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The French Connection

The French Connection

1971
Drama, Suspense/Thriller
1h 44m
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Avg Percentile 66.28% from 3913 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(3913)
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Rated 07 Feb 2008
91
93rd
An excellent cops and robbers tale that pulls no punches and acts in shades of grey rather than clear cut black and white. Hackman provides what might certainly be considered one of his best performances ever. Roy Scheider, whom I'm normally only marginally impressed with, is absolutely fantastic. Featuring one of the most memorable car chases I've ever seen The French Connection is an excellent film that is essential viewing.
Rated 25 Dec 2009
8
82nd
The ending to this one bugged me. They had this great ambiguous ending at first but then did this incredibly stupid text ending where they tell you what happened. Ugh. I mean, they already fictionalized and exaggerated the story so why tell me what actually happened to the guy at the end? This movie was pretty good though. A bit dated but the car chase was epic.
Rated 02 Mar 2010
86
84th
A great cop flick that takes its time to build up anticipation, and when you finally think it's almost over, they end up doing it again. A great thriller that will have you at the edge of your seat. The care chase sequence is absolutely brilliant, and everything from the train, the sniper on the roof, and the game of cat and mouse in the train station is wonderful. An extremely entertaining film with Hackman in a marvelous performance.
Rated 25 Nov 2010
90
92nd
We're gonna need a bigger boat. If the movie ended right before the text ending parts IT WOUDLVE BEEN BETTAH
Rated 04 Aug 2008
80
42nd
Honestly didn't lead up to the hype. Whole lotta nothing going on throughout film, which I assumed was just building for climax of film that wasn't that great of a climax. What a letdown. I'd been wanting to see this for a long time after hearing how awesome it was. Not sure what everybody else watched, this certainly wasn't awesome.
Rated 17 Aug 2014
60
68th
Saw a retrospective 'making of' doco, with an interview with a cop on whose activities this was based, who met Hackman before they made the film. He talked about how the cops didn't think Hackman would be able to play a tough manly cop like him, but Hackman did a great job; the smirking way he talked about it left no doubt he was implying Hackman is an effete artsy type if not actually gay. The doco then showed the scene where Hackman intimidates a guy by suggesting he had gay sex in prison.
Rated 31 May 2018
65
53rd
A whole lot of hilariously inept tailing and roughing up the occasional black dude leads to almost capturing the head of a french drug smuggling ring. I'm not sure i was supposed to laugh as much as i did, or what exactly i should have taken away from it. It's friedkin, so there are worthwhile moments spattered throughout which were probably highly influential on everything that followed. But will i watch this again? Nah, don't think so.
Rated 19 Jun 2009
70
52nd
It very much reminded me of the Bourne Triology. Not so much in plot, but in style. The camera work is done just to give you this spy/voyeuristic feeling. ... Hackman and Scheider make a great duo. And the action is solid. But in the end there is nothing that special about it.
Rated 15 Sep 2013
86
82nd
All the tailing scenes are great, and I'm always on board for a film with Hackman (and Roy Schnieder as a fantastic bonus), but there's an unfortunate lull towards the middle, that at least for me hurt my enjoyment for a while. It's entirely worth sticking through though, because the last forty-five minutes are absolutely amazing.
Rated 08 Oct 2008
85
59th
Solid action film. But also a compelling crime drama that makes you think and analyze it at the end? That's more than I thought I had signed on for and I love that. Hackman is wonderful, playing a much more complicated character than you initially think, and the action and tension holds up after all these years.
Rated 16 Jun 2007
79
70th
Chase scene was perfect. But the rest is almost boring. I craved it to end much sooner..
Rated 14 Mar 2010
65
66th
Some nice chase scenes. The police story genre is fairly limiting, but still this is one of the better (read: less boring) ones. It keeps moving forward, without wasting time on the standard "police story" atmosphere or useless side plots. Still I'm not sure why this film is so famous. I only watched it because I'd heard its name so many times and honestly I'm not sure what all the fuss was about this flick. Pretty standard stuff here, competently executed, but nothing more.
Rated 16 Apr 2015
90
80th
Pretty straightforward in concept but the tone and grittiness it holds together is incredible. You won't want to look away.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
95
99th
I watched this again and it's even better than I remembered. This is arguably the police action movie to end all action movies. Stark and grating, its high realism (inspired, says Friedkin, by watching Costa-Gavras' Z) lends credibility to some totally outrageous scenes. Friedkin's directing and Hackman's hard-nosed Doyle are just astounding.
Rated 27 Apr 2013
85
87th
Hey France, you better check yourself before bringing your weak criminal bullshit to the USA.
Rated 04 Jul 2008
97
99th
The scene where Hackman is standing out in the cold while Charnier is ambiguously mocking him with his hot drink is so simple yet so effective that it screams "noir" to me. Everyone has heard of the car chase from this movie, and you really owe it to yourself to watch this if only for that scene - it really deserves all of the praise that it gets. The vague ending leaves you feeling both defeated and enlightened; weird yet perfect. The text epilogue does diminish the effect, however.
Rated 12 Jul 2007
95
93rd
Great crime flick. One of the best cinematic car chases ever.
Rated 23 Jan 2014
30
1st
WTF
Rated 13 Mar 2008
88
87th
Directed and written with confident precision. The plot progresses intriguingly and doesn't lull for a second. Hackman and Scheider both give outstanding performances, and the action is perfect. This movie marks the absolute peak of car chase sequences in Hollywood. Everything done since has paled in comparison.
Rated 17 Feb 2010
95
89th
A noir-ish crime drama brilliantly made, and tied together wonderfully with Gene Hackman and Roy Scheider. And yeah, the car chase is awesome.
Rated 30 Oct 2011
80
85th
Although it takes a while to get going, "The French Connection" is a taut, relentlessly suspenseful thrill ride. Friedkin's shoots a wintery, gritty vision of NY as the backdrop to a gripping chase thriller, the famous car-train chase scene being only one of its terrific sequences. Hackman gives a powerful performance as an obsessive, racist cop, Rey is a sly, entertaining villain and Scheider is typically dependable as the sidekick. The ambiguous note at the ending was a pleasant surprise.
Rated 22 Jul 2008
98
93rd
Perfect thriller. Pitch perfect.
Rated 04 Mar 2007
4
70th
William Friedkin doesn't give a fuck. He'll tear up 70s NYC with an illegal guerrilla car chase just because he can.
Rated 01 Mar 2009
0
3rd
I started it: quit 2 minutes in. Tried it again, quit 4 minutes in. Third time I think I made it 8 minutes. But the honest truth is I just don't want to see this.
Rated 19 Mar 2014
9
91st
The French Connection is one of the best police drama's ever made. William Friedkin's overall direction of this gritty, suspenseful and realistic thriller is stellar. Gene Hackman gives his best performance as one of cinema's most iconic cops Popeye Doyle. And Roy Scheider is decent also. The tailing scenes are brilliantly captured and some of the best I've seen. The car chase alone is essential viewing. And the understated scenes are just as effective as the climatic ones. Superb filmmaking.
Rated 27 Dec 2021
85
85th
Watch this and you will realize where Grand Theft Auto got half of their mission ideas from.
Rated 25 Jul 2010
95
88th
An amazing film
Rated 31 Mar 2015
70
51st
The movie is pretty much just chase scenes of varying intensity, the car chase being the definite highlight. I couldn't get behind Gene Hackman's character - he was a racist brute. Roy Scheider was great. The soundtrack was enjoyable. The camera-work was occasionally distracting.
Rated 20 Sep 2016
51
33rd
Not really my type of film, so I was a lot less tolerant of various minor details (Popeye pulling a lady out of a train to a complete non-reaction; people lining up outside the conductor's room somehow unaware that someone had been shot; the sniper taking the shot at the one moment where no sniper would ever take a shot) than I think people who're really into this stuff would be. Popeye's also a racist and his 'picking toes' line makes no sense to me. Neat chases, and otherwise pretty much okay.
Rated 08 Feb 2010
73
44th
A slow moving thriller with very little dialog, and the action in it isn't actually that good. So I guess I'll call it a failure in the action and the thriller genres--too bad considering so many people like it.
Rated 27 Feb 2011
82
80th
Have people mentioned whether this film is "gritty" yet? I gathered some sand from the beach and rubbed it into some pizza, I was simultaneously entertained and tasting the grit while watching this film of equally wonderful qualities...
Rated 04 Sep 2012
78
85th
Even though the chase scene was awesome, my favorite scene had to be the subway scene. Great suspense built up in such a simple way. Really encapsulates what makes the movie great overall
Rated 13 Feb 2013
70
70th
Police drama about two NYC narcotics officers investigating a man they notice lavishly spending money at a nightclub. They get wire taps and start following people. Several parts were unconvincing, such as the bar scenes, when the sniper missed, and that the criminals went through with the drug deal even though they knew they were being followed. Nice car chase and short gun battle at the end. Script was good, but the plot was weak and the ending was bad. Gritty and engaging so worth watching.
Rated 03 Jan 2007
94
93rd
Operação França estreava há 50 anos nos EUA. Fecho aqui três obras-primas no dia. Puro tesão de filme, uma dos mais deslumbrantes trabalhos de edição do cinema, mérito do lendário Jerry Greenberg. Blu-ray Fox.
Rated 02 Mar 2008
68
48th
# 647
Rated 01 Sep 2007
80
84th
A gritty, slice of policethriller based on true stories. It's still a riveting film after all these years.
Rated 06 May 2011
79
60th
Epic car chase...
Rated 30 Dec 2012
71
27th
Who taught the French to speak THAT French? Anyhows, if there's one thing this film accomplishes, it's certainly the fact that it's not stuffed with bullshit. Friedkin keeps it simple and artifice-free, unlike many other films in the genre.
Rated 20 Jul 2017
95
96th
A great Hollywood film -- understated, straightforward, nationalistic, with a compelling story and tense drama..
Rated 22 Oct 2009
70
44th
Hackman is God.
Rated 20 Mar 2010
92
94th
Great chase scene - done without NYC permit
Rated 24 Sep 2010
89
97th
Gene Hackman in the 1970's equals awesome. Great cop movie, great thriller.
Rated 10 Mar 2013
84
67th
A true classic that would form the basis for cop movies for decades to come. The fact that it is shot in a semi-documentary style coupled with 1970's New York feel makes it a very dark and gritty movie. Gene Hackman is of course amazing in this role as Detective Doyle with a superb supporting cast to follow. As others have mentioned, it also features what is quite possibly the greatest car chase scene in the history of cinema. Just really well done.
Rated 09 Apr 2015
80
70th
Not sure why the sniper scene happened given one of the prior exchanges involving that character & weren't the detectives thrown off special detail only to have everyone (including the FBI guy) back on board 2 scene's later? Something about the combination of NYC, the 70's & film stock that make even its shit-alleys so photographable. That and the choice in playing TFC straight down the barrel bumps the film up a few notches. I'm down with the nihilistic ending, fuck you too, completionists!
Rated 08 Jun 2015
85
85th
The Moby Dick of the detective crime drama genre, full of intense, captivating scenes with a virtuoso performance by Hackman at its centre.
Rated 21 Nov 2009
72
76th
Very good police procedural as well as one of the great car chase sequences
Rated 08 Jul 2018
80
78th
Good cop thriller that tends to focus more on the twists and turns (and some of the boring bits) of a case. Nice 70s New York City tour which does date it a bit.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
4
13th
Hackman and Scheider chew the scenery in this highly unsatisfying but, apparently, much admired film. New York never looked worse. There's also a car chase in their somewhere.
Rated 15 Jan 2015
74
28th
Utterly horrible ending.
Rated 27 May 2015
3
1st
Possibly the worst film put out by a major studio ever. Boring, racist, dull and (with the hindsight of the War of Drugs) offensive.
Rated 25 Oct 2008
75
57th
A nice, gritty feel. But the cartoonish extravagance of the Popeye character--and the implausibilities of the whole thing ("Police emergency! I need to use your car!")--got to be a mite annoying after a while.
Rated 09 Nov 2008
75
58th
Pretty good but typically long for a seventies movie
Rated 11 Dec 2008
85
80th
I really wish Crime Dramas were like this now-a-days
Rated 29 May 2012
89
99th
The unintended, gritty 70s prequel to The Terminator. Popeye acts like a drug enforcing version of the T-800 - and the film cuts away all the unneccesary emotional dead weight and instead pushes the viewer through a series of thrilling and masterly directed cat-and-mouse sequences.
Rated 30 Mar 2015
25
17th
i could not connect to this movie and it's not my fault.
Rated 26 Oct 2009
3
74th
A pretty cool, old-school flick. The car chase is, of course, epic, yet it lacks almost everything that one would expect in a more "modern" car chase. And, yes, it kicks the collective asses of most "modern" car chases. But what's best about the film is it knows when to effectively use silence to move the story along.
Rated 25 Jan 2010
84
77th
The character of Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle is truly classic in the crima genre. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie (and it's sequel to some extent). I watched it because I couldn't believe I hadn't watched it yet, and I was more than pleasantly suprised when it not only held my interest, but entertained me from beginning to end.
Rated 14 May 2010
81
55th
Classic thriller in every way. Hackman and Schneider are brilliant and the film's sparse plotline captures Doyle's obsessive nature brilliantly. "You pick your feet?"
Rated 18 Jun 2015
5
91st
The relentless focus of Friedkin on the mundane work of policemen, as well the unrepentant characters made French Connection a true classic; something that endured the countless others cop thrillers that have come and gone. Ever relevant, it still hits like a freight truck, and if Friedkin is about anything, is impact.
Rated 10 Apr 2017
74
38th
This film is revolutionary in the crime genre, and in cinema as a whole, and I enjoy the experience every time I watch it, the thrilling chase scenes, the gruff embodiment of hate that is Doyle, to the paranoia-clad villains, Friedkin's achievement can't be diminished.
Rated 18 Mar 2007
75
50th
The French Connection must have been great in the 70s, but when you stack it up to movies like it today, it doesn't quite hold up. It's not bad in any way, it's just surprising how this could have won so many awards and be held as an all-time classic.
Rated 09 May 2013
76
73rd
Gene Hackman's character is very memorable, and there were one or two great chase scenes. But I felt a few lulls in between.
Rated 14 Jun 2015
80
82nd
Standard, but good crime story. Everything's here how it's supposed to be: no bullshit, no romantic side stories, no stupid shenanigans - everybody's shooting each other without second thoughts or monologues. Cinematography is fantastic and adds a lot to the mood with it's washed out 8mm kinda look (go for old remaster, not the new gummy-bear-colorful one).
Rated 31 Jul 2009
85
90th
One of the great films of the 1970's or of any decade in fact. "The French Connection" is the blueprint for any thriller of any real quality. Brilliantly performed, full of excitement and style, even at nearly 40 years old this movie still looks and feels great. So many modern box office hits owe so much to this films style, ideas, and execution.
Rated 09 Nov 2012
90
73rd
89.500
Rated 17 Jul 2016
9
90th
Possibly the greatest film document of 1970s New York.
Rated 12 Nov 2011
73
50th
Three viewings later I think I finally get it; there's just not a lot of plot here. Normally I'm ok with that but here I was expecting something intense and slick and instead got extended scenes of Gene and Roy running, driving, yelling and then running again, eventually culminating in a climactic scene where they disassemble a car (?!). That's entertainment.
Rated 09 Feb 2012
64
38th
Not sure why i didn't fall for this one. Needs a second viewing.
Rated 30 Mar 2009
95
93rd
really gripping crime thriller..........don't miss this one!
Rated 14 Aug 2007
72
27th
The chase scene is overrated compared to "To Live and Die In LA"
Rated 18 Mar 2014
70
73rd
Really strong stuff, with some proto-Buddy cop elements even sprinkled around. The chases are fantastic and honestly, I was more excited by the foot ones. The post-script is dumb.
Rated 27 Mar 2021
77
77th
If falls so flat on its head in the end that it almost ruins the entirety of its greatness - the amazing editing, the incredible acting, the thrilling sound and the perfect cinematography which makes NY look like a world of its own.
Rated 17 Jun 2009
40
25th
Starts the trend of making the heroes out of racist, power abusing cops.
Rated 11 May 2011
82
88th
One of the great gritty seventies thrillers.
Rated 24 Jul 2017
86
72nd
Scored on years' old memories Need see afain to revise for sure
Rated 27 Dec 2012
80
80th
Crime films doesn't get much better thant this.
Rated 16 Jan 2018
80
67th
Obviously have love for the chase scene like everybody else does. This is a great thriller but I'm not in love with it. Hackman puts in a good performance, it does take its time but ultimately pays off which is necessary. I think the ending is amazing though, him running into a room and then there's just a gunshot and there's that eerie music playing. Didn't really expect that.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
85
89th
Exhilarating pitch perfect thriller.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
60
62nd
Score based on distant memory of a film that seemed generally well-made but not terribly involving or interesting.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
85
84th
The very definition of a gritty crime film, this movie is pretty dry and no-frills but it still has a very compelling crime story.
Rated 05 Mar 2011
85
84th
Triumphantly grungy, and that's a sincere compliment.
Rated 30 Nov 2011
71
42nd
#590
Rated 25 Oct 2012
78
79th
* Casting, Acting : 8 * Script : 7 * Directing, Aura : 9 * Ease of Viewing : 7 * Naked Eye : 8
Rated 30 Jan 2013
70
42nd
ikili, polisiye, bar baskini, sivil polis, uyusturucu saticisi, uyusturucu ticareti, metro isyasyonu sahnesi (süper), takip, keskin nisanci, kacma kovalama, tren, araba sökmek, catisma, kaza ile arkadasini vurmak, hirs (sikici basliyor sonrasinda hareketleniyor. trende kacan katil gibi iyi sahneleri var.)
Rated 06 Jan 2015
87
85th
Why don't modern cop movies let cops wear great disguises anymore?
Rated 20 Mar 2017
83
66th
Pardon my French, but this film was pretty bien. Gene Hackman was brilliant as always. I loved the characters (plus their nicknames) of Popeye and Cloudy. One funny thing I picked up on in this movie is this: have you noticed that the French aren't normally the villains in films? I'm sure there are examples, but I sure can't think of any. There are some good, bloody action sequences and some good car chase scenes...
Rated 19 Dec 2008
66
32nd
677
Rated 27 Apr 2011
92
97th
More than a classic action movie, it's a nervous meditation on urban decay -- especially through the first hour --, with everything that the New Hollywood could offer: a fresh pace, coming from a young director, realistic shooting and a bitter, disturbing finale.
Rated 02 Nov 2011
70
69th
"The French Connection" is an entertaining genre movie. The train sequence stands out as an excellent, engrossing piece of film-making and the finale offers a succinct, surprisingly darker overtone. Elsewhere, genre cliches are present and a couple of comic reliefs seem out-of-place, nevertheless William Friedkin keeps proceedings interesting enough throughout.
Rated 05 Aug 2008
7
80th
Rather dated and Hackman's character is too much of a racist prick to care about. There are still and plenty of great moments and Rey is always a joy to watch.
Rated 15 Jan 2008
91
84th
Great movie, much much better than I expected.
Rated 31 Jul 2012
3
73rd
Liked it as a child but other than a couple of great scenes it doesn't work for me now.
Rated 06 Jul 2010
90
84th
Set the bar for every action movie ever, but its imitators could never match the unrelenting tension and grime of this stone cold classic.
Rated 16 Oct 2011
40
97th
"Four decades after its initial release, William Friedkin's Oscar-sweeper The French Connection remains an electrifying achievement." - Budd Wilkins
Rated 20 Dec 2014
5
88th
william friedkin cut the famous car chase to the tune of black magic woman by santana. there's your trivia for the day.
Rated 09 Nov 2007
82
76th
Still as strong as ever! For a thriller to be as good for 36 years takes a lot.
Rated 20 Feb 2015
80
60th
The first half is really drawn out. Not sure there was enough here for a feature film because it wasn't till subway scene that things started to get going. Friedkin does a great job directing and the cinematography is good. Hackman and company perform well. Its just if you've seen The Wire the gritty realism of it all doesn't play as well.
Rated 15 Mar 2016
90
87th
Perfect combination of plot and character.
Rated 04 Jun 2018
60
30th
I feel like I'm supposed to give it a higher rating, but this really has not aged very well. There certainly are good bits, but just way too many WTF moments and unintentional comedy.
Rated 29 Aug 2007
78
55th
AAAAAA CLASSIC POPEYE DOYLE!

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