The Long Kiss Goodnight

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2:26

The Long Kiss Goodnight

R

1996

2h 1m

Action

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

68%

Tomatometer

62 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

Full Review

David Ansen

Newsweek

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

Feb 16, 2011

Full Review

Richard Corliss

TIME Magazine

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

Feb 16, 2011

Full Review

Frank J. Avella

The Contending

...what makes the film soar—and it does, often—are the performances led by an absolutely commanding Davis. Jackson is no slouch either. This is one of his best turns.

Rated: B

Mar 25, 2025

Full Review

Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

This is almost a poster child for mediocre mid-90s action cinema.

Rated: 5/10

Jan 17, 2025

Full Review

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

Full Review

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Fan T

Quite implausible in many scenes,but great special effects.She's subjected to drowning torture but they bring her up,her right hand is untied,& she has a gun.Huh???Fun to watch,though.I'd compare it to "Black Panther",it's like a long video game.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/10/25

Full Review

Cat H

I like the journey, collecting breadcrumbs if you will, on the way through escalating difficulties to a surprisingly delightful ending! I love this movie inspite of it's being an R-rated one and so of course the coarse language. I've watched it several times, and am watching it right now and will watch it again! Great movie, well-written, well-casted and awesome! What do the stuffy critics know? Not much with a required quota to meet, x-amt of yays and x-amts of nays! How can they be unbiased? They aren't! It's a great movie, worth watching, gives the watcher quite a roller-coaster ride of emotions!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

JON M

A fun watch that takes a while to get going but the pace does pick up in the "Crossing the threshold" part of Samantha's journey. The movie has that mix of pleasable 90s aesthetic and yet unfortunately being a product of it's time in terms of it's production limitations. But as with many movies of that era, these limitations are made up by great storytelling, witty & hilarious dialogue, good pacing & not getting sidetracked, and having fantastic actors like Davis & Jackson kill it. Jackson, particularly, is hysterical and had me laughing out loud with his constant zingers and one-liners. A shame it didn't do well with critics upon it's release, but it's nice to see that over time the movie has become a cult classic.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/07/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme mais ou menos, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são mais ou menos, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, a história é fraca, os personagens sao fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes para fazer o filme ser bom.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/10/25

Full Review

Mary V

I am not usually an action movie fan but I love this. Samuel L. Jackson is the highlight of this film. "I'm always frank and earnest with women. In New York I'm Frank... and Chicago I'm Ernest."

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/01/25

Full Review

Joan D

It’s a little dated, almost 30 years later, but I love it just as much as I did in 1996. These two were perfectly pair for this non-stop action, roller-coaster ride of a movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/27/25

Full Review

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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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The Long Kiss Goodnight: Trailer 1

2:26

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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: New Line Cinema, Forge
Rating: R
Genre: Action, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 21, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $33.4M
Runtime: 2h 1m
Sound Mix: Surround

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