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The French Connection

The French Connection

Action · Crime · Thriller · 1971

Tough narcotics detective 'Popeye' Doyle is in hot pursuit of a suave French drug dealer who may be the key to a huge heroin-smuggling operation.

Movie details

The French Connection

“Doyle is bad news—but a good cop.”

1971 Action · Crime · Thriller 1h 44m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

7.5 / 10

Community rating

Tough narcotics detective 'Popeye' Doyle is in hot pursuit of a suave French drug dealer who may be the key to a huge heroin-smuggling operation.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The French Connection?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

The Boondock Saints

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Kiss of the Dragon

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French Connection II

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Action · 1975

"Popeye" Doyle travels to Marseilles to find Alain Charnier, the drug smuggler that eluded him in New York.

Payback

Payback

Action · 1999

With friends like these, who needs enemies? That's the question bad guy Porter is left asking after his wife and partner steal his heist money and leave him for dead -- or so they think. Five months and an endless reservoir of bitterness later, Porter's partners and the crooked cops on his tail learn how bad payback can be.

Killing Zoe

Killing Zoe

Action · 1993

Zed is an American vault-cracker who travels to Paris to meet up with his old friend Eric. Eric and his gang have planned to raid the only bank in the city which is open on Bastille day. After offering his services, Zed soon finds himself trapped in a situation beyond his control when heroin abuse, poor planning and a call-girl named Zoe all conspire to turn the robbery into a very bloody siege.

Out for Justice

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Action · 1991

Gino Felino is an NYPD detective from Brooklyn who knows everyone and everything in his neighborhood. Killing his partner was someone's big mistake... because he's now out for justice.

War

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Action · 2007

FBI agent Jack Crawford is out for revenge when his partner is killed and all clues point to the mysterious assassin Rogue. But when Rogue turns up years later to take care of some unfinished business, he triggers a violent clash of rival gangs. Will the truth come out before it's too late? And when the dust settles, who will remain standing?

Foxy Brown

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Action · 1974

A voluptuous black woman takes a job as a high-class prostitute in order to get revenge on the mobsters who murdered her boyfriend.

King of New York

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Thriller · 1990

A former drug lord returns from prison determined to wipe out all his competition and distribute the profits of his operations to New York's poor and lower classes in this stylish and ultra violent modern twist on Robin Hood.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

William Friedkin

Written by

Ernest Tidyman

Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman

Jimmy Doyle

Roy Scheider

Roy Scheider

Buddy Russo

Fernando Rey

Fernando Rey

Alain Charnier

Tony Lo Bianco

Tony Lo Bianco

Sal Boca

Marcel Bozzuffi

Marcel Bozzuffi

Pierre Nicoli

Frédéric de Pasquale

Frédéric de Pasquale

Devereaux

Bill Hickman

Bill Hickman

Mulderig

Court is in session

Put The French Connection on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.