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Night Moves

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Night Moves

R

Released Jun 11, 1975

1h 39m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

79 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Hard-nosed private investigator Harry Moseby (Gene Hackman), to distract himself from a rapidly deteriorating marriage, takes a case from an aging B-movie queen (Janet Ward) to locate her runaway daughter, Delly (Melanie Griffith). His search takes him to the Florida Keys, where the girl has been hiding out with her stepfather, Tom (John Crawford), and Tom's lover, Paula (Jennifer Warren). Harry initiates an affair with Paula and soon learns the case is more complex than he first assessed it.

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Dilys Powell

Times (UK)

Night Moves never lets you escape.

May 29, 2025

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Richard Combs

Sight & Sound

In keeping with the fragmentary, allusive nature of Sharp's script, Penn gives a discontinuous episodic feeling to the film.

May 29, 2025

Full Review

Paul D. Zimmerman

Newsweek

The movie just vanishes, loose ends and all, in the pit of its own black vision.

May 29, 2025

Full Review

David Sterritt

Christian Science Monitor

Night Moves is rash and hard-edged, a remorseless gambit that seems to have been carelessly conceived from the beginning.

May 29, 2025

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Steve Hogner

Austin American-Statesman

Penn adds a peculiar European sense that details the minor points of characters in almost microscopic detail. It could have been innovative, but as it stands, it only serves to undercut what action and story are present.

May 28, 2025

Full Review

R.H. Gardner

Baltimore Sun

Hackman's performance make it all seem worthwhile, giving a work that is essentially a stock thriller the illusion of sensitivity and depth.

May 28, 2025

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Brad S. R

A wickedly intriguing thriller.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/23/25

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Mary C

Absolutely creepy. No plot, just several attempts to illicit sexual sensation's while looking at a 16 year old girl. Good job Hollywood for getting away with sexually soliciting a minor ....yuk Lots of problems with this and I am a very sexually healthy woman.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

11/29/24

Full Review

CodyZamboni Z

Solid mystery, Lots of smart dialogue and insight, Twisty plot, Sobering ending, Movie's plot and direction meanders alot, which I think is the point.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/01/24

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Simon T

Arthur Penn's 70s thriller has only grown in reputation since its initial release. Chess-playing private detective Harry Moseby is hired to trace the wayward teenage daughter of a faded Hollywood actress. What he uncovers is a Venn diagram of competing betrayals and secrets, culminating in several linked deaths. As much a mood piece as a whodunnit, it's anchored by another fine performance by Gene Hackman as the tortured tec.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/26/24

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Brian K

Hackman salvages this plot-deficient private detective story. Typical 70's noir ending.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/25/24

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sj w

it was a good watch and the ending was entertaining and surprising. some weird scenes but normal for the time I guess. decent main character from reddit : As with Jake Gittes in Chinatown, the downfall of Hackman's detective character (sorry but I forgot the name) is his emotional investment in the case. This emotional attachment is probably heightened by his marital troubles, but underneath that, there is a central decency and honesty to his character that is in some ways more human than most archetypal noir gumshoes. He's world-weary, yes, but not too cold or cynical as with the likes of Sam Spade.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/15/23

Full Review

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Arthur Penn

Director

Gene Hackman

Harry Moseby

Jennifer Warren

Paula

Melanie Griffith

Delly Grastner

Susan Clark

Ellen Moseby

Edward Binns

Joey Ziegler

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Synopsis

Hard-nosed private investigator Harry Moseby (Gene Hackman), to distract himself from a rapidly deteriorating marriage, takes a case from an aging B-movie queen (Janet Ward) to locate her runaway daughter, Delly (Melanie Griffith). His search takes him to the Florida Keys, where the girl has been hiding out with her stepfather, Tom (John Crawford), and Tom's lover, Paula (Jennifer Warren). Harry initiates an affair with Paula and soon learns the case is more complex than he first assessed it.

Director: Arthur Penn
Producer: Robert M. Sherman
Screenwriter: Alan Sharp
Production Co: Warner Bros.
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 11, 1975, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2011
Runtime: 1h 39m

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