The Long Kiss Goodnight

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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

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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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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

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Grant Watson

Fiction Machine

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

Rated: 5/10

Jan 17, 2025

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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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Tom F

I enjoyed this when I first saw it, now it is a strange time capsule of the strengths and flaws of the period’s action films.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/25

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Farah R

Despite a couple of top-notch action sequences, the story is too far-fetched and structurally flawed. Davis and Jackson add a fun flare though.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/12/25

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Alana J

Absolute banger of a Female Led Christmas Action movie!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/30/24

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Juli M

This movie is stupidly bad. The plot, the script, the overkill... I kept falling asleep only to keep waking up, thinking I had been dreaming about watching a stupidly bad movie. I can't believe it got so many good reviews. That borders on tragic. God have mercy on us.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

12/29/24

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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

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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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, 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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