In the Line of Fire

R

Released Jul 9, 1993

2 hr. 8 min.

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

TRAILER

for In the Line of Fire: Trailer 1

List

96%

73 Reviews

Tomatometer

79%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A Secret Service agent is taunted by calls from a would-be killer who has detailed information about the agent - including the fact that he failed to save President John F. Kennedy from assassination. The caller is revealed as an ex-CIA assassin, and the agent, who is investigating a threat to the current president, is determined not to let history repeat itself.

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Critics Consensus

A straightforward thriller of the highest order, In the Line of Fire benefits from Wolfgang Peterson's taut direction and charismatic performances from Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich.

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Test T

I watched this on DVD. It's good, but has a flaw which stops it from being the great movie it should have been. The film's runtime is just over 2 hours, and for a good proportion of that time we see some great cat and mouse scenes played out between Eastwood and Malcovich operating at the top of their game. The action, stunts and dialogue are superb, and a real treat for the viewer. Rene Russo provides an effective love interest, giving Eastwood's Frank opportunities to show his softer self which is pleasant and adds depth. The problem is that every now and then Frank gets reflective and delivers boring monologues to camera about his past career. Cutting these would enhance the movie because they add little that the viewer has not already figured out, and spoil the otherwise tight pacing of the film. Highly recommended never the less. Oh, and I really enjoyed the opening scene with the counterfeiter which is a very effective attention grabber and introduces us to Frank perfectly.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/27/24

Full Review

James A

Fair to say underrated? Yes, its reputation is good, but this pic doesn't get the notoriety it deserves as a real top-level thriller. For me, it's better than The Silence of the Lambs. In the Line of Fire offers a very engaging premise, excellent direction from Wolfgang, and strong acting especially by John Malkovich.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/08/23

Full Review

Max W

Wolfgang Petersen's direction and orchestration set a strong tone for the film, and John Malkovich's standout performance adds an extra layer of brilliance to this occasionally lackluster thriller.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Clint Eastwood, John Malkovich, Renee Russo, and Dylan McDermott Nobody could stop the assassination of John F. Kennedy Frank Horrigan, a secret service agent is the last remaining agent of the ones assigned to protect him back in November 1963 and a disillusioned CIA operative Mitch Leary is tracking him down Frank has to stop him from committing another assassination on the current commander in chief Malkovich has the perfect amount of menace and uneasiness given he's been studying Frank for some time Eastwood gives some of the best performances of his career He and Russo have insanely good chemistry The mystery is fascinating, the score is very good, and the two leads have such a repertoire thanks to director Wolfgang Peterson For government officials is it all about window dressing?, is the job heroic or absurd?, the country can betray us in a way, protecting the president are we willing to take a bullet? All of this has us concerned with the values of first responders, law enforcement, government officials putting themselves on the line for patriotism This is a top notch political thriller even if it's familiar formula

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/12/23

Full Review

Logan M

A very, very good political thriller film with an iconic performance from Clint Eastwood.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/22/23

Full Review

Agrapha P

Few films like these get made these days. Dramatic, engaging, full of action, suspense and thrills that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Clint Eastwood leads an ensemble cast. Enjoy!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/01/23

Full Review

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Wolfgang Petersen

Director

Clint Eastwood

Frank Horrigan

John Malkovich

Mitch Leary

Rene Russo

Lilly Raines

Dylan McDermott

Al D'Andrea

Gary Cole

Bill Watts

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In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - Fatal Fall

1:40

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - Blocking the Bullet

2:13

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - Are You Going to Shoot Me, Frank?

2:13

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - Rendezvous With My Ass

2:00

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - If Only I Reacted

2:06

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - Aim High

1:49

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - The Irony's So Thick

1:50

In the Line of Fire: Official Clip - You're Under Arrest, Too

2:12

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In the Line of Fire: Trailer 1

1:22

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Generously exciting, In the Line of Fire is mercifully free of that artificial energy that makes so many new movies look as if they were created with steroids.

Jan 29, 2019

Full Review

Clifford Terry

Chicago Tribune

Petersen directs his film in a straightforward, workmanlike fashion-few surprises here -- and, curiously, for most of the film is better at establishing a kind of amiability than a hard tension.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 30, 2013

Full Review

Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Director Wolfgang Petersen moves the story along, but his real job is to simply stay out of the way of his two racehorse lead actors. And he does.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 30, 2013

Full Review

Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

A generally smart, adult thriller.

Rated: B

Aug 31, 2022

Full Review

Cory Woodroof

615 Film

The classic 90s political thriller, complete with an air-tight script for 2+ hours, some great performances and a steady hand from Wolfgang Petersen.

Jun 25, 2022

Full Review

Quentin Crisp

Christopher Street

This is a picture which I would simply hate to have missed. It is a totally conventional film, but is none the worse for that. A good movie is a series of gloriously foregone conclusions, and Fire is no exception.

Apr 6, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

A Secret Service agent is taunted by calls from a would-be killer who has detailed information about the agent - including the fact that he failed to save President John F. Kennedy from assassination. The caller is revealed as an ex-CIA assassin, and the agent, who is investigating a threat to the current president, is determined not to let history repeat itself.

Director: Wolfgang Petersen
Screenwriter: Jeff Maguire
Distributor: Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation, Castle Rock Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 9, 1993, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $102.2M
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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