Night Moves

Play trailer

Night Moves

R

Released Jun 11, 1975

1h 39m

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

83 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.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

A neo-noir that favors rich psychological depth and mood over suspense, Night Moves is elevated by Arthur Penn's introspective direction and Gene Hackman's brooding performance.

Read Critics Reviews

Dilys Powell

The Times (UK)

Night Moves never lets you escape.

May 29, 2025

Full Review

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

Tom Hutchinson

Radio Times

An enigmatic masterpiece whose pleasures are allusive and entirely cinematic.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 31, 2025

Full Review

Frances Taylor

Newark Star-Ledger

"Night Moves" is a confusing movie that has Gene Hackman confused from beginning to end.

Aug 27, 2025

Full Review

Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

Gene Hackman and director Arthur Penn team up for a lusty, depressive take on the private eye genre as a Tinseltown gumshoe treks to the Florida Keys in search of runaway sexpot Melanie Griffith.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 18, 2025

Full Review

Read all reviews

Jonathan O

A rapid fire of mystery and entertaining neo-noir thriller and Gene Hackman performance is really a force of nature and whole cast are splendid but the editing is okay but could have done better.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/27/25

Full Review

Clint E

In this neo-noir from 1975, Gene Hackman is reteamed with director Arthur Penn from Bonnie and Clyde. Hackman plays private investigator Harry Moseby, hired by an aging movie star to locate her runaway daughter, played by Melanie Griffith. If you didn’t already know, this film’s controversy derives from Griffith’s age at filming; look it up if you’re curious. The film’s got a fantastic, intricate plot containing many 70s film elements. Personally, I could live without the plotline involving Moseby’s shaky marriage and his wife’s (Susan Clark) infidelity. Besides Hackman’s, the character and performance most intriguing to me is Jennifer Warren’s Paula, a laid-back happily amoral embodiment of the Florida Keys lifestyle. She’s the most unusual character, one I’d like to know more about. They’re all great noir characters, including Griffith’s character’s faded star mother, all worthy descendants of noir creators Raymond Chandler and James M. Cain. There’s a sleazy connection between the runaway girl, an ex-stepfather, Hollywood stuntmen, and mechanic/ movie crew member Quentin (newcomer James Woods). Finally, the rationale for all the sinister plotting and murder is kind of anticlimactic, really…relics smuggled from the Yucatan? That’s the best you’ve got? The intricate plot and excellent characters deserve better. Recommended to all neo-noir and Gene Hackman (RIP) fans.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/17/25

Full Review

Revolver 0

Good movie with nice amount of tattas

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/05/25

Full Review

Brad S. R

A wickedly intriguing thriller.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/23/25

Full Review

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

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Arthur Penn

Director

Gene Hackman

Harry Moseby

Jennifer Warren

Paula

Melanie Griffith

Delly Grastner

Susan Clark

Ellen Moseby

Edward Binns

Joey Ziegler

Final Analysis

56%

44%

Final Analysis

Watchlist

Farewell, My Lovely

71%

71%

Farewell, My Lovely

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Farewell, My Lovely

Sisters

86%

71%

Sisters

Watchlist

Presumed Innocent

86%

67%

Presumed Innocent

Watchlist

Marathon Man

82%

81%

Marathon Man

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

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

Most Popular at Home Now