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The Big Racket

1976 1h 44m Crime Drama Horror List
Tomatometer 2 Reviews 76% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Sent to a small Italian village to investigate corruption, a police detective finds the locals reluctant to talk to outsiders.

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The Big Racket

Critics Reviews

View All (2) Critics Reviews
Budd Wilkins Slant Magazine Writer-director Enzo G. Castellari is a maestro of the action set piece. Apr 19, 2022 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy The Big Racket is frequently exciting, but the rampant stupidity of various characters reveals a breakdown in screenwriting prowess. Rated: 2.5/4 Apr 23, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Cameron G Enzo G. Castellari does not disappoint! This is one of the most famous Poliziotteschi films and I can definitely see why. It builds up suspense and then it has a very mind blowing ending. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/15/24 Full Review Audience Member The Big Racket is a wild violent vigilante film since Charles Bronson's Death Wish and 1983 Vigilante with some amazing stunts works and cinematography and good filmmaking by Enzo G. Castellari. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/07/22 Full Review Audience Member Both of the Enzo G. Castellari movies on Rogue Cops and Racketeers: Two Crime Thrillers pus action further than anything we'll see on screens this year, both films backed with brutality and danger both in the film and in making it, as there are no computers to make these stunts look like they're spitting in death's face. They're all real, all true, pure guts and balls and power. Nico Palmieri (Fabio Testi) is one man against a crime syndicate that starts with robbing a small town and charging them protection money, but has aims much higher. Nico's hands are tied by the system so he forms his own squad of vigilantes who have each been damaged by the mob: a criminal named Pepe (Vincent Gardenia); Piero Mazzarelli (Glauco Onorato), who has been crippled by the gang; Luigi Giulti (Renzo Palmer), whose daughter was raped by the gang and who then committed suicide (this scene is Death Wish brutal and it's even worse when you realize that it's Castellari's daughter Stefania playing the role), Gianna Rossetti (Orso Maria Guerrini), an Olympic marksman whose wife Anna was assaulted and killed by the mob — after they urinate all over her and set his house on fire, making them beyond Death Wish 3 goons — and the mercenary Doringo (Romano Puppo). Nico's lost his badge to take down crime. Will his gang be able to stop the crimewave? There's a scene where Testi is in a car that goes down a hill. We watch it slowly fall apart and glass flies directly at the actor and it looks truly harrowing because, well, it was. When you don't have budgets and you don't have time and all you have is guts, you shoot the movie. The end of this movie is apocalyptic. Bullets fly, cars explode, fire is everywhere and by the end, even the shotgun that Testi grips can't solve everything. His rage closes the movie, as crime doesn't go away just because you're a good man trying to save the world. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Matthew D An orgy of bone-cracking stunts and brutal carnage. This is how you made a goddamn action movie! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/25/21 Full Review Audience Member The best film in the poliziotteschi offerings of Enzo G Castellari. Fabio Testi is great in the lead. Vincent Gardenia provides much needed comic relief. Some great shoot outs, even when compared to today's fare. One of the best music scores by Guido & Maurizio De Angelis. Has some moments of extreme violence, so viewer discretion is advised. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Pretty great opening and lead up - but a final act that leaves you dumbfounded. Also far too much rape. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Big Racket

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis Sent to a small Italian village to investigate corruption, a police detective finds the locals reluctant to talk to outsiders.
Director
Enzo G. Castellari
Producer
Galliano Juso
Screenwriter
Enzo G. Castellari, Massimo De Rita, Arduino Maiuri
Production Co
Cinemaster S.R.L.
Genre
Crime, Drama, Horror
Original Language
Italian
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 27, 2014
Runtime
1h 44m
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