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Narrow Margin

Narrow Margin

Action · Thriller · Crime · 1990

An L.A. District Attorney attempts to take an unwilling murder witness back to the United States to testify against a top-level mob boss. Frantically attempting to escape two deadly hitmen sent to silence her, they board a Vancouver-bound train only to discover that the killers are onboard with them. For the next 20 hours, as the train hurls through the beautiful but isolated Canadian wilderness, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues in which their ability to tell friend from foe is a matter of life and death.

Movie details

Narrow Margin

“It will take you to the edge of suspense.”

1990 Action · Thriller · Crime 1h 37m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

An L.A. District Attorney attempts to take an unwilling murder witness back to the United States to testify against a top-level mob boss. Frantically attempting to escape two deadly hitmen sent to silence her, they board a Vancouver-bound train only to discover that the killers are onboard with them. For the next 20 hours, as the train hurls through the beautiful but isolated Canadian wilderness, a deadly game of cat and mouse ensues in which their ability to tell friend from foe is a matter of life and death.

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 Narrow Margin?

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

Peter Hyams

Written by

Peter Hyams

Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman

Robert Caulfield

Anne Archer

Anne Archer

Carol Hunnicut

James B. Sikking

James B. Sikking

Nelson

Harris Yulin

Harris Yulin

Leo Watts

J.T. Walsh

J.T. Walsh

Michael Tarlow

M. Emmet Walsh

M. Emmet Walsh

Sergeant Dominick Benti

Susan Hogan

Susan Hogan

Kathryn Weller

Court is in session

Put Narrow Margin 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 Prestige Tourist

“Speed as an alibi.”

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