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The Morning After

Play trailer Poster for The Morning After R Released Dec 25, 1986 1h 42m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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63% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 38% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Failed actress Alex Sternbergen (Jane Fonda) wakes up hungover one morning in an apartment she does not recognize, unable to remember the previous evening -- and with a dead body in bed next to her. As she tries to piece together the events of the night, Alex cannot totally rely on friends or her estranged husband, Joaquin (Raul Julia), for assistance. Only a single ally, loner ex-policeman Turner Kendall (Jeff Bridges), can help her escape her predicament and find the true killer.
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The Morning After

Critics Reviews

View All (19) Critics Reviews
Richard Combs Sight & Sound The Morning After is, for a romantic thriller, perhaps over-burdened with possible patterns. Mar 27, 2020 Full Review Dan Callahan Slant Magazine Sidney Lumet directs wearily; as a thriller, it's full of holes. Rated: 2/4 Jun 17, 2007 Full Review Nell Minow Movie Mom Rated: 3/5 Feb 8, 2004 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews A palpable misfire... Rated: 2/4 Oct 26, 2020 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews The thriller is always looking for something that is missing and never finds it. Rated: C Apr 25, 2011 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com As an alcoholic ex-actress, Jane Fonda gives a brilliant, Oscar-nominated peformance in Lumet's routine thriller set (for a change) in L.A. Rated: B Jan 3, 2011 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (61) audience reviews
Jeff M This is an absolutely textbook example of an actor elevating the material he or she has been given. As a thriller, this really doesn't work at all. There isn't a single moment's hesitation as to "who did it", and we are bludgeoned with every suspenseful cliche imaginable. Characters behave so stupidly you want to scream at the screen. The musical score is kinda horrendous - ranging from a Muzak-ish theme to moments when the soprano saxophone practically makes your ears bleed. But... and this is a HUGE BUT... there is Jane Fonda, who is nothing less than magnificent. It's rare to see this caliber of acting in this type of film, but she pretty much single-handedly carries the whole enterprise on her aerobicized shoulders. When she awakens from her frequent hangovers, you can almost taste the bile in her mouth and feel her headaches. When she talks about her failed potential as an actress, her range of emotions is mind-boggling. One can't help but wonder what could have happened if this strong a performance had been in a film worthy of it. Bridges is one of my very favorite actors, but this isn't my favorite performance of his - and I didn't feel much chemistry between him and Fonda. I much preferred Fonda's scenes with Julia, who you want to see a lot more here than you do. This one's a tough call, but based on Jane, whose talent sadly tends to get overshadowed by her controversial personal life, I have to give it a slight recommendation. It's a reminder of what an extraordinary talent she is! Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/17/24 Full Review Alec B The screenplay slowly squanders its intriguing premise, which is a real shame as Fonda is clearly giving this her all. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/10/24 Full Review Nizar N The whole thing feels like it's constantly building up to something that's going to happen but it never really does. The last scene, despite its length, feels rushed, as it's extended in favor of a non-existent additional scene that should've been there, leaving the ending inadequate. It's unfair that a sloppy script can lower the level of the whole movie, especially with the moving performance from Jane Fonda and the great direction from Sidney Lumet. Nevertheless, because of those last two, The Morning After is not boring and can be an enjoyable watch if one does not really focus that much on the plot. It's more enjoyable than a lot of similar movies today. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Audience Member No ****ing thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review georgan g This crime thriller was interesting to keep up with. Jane Fonda did great acting. Liked her and Jeff Bridges chemistry. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The screenplay slowly squanders its intriguing premise, which is a real shame as Fonda is clearly giving this her all. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Morning After

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Failed actress Alex Sternbergen (Jane Fonda) wakes up hungover one morning in an apartment she does not recognize, unable to remember the previous evening -- and with a dead body in bed next to her. As she tries to piece together the events of the night, Alex cannot totally rely on friends or her estranged husband, Joaquin (Raul Julia), for assistance. Only a single ally, loner ex-policeman Turner Kendall (Jeff Bridges), can help her escape her predicament and find the true killer.
Director
Sidney Lumet
Producer
Bruce Gilbert
Screenwriter
James Hicks
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Lorimar Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 25, 1986, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA)
$22.4M
Runtime
1h 42m
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