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Who'll Stop the Rain?

Play trailer Poster for Who'll Stop the Rain? R Released Aug 2, 1978 2h 5m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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79% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
A jaded journalist, John (Michael Moriarty), and a Vietnam vet, Ray (Nick Nolte), are adrift after returning home from the war. With not much to lose, they hatch a scheme to smuggle heroin from Vietnam into the U.S., which stands to make them a fortune. Instead, the pair and John's wife (Tuesday Weld) find themselves on the run from drug dealers and a crooked DEA agent (Anthony Zerbe). Along the way, Ray shows their opponents some of the useful combat skills he picked up in the war.
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Who'll Stop the Rain?

Critics Reviews

View All (14) Critics Reviews
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The movie works mostly because it's so well told on the narrative level. Rated: 3/4 Jun 16, 2018 Full Review Gary Arnold Washington Post A remarkably faithful and astute adaptation of a strong novel, the film condenses Stone's book, which won the National Book Award for fiction in 1975, without doing irreparable damage to its story, principal characters or larger meanings. Apr 30, 2018 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) Who'll Stop the Rain is a film that is repugnant and excellent at the same time. It's the classic dichotomy of depth versus form, or vice versa. [Full review in Spanish] Jan 18, 2024 Full Review Ellin Stein Berkeley Barb Who'll Stop the Rain is a suspense-adventure movie given greater weight and complexity by undertones of moral questions which, if unsolved, are at least raised. May 12, 2021 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Like the same year's more celebrated Vietnam War endeavors The Deer Hunter and Coming Home, this assured picture similarly examines the effects of the war on not only those who served but also those who remained stateside. Rated: 3/4 Apr 3, 2021 Full Review Bernard Drew Gannett News Service I wish someone would tell me why Who'll Stop the Rain? was made, what motivates its characters, and what it's really about. Nov 1, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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bob c Very dated period classic. A parable about the Vietnam defeat, the end of hippie, and the beginning of the drugs epidemic. By current standards the acting and action are hopeless. Nick’s hair is a marvel. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/25 Full Review CodyZamboni Z Watchable action drama as Nick Nolte battles drug smugglers. A bit too long, with too many annoying characters. But the rocket propelled grenade action was cool. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/23/24 Full Review Audience Member The best............................ Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 08/13/24 Full Review alan g Whoever said Nivk Nolte could act. Tepid crime drama with the flavor of the month characters, vietnam vets. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 04/02/24 Full Review Audience Member Needed less Michael Moriarty Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member aka Dog Soldiers. Karel Reisz, probably best known for the British classic Saturday Night and Sunday Morning takes the helm of this somewhat hidden doozy that is driven by a powerful Nick Nolte performance. It is stylistically reminiscent of both The Deer Hunter and Coming Home (both made the same year) with its Vietnam backdrop, hit record through lines, difficult love triangles, and expansive locations. Inevitably though, it suffered the fate of obscurity by going head to head with two stronger films with trendier casts and that went on to awards and critical acclaim. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Who'll Stop the Rain?

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Who'll Stop the Rain?

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Movie Info

Synopsis A jaded journalist, John (Michael Moriarty), and a Vietnam vet, Ray (Nick Nolte), are adrift after returning home from the war. With not much to lose, they hatch a scheme to smuggle heroin from Vietnam into the U.S., which stands to make them a fortune. Instead, the pair and John's wife (Tuesday Weld) find themselves on the run from drug dealers and a crooked DEA agent (Anthony Zerbe). Along the way, Ray shows their opponents some of the useful combat skills he picked up in the war.
Director
Karel Reisz
Producer
Herb Jaffe, Gabriel Katzka
Screenwriter
Judith Rascoe, Robert Stone
Distributor
United Artists
Production Co
Katzka-Jaffe
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 2, 1978, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008
Runtime
2h 5m
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