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Sea of Love

Sea of Love

Crime · Drama · Romance · 1989

Seen-it-all New York detective Frank Keller is unsettled - he has done twenty years on the force and could retire, and he hasn't come to terms with his wife leaving him for a colleague. Joining up with an officer from another part of town to investigate a series of murders linked by the lonely hearts columns he finds he is getting seriously and possibly dangerously involved with Helen, one of the main suspects.

Movie details

Sea of Love

“Deception is dangerous. Desire is deadly.”

1989 Crime · Drama · Romance 1h 53m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

Seen-it-all New York detective Frank Keller is unsettled - he has done twenty years on the force and could retire, and he hasn't come to terms with his wife leaving him for a colleague. Joining up with an officer from another part of town to investigate a series of murders linked by the lonely hearts columns he finds he is getting seriously and possibly dangerously involved with Helen, one of the main suspects.

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 Sea of Love?

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.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Harold Becker

Written by

Richard Price

Al Pacino

Al Pacino

Frank Keller

Ellen Barkin

Ellen Barkin

Helen Cruger

John Goodman

John Goodman

Sherman

Michael Rooker

Michael Rooker

Terry

William Hickey

William Hickey

Frank Keller Sr.

Richard Jenkins

Richard Jenkins

Gruber

Paul Calderon

Paul Calderon

Serafino

Court is in session

Put Sea of Love on trial.

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

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.