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Things Change

Things Change

Comedy · Crime · Drama · 1988

Jerry, a misfit Mafia henchman, is assigned the low-level job of keeping an eye on Gino, a shoe repairman fingered by the Mob to confess to a murder he didn't commit. But Gino's mistaken for a Mafia boss, and the two are suddenly catapulted to the highest levels of mobster status. Only friendship will see them through this dangerous adventure alive!

Movie details

Things Change

“Dealing with the mob is always a gamble.”

1988 Comedy · Crime · Drama 1h 40m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

7.0 / 10

4.4K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

85 %

Tomatometer

Metacritic

71 / 100

Metascore

TMDB

6.2 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

Jerry, a misfit Mafia henchman, is assigned the low-level job of keeping an eye on Gino, a shoe repairman fingered by the Mob to confess to a murder he didn't commit. But Gino's mistaken for a Mafia boss, and the two are suddenly catapulted to the highest levels of mobster status. Only friendship will see them through this dangerous adventure alive!

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 Things Change?

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

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

David Mamet

Written by

Shel Silverstein · David Mamet

Don Ameche

Don Ameche

Gino

Joe Mantegna

Joe Mantegna

Jerry

Robert Prosky

Robert Prosky

Joseph 'Don Giuseppe' Vincenzo

J.J. Johnston

J.J. Johnston

Frankie

Ricky Jay

Ricky Jay

Mr. Silver

Mike Nussbaum

Mike Nussbaum

Mr. Green

Jack Wallace

Jack Wallace

Repair Shop Owner

Court is in session

Put Things Change on trial.

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

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.