The Friends of Eddie Coyle

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The Friends of Eddie Coyle

R

1973

1h 40m

Crime

Drama

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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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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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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

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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

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John Huddy

Miami Herald

A beautifully constructed, finely acted drama that is starkly realistic at all turns.

Aug 24, 2021

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Nigel Watson

Starburst

For a gritty crime thriller without any gloss, this is it.

Aug 24, 2021

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Totally Legal A

Read a book. They made Jackie Brown white which led to Tarantino making one of the worst films of his career. Stick to the script, this is one movie that is only decent when doing so.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/17/25

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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

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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

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Taylor P

Good story but couldn't keep me interested enough to finish

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

10/08/23

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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

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Peter Yates

Director

Robert Mitchum

Eddie "Fingers" Coyle

Peter Boyle

Dillon

Richard Jordan

Dave Foley

Steven Keats

Jackie Brown

Alex Rocco

Jimmy Scalise

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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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