not all their clients are good customers. When real estate developer Travis Cole (Christopher McDonald) tricks them into vandalizing a building that isn't his, Sam and Mitch concoct their best revenge plan yet.

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Critics Consensus

Norm Macdonald's dry wit and oddball charm fail to get the job done in Dirty Work, a sloppy and scattershot comedy that delivers more groans than laughs.

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Liam Lacey

Globe and Mail

The movie ends with a yawn and a shrug.

Rated: 2/4

Oct 8, 2025

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Peter Howell

Toronto Star

Macdonald seems uncomfortable in the lead role as he tries to put an ironic spin on everything he says and does.

Rated: 1/4

May 15, 2025

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Jack Mathews

Newsday

"Dirty Work" is appallingly inept.

Rated: 1/4

May 15, 2025

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John Ferguson

Radio Times

Despite losing its nerve by the end, it is for the most part a crudely nasty treat.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 31, 2025

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Mike Pearson

Denver Rocky Mountain News

"Dirty Work" manages to deliver some well-placed chuckles.

Aug 21, 2025

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Randall King

Winnipeg Sun

It's a mean little comedy.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 18, 2025

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Jordan L

If I'm being 100% honest, "Dirty Work" is not a "good" movie. It recycles the old 3-stooges plot: "Oh, hey, we have two weeks to raise an insane amount of money for... reasons." That being said, it does have the funniest scene of any American comedy in years. That single scene (with the fish) is worth the price of admission alone. Vineagar Syndrome has just put out an amazing un-rated 3-disc edition complete with the original "Dirtier Version" which is far funnier than the muted PG-13 edition released to theaters.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/21/25

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Jono L

What makes this movie so entertaining is that it is intentionally so over the top and ridiculous with no care or shame in the world. I loved this movie as a kid and I love it now.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/07/25

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john b

I don't know why critics hate this. Yes, it's silly at times ,but overall full of laughs. Love the prison scene and the dead hookers in the trunk.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/07/25

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Scott B

I'd love to see what's on the cutting room floor!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/31/24

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Perez R

Love Norm he is today and always the greatest

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/25/24

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Alec B

Remains a totally bizarre, often quite funny, 90s comedy. Goes without saying it was unfairly maligned but I do wish we had gotten to see the R rated cut.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/24

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Bob Saget

Director

Norm Macdonald

Mitch Weaver

Jack Warden

"Pops" McKenna

Artie Lange

Sam McKenna

Traylor Howard

Kathy

Don Rickles

Mr. Hamilton

Corky Romano

7%

39%

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Synopsis

Friends Sam (Artie Lange) and Mitch (Norm Macdonald) need $50,000 to pay for Sam's dad's heart surgery. When they're fired for getting revenge on their abusive theater-owner boss, they have a great money-making idea: a revenge-for-hire business. The friends are soon successful, but not all their clients are good customers. When real estate developer Travis Cole (Christopher McDonald) tricks them into vandalizing a building that isn't his, Sam and Mitch concoct their best revenge plan yet.

Director: Bob Saget
Producer: Robert Simonds, Brad Grey, Ray Reo
Screenwriter: Frank Sebastiano, Norm Macdonald, Fred Wolf
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Robert Simonds Productions
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 12, 1998, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 19, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $10.0M
Runtime: 1h 21m
Sound Mix: Surround

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