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.
Back to trending 
Vice Squad
Crime · Thriller · Drama · 1982
An unlikely Hollywood hooker helps a detective set a trap for a mutilator pimp.
Movie details
Vice Squad
“On the street, the real trick is staying alive.”
1982 Crime · Thriller · Drama 1h 37m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.2 / 10
Community rating
An unlikely Hollywood hooker helps a detective set a trap for a mutilator pimp.
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 Vice Squad?
For the defence
The Adrenaline Seeker
“If it slows down, you check your phone.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Auteur Devotee
“You watch the director, not the movie.”
Read their objectionThe 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.
Sharky's Machine
Crime · 1981
Police officer Tom Sharky gets busted back to working vice, where he happens upon a scandalous conspiracy involving a local politician. Sharky's new 'machine' gathers evidence while Sharky falls in love with a woman he has never met.
Gang Related
Action · 1997
After murdering an undercover DEA agent, two corrupt cops scramble to cover up what they've done.
Dead Man Down
Thriller · 2013
In New York City, a crime lord's right-hand man is seduced by a woman seeking retribution.
Foxy Brown
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.
6 Bullets
Thriller · 2012
An ex-mercenary known for finding missing children is hired by a mixed martial arts fighter whose daughter has been kidnapped.
The Locksmith
Thriller · 2023
A thief fresh out of prison, tries to work his way back into the life of his daughter and ex-fiancé. Determined, he is forced to use the skills he has as a gifted locksmith. Things take a tumultuous turn after an unexpected disappearance.
They Call Me Mister Tibbs!
Drama · 1970
A police detective's investigation of a prostitute's murder points to his best friend.
The Virtuoso
Thriller · 2021
Danger, deception and murder descend upon a sleepy town when a professional assassin accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic boss.
The Enforcer
Action · 2022
A noir thriller set in Miami, the film follows an enforcer who discovers his femme fatale boss has branched out into cyber sex trafficking, putting a young runaway he’s befriended at risk. He sacrifices everything to save the young girl from the deadly organization he’s spent his life building.
Striking Distance
Crime · 1993
Demoted Pittsburgh cop Tom Hardy works river patrol while a serial killer targets women from his past, forcing him to conduct an unauthorized investigation to prove his innocence and expose a dirty cop.
Where it lives
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Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.
Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Gary Sherman
Written by
Sandy Howard · Kenneth Peters · Robert Vincent O'Neil
Season Hubley
Princess
Gary Swanson
Tom Walsh
Wings Hauser
Ramrod
Pepe Serna
Pete Mendez
Beverly Todd
Louise Williams
J
Joseph Di Giroloma
Kowalski (as Joseph DiGiroloma)
M
Maurice Emanuel
Edwards
Court is in session
Put Vice Squad on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
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.