52 Pick-Up

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52 Pick-Up

R

Released Nov 7, 1986

1h 49m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

58%

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19 Reviews

47%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

Based on a novel by Elmore Leonard, this gritty movie follows a plot to blackmail wealthy industrialist Harry Mitchell (Roy Scheider). Married to an aspiring politician (Ann-Margret), Harry has been caught having an affair with Cini (Kelly Preston), a much younger woman. When Harry doesn't play by the rules of his blackmailers, they begin an escalating chain of violence that extends to murder. Undaunted, Harry decides to fight back against the criminals.

Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

A movie is only as good as its villain. John Frankenheimer's 52 Pick-Up provides us with the best, most reprehensible villain of the year and uses his vile charm as the starting point for a surprisingly good film.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jan 1, 2000

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Paul Attanasio

Washington Post

John Frankenheimer has directed "52 Pick-Up" in a style so devoid of nuance, the movie almost watches itself.

Jan 1, 2000

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...John Frankenheimer’s 52 Pick-Up is a reasonably proficent if brutal revenge thriller; not a bad Elmore Leonard adaptation, and easily one of the best from the Cannon studio, which isn’t saying much given the awfulness of their output….

Rated: 3/5

Aug 23, 2025

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Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

What sets it apart from countless other tawdry thrillers of its era are the film’s ruthless efficiency and astonishing cruelty. This movie has a mean streak a mile wide.

Apr 12, 2025

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Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

Frankenheimer holds everything together with determination, and keeps things firmly moving even when they turn ridiculous.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 5, 2023

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

52 Pick-Up is about as sleazy as a mainstream movie can get -- the natural reaction after watching it is to take a shower -- but the movie features not one, not two, but three memorable villains.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jul 31, 2023

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Garry A

It's a film about a victim turning the tables on three guys who try and hold him up for ransom. The victim isn't a likeable guy and puts his wife in danger. You can't root for him.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

09/14/25

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Jelisije J

An underrated gem of the neo noir genre where John Glover steals the show as a charismatic sociopath blackmailing a husband who cheated on his wife.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/24/25

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C.C. R

Lots of quotable lines...Great thriller...brilliant.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/30/24

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Kim P

John Glover's spot-on Baltimore accent is the main reason to watch this...along with Ann Margret, always worth watching.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/07/24

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J M

I found this to be a criminally underrated thriller that was one of the great viewing surprises I've had in a long time. The works of Elmore Leonard have also been the basis for such films as GET SHORTY and my beloved JACKIE BROWN. And this one pretty much has it all - murder, sex, betrayal, money and revenge. It's one heck of a good time! Scheider does a good job in the good-guy-who-makes-bad-decisions role that Michael Douglas would soon dominate. Ann-Marget is a smart, warm presence - I've always considered her an undervalued actress. The confession scene between Scheider and her is expertly written and played. Best of all is a trio of villains who turn on themselves as often as their prey. Glover's countenance cries scrawny accountant more than lethal bad guy, but he is truly memorable and quite intimidating. The ending is a bit overly clever for my taste, and one would like to think these characters are smart enough to realize that locking their doors would solve a lot of their problems. But this is an action suspense thriller that I would gladly watch again and considering it's a genre I'm not always fond about, that's saying something! - Jeff Marshall, Movie Blogger (Facebook)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/18/24

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Amber L

We had so much fun working on 52 Pick-Up. Roy Scheider was so cool - totally starstruck.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/05/23

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John Frankenheimer

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Roy Scheider

Harry Mitchell

Ann-Margret

Barbara Mitchell

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Synopsis

Based on a novel by Elmore Leonard, this gritty movie follows a plot to blackmail wealthy industrialist Harry Mitchell (Roy Scheider). Married to an aspiring politician (Ann-Margret), Harry has been caught having an affair with Cini (Kelly Preston), a much younger woman. When Harry doesn't play by the rules of his blackmailers, they begin an escalating chain of violence that extends to murder. Undaunted, Harry decides to fight back against the criminals.

Director: John Frankenheimer
Producer: Yoram Globus, Menahem Golan
Screenwriter: Elmore Leonard, John Steppling
Distributor: Cannon
Production Co: Cannon Group, Golan-Globus Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 7, 1986, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.3M
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: Surround