Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

      View All
      Movies Tv shows Movie Trivia News Showtimes

      The Two Jakes

      1990, Mystery & thriller, 2h 17m

      29 Reviews 5,000+ Ratings

      You might also like

      See More
      Eye of the Needle
      Brubaker
      In Country
      Outrageous Fortune
      The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas

      Where to watch The Two Jakes

      Rent/buy Subscription Subscription Rent/buy

      Watch The Two Jakes with a subscription on Paramount Plus, Amazon Prime Video, rent on Apple TV, Vudu, or buy on Apple TV, Vudu.

      Rate And Review

      User image

      Verified

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)



      • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Step 2 of 2

        How did you buy your ticket?

        Let's get your review verified.

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

        You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)

      • How did you buy your ticket?

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

      The Two Jakes  Photos

      The Two Jakes (1990) The Two Jakes (1990) The Two Jakes (1990) The Two Jakes (1990) The Two Jakes (1990)

      Movie Info

      Private investigator and war veteran Jake Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is hired by real estate developer Jake Berman (Harvey Keitel) for some run-of-the-mill matrimonial work. After Berman shoots his wife's lover, who happens to be his own business partner, Gittes is drawn into a web of conspiracy and deceit involving the oil reserves beneath Los Angeles. While investigating, Gittes hears a voice from his past that causes him to revisit a traumatic case in Chinatown.

      • Rating: R

      • Genre: Mystery & thriller

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Jack Nicholson

      • Producer: Robert Evans, Harold Schneider, Jack Nicholson

      • Writer: Robert Towne

      • Release Date (Theaters):  wide

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Box Office (Gross USA): $9.4M

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Paramount Pictures

      • Production Co: Paramount Pictures, 88 Productions

      • Sound Mix: Surround, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track

      Cast & Crew

      Harvey Keitel
      Meg Tilly
      Madeleine Stowe
      Eli Wallach
      Rubén Blades
      David Keith
      Tracey Walter
      Joe Mantell
      Perry Lopez
      Jeff Morris
      Van Dyke Parks
      Vilmos Zsigmond
      Anne Goursaud
      Michael Daves
      Linda Rockstroh
      Robert Towne

      Critic Reviews for The Two Jakes

      Audience Reviews for The Two Jakes

      • Jul 07, 2021

        Yeah it pales in comparison to "Chinatown" but everyone involved here seems to know that was inevitable. At its best "The Two Jakes" plays like a lengthy epilogue reflecting on the previous movie's themes and surviving characters.

        Super Reviewer
      • Dec 01, 2012

        The long awaited sequel to Chinatown continues the story of Jake Gittes as he investigates the seedy underbelly of L.A. in The Two Jakes. This time Jake is caught up in a murder case when his client kills a man that's sleeping with his wife, but evidence soon comes to light that suggests that it was less of a crime of passion and more of an elaborate trap. Jack Nicholson, Harvey Keitel, Madeleine Stowe, and Meg Tilly form and especially strong cast, and give great performances. The characters and the mystery are quite compelling, but the plot's overly convoluted and detracts from the rest of the film. While The Two Jakes has its flaws, it still delivers a smart and stylistic film-noir that's captivating and provocative.

        Super Reviewer
      • Oct 12, 2012

        The Two Jakes suffers from what most sequels to highly successful and acclaimed films do, in that it relies too heavily on its predecessor, the revered Chinatown, to give it a narrative heft, and, in turn, doesn't work as well as it should on its own merits. It has an atmospheric mood and generally good acting, but a muddled plot too concerned with recalling back to the past, and executed with a meandering pace. The direction by Nicholson is largely hit and miss, with a number of good scenes with a keen sense of framing, but also, at times, seemingly unfocused. The actors do a good job keeping the story interesting which, along with great world building, make it passably worthwhile, yet still a disappointing follow-up. 3/5 Stars

        Super Reviewer
      • Nov 29, 2011

        For me, there was no way that "The Two Jakes" wasn't going to be at least a little disappointing. Making a decent sequel to the greatest film ever made is a hard feat to accomplish, but if you can understand the kind of talent involved during the production of "The Two Jakes" and realize its good intentions, then maybe you'll find yourself enjoying more than most have. Now, as a film, "The Two Jakes" passes as a noteworthy, if forgettable, retro-noir, but as a sequel to "Chinatown," it's awfully mediocre. To be completely honest, it's a total snooze-fest, and not only is it clunky, cheesy and confusing, but Jack Nicholson's direction is lackluster and poorly-paced, which is bad for a film that consists mostly of dialogue. Also, "The Two Jakes" possesses the unlikable qualities of being both unexciting and uninteresting. There isn't enough in it to make the audience care, and there were long stretches where I found myself getting fidgety. Overall, "The Two Jakes" contains moments of subtle brilliance, but it's really just too average to stand out.

        Super Reviewer

      Movie & TV guides

      View All