Spoiler alert: I get that he is supposed to be somewhat of a dullard, but what person who is not clinically a retard will take up an incredibly suspect offer of a "nice dinner and a hockey game" the very next day after his friends got busted and everyone obviously suspects him of snitching because of his bitching about his upcoming bid. But maybe I'm just used to gangsters, small-time or not, being portrayed as smarter. Anyway, I did enjoy it quite a bit. A different, very bleak crime film.

"It's a slug's-eye view of autumnal Greater Boston, remote when not sleazy; even when Mitchum and Boyle attend a Bruins hockey game, it's in the nosebleed seats." - Bill Weber

A bit too unfocused and wandering. It looks like they were trying to do a Five Easy Pieces about some old gangster, but nothing really coalesced for me. Also, I thought Mitchum was too low-key and relaxed for the role; it could've used somebody a bit more keyed up and tense.

Understated, naturalistic character study of a small time criminal in 70's Boston. Bleak in tone, with nice cinematography and a cool score.

Eddie Coyle features a good performance from Robert Mitchum and a nice helping of 70's crime movie grit complete with a cool Dave Grusin score. A definite winner.

the ending's pretty good, and robert mitchum is a likeable guy, but i guess i just don't get these 70s crime films. i can't feel the tension.

Time flew by as I watched this!

Above average crime thriller. It's very "70s" and Mitchum gets to chew up some scenery, both of which I enjoyed.

Another great movie from Peter Yates, highly naturalistic for a crime thriller, as was the trend at the time, but also Neo-noirish in tone. All characters are well-wrought, but it is star Robert Mitchum who is more darling than ever and the final act is unnerving.

A realistic, understated study of cops & criminals in 70's Boston, where the hottest commodities are guns and information. Mitchum's performance is good... actually everything about is good, but nothing really stood out. I'm glad I saw it and nothing at all annoyed me about it, but it didn't do anything special for me, either.

At first I wasn't quite sure where this was going, but as the film goes on it reveals itself to be a sharply constructed and well written character study, restrained but frank. Mitchum is good as the weary and desperate titular character stuck between a rock and a hard place. Peter Boyle is serviceable in a nondescript role, but apart from that it suffers from some spotty acting.

Mitchum in another perfectly cast role alongside the likes of Peter Boyle [always great to see him in such a meaningful role] and a supporting cast that never disappointed. The script shapes these seedy environments & seedy characters in an enigmatic way, unexpected, but more than welcome in its clever construction. Yates really brings something to life here.

Wonderfully bleak.

Far less enagaging than Charley Varrick or the Taking of Pelham 1-2-3. Partly because the acting is spotty (Mitchum doen nothing for me in this role), partly because the score by Dave Grusin is no match for David Shire or Lalo Schifrin. Peter Yates adds some nice touches (cops out of breath and wired after a chase, stilness of the bank robberies) but as a director he just isn;t very good. Bullitt proved that already.

An excellent crime drama that does a wonderful job of keeping your interest despite the fact that there's no one to root for.