Sea of Love

R

1989

1 hr. 52 min.

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

List

75%

32 Reviews

Tomatometer

66%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Troubled New York City detective Frank Keller (Al Pacino) investigates a serial killer who finds victims using personal ads in a magazine and leaves the song "Sea of Love" playing at his crime scenes. With the help of his partner, Sherman Touhey (John Goodman), Frank concocts a plan to find the killer using his own personal ads. But when Frank falls for one of his chief suspects, Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin), he struggles to reconcile his personal life and his professional duty.

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Critics Consensus

Moody and steadily alluring, Sea of Love benefits immeasurably from the window-fogging chemistry between Ellen Barkin and Al Pacino.

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Christian K

So the song is absolute fire, Pacino is in his lunatic bag in this one. Just wildly all over the place start to finish.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/11/24

Full Review

Alec B

Pacino is quite good here and I liked the earlier scenes which have both an air of authenticity and good dialogue but the romance and the final twist are both entirely unconvincing. The movie fittingly ends with a ridiculous scene.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

Larry K

Fun thriller. Pacino is always great

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

12/26/23

Full Review

Devin B

Great performances from its leasing actors and it doesn't stop from keeping you guessing until the end!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/17/23

Full Review

caTones S

When this came out, I remembered the trailer in theatres and told my college self, what a boring looking movie. And the first couple of times Insaw this, I thought it was mediocre at best. Many years later, past my mid-life crisis age, I found the movie to be hilarious, gripping, intense and beautifully tragic with a perfect ending, by ending, I am not referring to the resolution, but the chemistry between Pacino and Barkin's character as the scene faded to black. Many excellent performances here including supporting roles from a very young Samuel L. Jackson and a nice comedic performance by John Goodman. What makes me love this movie most is Barkin and Pacino. One of my all time favorites.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/23/23

Full Review

Nizar N

Although actually a fusion of crime, thriller, comedy, and romance, there is no inconsistency, whether with the plot, the scenes, or the pacing. The chemistry between Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin itself should make Sea of Love worth watching, let alone the aforementioned. And you get to listen to the song of the same name a few times, without it getting boring as the director/producers ensured the same part doesn't play over and over again.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

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Harold Becker

Director

Al Pacino

Det. Frank Keller

Ellen Barkin

Helen Cruger

John Goodman

Det. Sherman

Michael Rooker

Terry

William Hickey

Frank Keller Sr.

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Derek Adams

Time Out

Efficient enough as a thriller, but what makes this mandatory viewing is the return of Pacino.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Vincent Canby

New York Times

A lugubrious imitation of a second-rate television movie, over-produced and over-cast.

Rated: 2/5

May 20, 2003

Full Review

Joe Brown

Washington Post

Price and director Harold Becker build in enough jumps and scares and good red herrings to be satisfying ...

Jan 1, 2000

Full Review

Terry Francis

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

Sea of Love barely dips below the surface of the psycho-killer genre and it barely has time for the emotional complexity of its secondary characters. Yet Sea of Love is genuinely entertaining.

May 9, 2023

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

A somewhat conventional police thriller, from which I cannot extract any significant intrigue beyond the palpable chemistry between Al Pacino and Ellen Barkin. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 6/10

Aug 9, 2022

Full Review

Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

The film is passionate, entertaining, well written, and directed with acceptable competence. [Full review in Spanish]

Jul 12, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Troubled New York City detective Frank Keller (Al Pacino) investigates a serial killer who finds victims using personal ads in a magazine and leaves the song "Sea of Love" playing at his crime scenes. With the help of his partner, Sherman Touhey (John Goodman), Frank concocts a plan to find the killer using his own personal ads. But when Frank falls for one of his chief suspects, Helen Cruger (Ellen Barkin), he struggles to reconcile his personal life and his professional duty.

Director: Harold Becker
Screenwriter: Richard Price
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 18, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $56.6M
Sound Mix: Surround

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