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The Friends of Eddie Coyle

Play trailer Poster for The Friends of Eddie Coyle R Released Jun 26, 1973 1h 40m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
98% Tomatometer 41 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
Aging Boston gunrunner Eddie Coyle (Robert Mitchum) is looking at several years of jail time for a hold-up if he doesn't funnel information to Dave Foley (Richard Jordan), an ATF agent. Eddie buys some guns from another gunrunner, Jackie Brown (Steven Keats), then gives him up to Foley, but the agent isn't satisfied. Conflicted, Eddie decides to also give up the gang of bank robbers he's been supplying, only to find that Foley already knows about them, and the mob believes Eddie snitched.
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The Friends of Eddie Coyle

The Friends of Eddie Coyle

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Critics Consensus

The Friends of Eddie Coyle sees Robert Mitchum in transformative late-career mode in a gritty and credible character study.

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Critics Reviews

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Ty Burr Ty Burr's Watch List (Substack) Mitchum just is. The one-time hero of 1940s film noirs knows he’s working with shades of gray here and that there are no heroes and not really any tough guys, only the successful and the dead. Rated: 4/4 May 24, 2022 Full Review G.J. Fleming Orlando Sentinel Thanks to Mitchum's finest job of acting in a long while, a strong story and polished direction, "Eddie Coyle" is a surprisingly interesting character study. Aug 24, 2021 Full Review Elston Brooks Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com Yates has fashioned one of the year's tautest dramas without having to rely on gimmicks like the premier high-speed auto chase that trademarked his earlier "Bullitt." Aug 24, 2021 Full Review Paine Knickerbocker San Francisco Examiner Under Peter Yates' direction, Robert Mitchum -- who in talented hands has always been one of the screen's top actors -- and Peter Boyle are touching, chilling, and excellent. Aug 24, 2021 Full Review John Huddy Miami Herald A beautifully constructed, finely acted drama that is starkly realistic at all turns. Aug 24, 2021 Full Review Nigel Watson Starburst For a gritty crime thriller without any gloss, this is it. Aug 24, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Paul S Worth watching if only for the 70's rundown urban Massachusetts motif. This is a blue collar mob flick. No romanticized wiseguy antics. Just good acting and storytelling. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/25/24 Full Review Aldo G The walls of the law are caving in on Eddie Coyle (Robert Mitchum), so he chooses to betray his friends. The cast delivers credible performances, and location shooting throughout Boston furthers the credibility. It almost feels like a documentary. Kudos to director Peter Yates. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/03/24 Full Review Taylor P Good story but couldn't keep me interested enough to finish Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/08/23 Full Review CodyZamboni Movie is surprisingly gritty, realistic, and dialogue heavy, ala pre- Tarantino. Anchored by a great, low key peformance by Robert Mitchum Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/16/23 Full Review Red T A Hidden All Time Classic Gem. The music is catchy and memorable. The editing is really good although it can be a bit jumpy and complex bordering on a Noir type complicated but it makes sense eventually. The pacing is excellent with and so is the cinematography with Boston being a very memorable location and great camerawork for all on location shots. The bank robberies are super intense as well. The thing that makes this standout though this the phenomenal acting, if it wasn't as good as it is this wouldn't be as riveting. Mitchum is the standout though hands down and excellent jobs by the supporting cast as well. This is something everyone should see once. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/14/23 Full Review Allen A Authentic old school gangster movie. A fantastic cast of characters that made this movie so enjoyable. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Friends of Eddie Coyle

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Movie Info

Synopsis Aging Boston gunrunner Eddie Coyle (Robert Mitchum) is looking at several years of jail time for a hold-up if he doesn't funnel information to Dave Foley (Richard Jordan), an ATF agent. Eddie buys some guns from another gunrunner, Jackie Brown (Steven Keats), then gives him up to Foley, but the agent isn't satisfied. Conflicted, Eddie decides to also give up the gang of bank robbers he's been supplying, only to find that Foley already knows about them, and the mob believes Eddie snitched.
Director
Peter Yates
Producer
Paul Monash
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 26, 1973, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 15, 2011
Runtime
1h 40m
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