The Long Kiss Goodnight

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The Long Kiss Goodnight

R

1996

2h 0m

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

70%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Schoolteacher and single mother Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) lives an average suburban life -- until she begins having strange memories of unexplained violence and discovers that she has physical skills that she never imagined. Hiring private detective Mitch Hennessey (Samuel L. Jackson) to probe into her past, Samantha discovers that she's a well-trained government assassin who went missing after suffering a bout of amnesia and that her former handlers want her back in their employ.

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Critics Consensus

Smart, sharp-witted, and fueled by enjoyably over-the-top action, The Long Kiss Goodnight makes up in impact what it lacks in consistent aim.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Frankly, if I had to see either Harlin-Davis movie again, I'd opt for the klutzy unpleasantness of Cutthroat Island over the efficient if equally stupid unpleasantness of this 1996 release.

Oct 25, 2011

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David Ansen

Newsweek

The Long Kiss Goodnight is the fall's best summer movie.

Feb 16, 2011

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Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

Like the heroine, the movie has two personalities that smartly coexist.

Feb 16, 2011

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Kat Halstead

Common Sense Media

Just a year after Davis teamed up with director, and then husband, Renny Harlin on the box office flop Cutthroat Island, the two returned with another overegged and overlong action thriller.

Dec 4, 2024

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a decent-enough actioner trapped within the confines of a wildly overlong misfire.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 13, 2022

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Mal Vincent

The Virginian-Pilot

This movie is so bad that it needs to be seen to be fathomed.

Rated: 1.5/4

Mar 10, 2022

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Audience Member

Honestly this movie felt all over the place. Like they couldn’t commit to showing one thing at a time, and instead tried to be as ambitious as possible. It’s unfortunate this movie didn’t click with me, because the on screen chemistry was actually awesome. I feel this movie could have been a lot more interesting if she was switching between Samantha and Charlene the whole time. Watching them contradict each others emotions and slowly come to a resolution throughout the movie would have been a very interesting conflict. I also think Sam L. J was the best performance in the movie. But it’s still so damn close between Geena and Sam, they should have done more stuff together (with better scripts of course). Maybe I’ll rewatch this someday and find that I’ve changed my mind. For now it’s a 2.5/5 stars from me.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/23/24

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mark g

Great action, very sharp and witty banter. Definitely worth the ticket, popcorn and Mr. Pibb.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/13/24

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Anton H

I always thought “True Lies” could never be dethroned as the greatest action-comedy ever. Well, this one came close! Wildly entertaining and full of twists, this popcorn flick is loads of fun, adrenaline, big laughs, and suspense.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/08/24

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N C

Saw this when it first came out and watched it for the 4th or 5th time tonight. Still love it. I'm not a fan of action movies but Davis and Jackson have a ball and it's a great combo of gags and violence. Never takes itself too seriously. What's there not to like?

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/07/24

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Narciso R

I'm sure loved by many conspiracy buffs. NRJ.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/25/24

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Joel H

Much like the lead character in The Long Kiss Goodnight, this movie constantly forgets what it is. I almost got whiplash from the tonal shifts, not to mention the choppy editing and leaps in logic. The action scenes and dramatic moments are laughable, whereas the comedy is not. I was shocked by how ridiculous some of the moments are. I think both Geena Davis & Samuel L. Jackson are good actors, but you wouldn't know it from watching this. Although compared to the rest of the cast, they do all right. I was curious as to what this story was about, but now I happily bid goodbye to The Long Kiss Goodnight.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/27/24

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Renny Harlin

Director

Geena Davis

Samantha Caine; Charly Baltimore

Samuel L. Jackson

Mitch Henessey

Patrick Malahide

Leland Perkins

Craig Bierko

Timothy

Brian Cox

Dr. Nathan Waldman

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Synopsis

Schoolteacher and single mother Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) lives an average suburban life -- until she begins having strange memories of unexplained violence and discovers that she has physical skills that she never imagined. Hiring private detective Mitch Hennessey (Samuel L. Jackson) to probe into her past, Samantha discovers that she's a well-trained government assassin who went missing after suffering a bout of amnesia and that her former handlers want her back in their employ.

Director: Renny Harlin
Producer: Renny Harlin, Stephanie Austin, Shane Black
Screenwriter: Shane Black
Production Co: Forge, New Line Cinema
Rating: R
Genre: Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 21, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $33.4M
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Surround

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