Night Moves

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Night Moves

R

Released Jun 11, 1975

1h 39m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

83%

Tomatometer

24 Reviews

71%

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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Penelope Gilliatt

New Yorker

I don't remember any other film that so freely moves, like a sleeper's imagination, among the realms of air, land, and water.

Dec 15, 2021

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Variety Staff

Variety

Night Moves is a paradox: a suspenseless suspenser, very well cast with players who lend sustained interest to largely synthetic theatrical characters.

Jul 23, 2008

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

One of Penn's best features; his direction of actors is sensitive and purposeful throughout.

Jul 23, 2008

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Dave Giannini

InSession Film

Night Moves is a movie that is not only worth your time, but is one that I see myself returning to on numerous occasions. Our cinema world is less interesting and darker without a presence like Hackman...

Feb 23, 2024

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Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

Sharp's dialogue is the gold standard of exhausted, Watergate-era fatalism. Few films embody a gloriously bummed-out era of American cinema better.

Jul 8, 2023

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...eventually progresses into a meandering midsection...

Rated: 2/4

Nov 27, 2021

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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

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Alec B

Even if the domestic problems plaguing Hackman's character seem a bit forced, all the stuff about him trying desperately to inhabit the role of a hard boiled Private Eye and failing is fascinating. Also, the movie has one hell of an ending.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/10/23

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Stephen C

One of the greatest films of the 70s and along with The Long Goodbye one of the greatest neo noirs of the period. Gene Hackman is at his best as Harry Mosby a private detective with a bad personal life and a case that threatens to engulf him . The film works because Hackman is powerless to stop everything happening around him and when he does put the pieces together it's far too late. In my view this is Arthur Penn's best film and one which is at last finding an audience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/05/23

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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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