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The French Connection

Play trailer 2:46 Poster for The French Connection R Released Oct 7, 1971 1h 44m Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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97% Tomatometer 92 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
New York Detective Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) and his partner (Roy Scheider) chase a French heroin smuggler.
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The French Connection

The French Connection

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Critics Consensus

Realistic, fast-paced and uncommonly smart, The French Connection is bolstered by stellar performances by Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider, not to mention William Friedkin's thrilling production.

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Critics Reviews

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Wendy Ide Times (UK) Gritty, downbeat and, in Hackman’s “Popeye” Doyle, fronted by one of the most unlikely heroes that cinema had seen, this was one of the great films of Hollywood’s most creatively uncompromising period. Jan 27, 2024 Full Review Ben Kern Minneapolis Star Tribune [The film] is neither a documentary nor a grim slice of life but simply entertainment -- violent and bloody, yes, but still the kind of action and suspense stuff that kept the pulp fiction magazine alive for years and still intrigues most of us. May 16, 2023 Full Review Pauline Kael The New Yorker It's not what I want not because it fails but because of what it is. It is, I think, what we once feared mass entertainment might become: jolts for jocks. Jul 29, 2022 Full Review David Elliott Chicago Daily News The French Connection gives us suspense mixed with violence, and the cocktail is so volatile that you don't really care if the film is nothing more than two hours of fun in the dark. Oct 3, 2023 Full Review Joseph Robinson Fish Jelly Films (YouTube) Filled with heart pounding sequences, The French Connection satisfies as a gritty crime drama. Rated: 4/5 Aug 13, 2023 Full Review Mark Johnson Awards Daily Embedded in the style and themes of classic film noir, The French Connection is a grim and relentless detective thriller that is celebrated as one of the most authentic films about police work (and features the greatest car chase in film history). Jun 8, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Benjamin H The French Connection knows how to build and maintain suspense while also having a clean eye for detail, a gritty athmosphere and splendid performances from Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider. While the start and ending could have been handled in a more orderly fashion, this is still a smart and well paced old school noir thriller that i highly recommend. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/05/25 Full Review William B Good movie. Too violent for my taste, on the other hand. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/28/24 Full Review thiago s filme legal, o filme não é tão atrativo, mas as cenas de ações são muito boas, e também a bela atuação de gene hackman no filme, mas o mistério fica, quem deu o ultimo tiro no filme na perseguição dentro do galpão? é um filme que eu recomendo. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/08/24 Full Review Lewie J Wow. What tripe. I’m assuming many rate this highly as they regard it a ‘classic’. That doesn’t wash with me. I know, let’s set up a road block that’s so obvious that the crooks can reverse and head back to the disused building so we can have a shoot out and have lone cops walk through the building while a big bunch of other cops shoot into said building from outside… Awful direction, awful effects, awful story line. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 09/04/24 Full Review Rosana B Antecessor de grandes filmes de gângster policial, aqui apenas mediano, um pouco cansativo e longo, pouca conexão e personagens apáticos, extrema seriedade, afinal baseada em fatos criminais históricos e apesar das 7 indicações e 5 Oscar não me apareceu... A icônica cena de perseguição de um carro a um trem elevado (seria o precursor de Velozes e Furiosos) muito bom, hoje apenas muito bom, deu me preguiça, faltou me simpatia e empatia, enfadonho... Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 09/01/24 Full Review Fer S It's OK. Nothing great. I did not find the chase scene to be that iconic to be honest. Overrated in my opinion. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/30/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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The French Connection

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The French Connection

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Movie Info

Synopsis New York Detective Popeye Doyle (Gene Hackman) and his partner (Roy Scheider) chase a French heroin smuggler.
Director
William Friedkin
Producer
Philip D'Antoni
Screenwriter
Ernest Tidyman
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
20th Century Fox
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 7, 1971, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 25, 2015
Runtime
1h 44m
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