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F/X

F/X

Action · Thriller · 1986

A movies special effects man is hired by a government agency to help stage the assassination of a well known gangster. When the agency double cross him, he uses his special effects to trap the gangster and the corrupt agents.

Movie details

F/X

“Murder by illusion.”

1986 Action · Thriller 1h 49m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.6 / 10

Community rating

A movies special effects man is hired by a government agency to help stage the assassination of a well known gangster. When the agency double cross him, he uses his special effects to trap the gangster and the corrupt agents.

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 F/X?

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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The Jackal

The Jackal

Action · 1997

Hired by a powerful member of the Russian mafia to avenge an FBI sting that left his brother dead, a psychopathic hitman known only as The Jackal proves an elusive target for the people charged with the task of bringing him down: a deputy FBI director, a Russian MVK Major, and a jailed IRA terrorist who can recognize him.

Cobra

Cobra

Action · 1986

A tough-on-crime street cop must protect the only surviving witness to a strange murderous cult with far reaching plans.

Code of Silence

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A Chicago cop is caught in the middle of a gang war while his own comrades shun him because he wants to take an irresponsible cop down.

Sleepless

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Undercover Las Vegas police officer Vincent Downs, who has a lot of enemies, is caught in a high stakes web of corrupt cops and the mob-controlled casino underground. When a heist goes wrong, a crew of homicidal gangsters kidnap Downs’ teenage son T. In one sleepless night, Downs will have to rescue his son, evade an internal affairs investigation, and bring the kidnappers to justice.

Raw Deal

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Mark Kaminsky is kicked out of the FBI for his rough treatment of a suspect. He winds up as the sheriff of a small town in North Carolina. FBI Chief Harry Shannon, whose son has been killed by a mobster named Patrovina, enlists Kaminsky in a personal vendetta with a promise of reinstatement into the FBI if Patrovina is taken down. To accomplish this, he must go undercover and join Patrovina's gang.

The Rip

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Robert Mandel

Written by

Gregory Fleeman · Robert T. Megginson

Bryan Brown

Bryan Brown

Roland 'Rollie' Tyler

Brian Dennehy

Brian Dennehy

Lt. Leo McCarthy

Diane Venora

Diane Venora

Ellen

Cliff DeYoung

Cliff DeYoung

Lipton

Mason Adams

Mason Adams

Col. Mason

Jerry Orbach

Jerry Orbach

Nicholas DeFranco

Joe Grifasi

Joe Grifasi

Mickey

Court is in session

Put F/X 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.