L.A. Confidential

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L.A. Confidential

R

1997

2h 16m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

165 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Three policemen, each with his own motives and obsessions, tackle the corruption surrounding an unsolved murder at a downtown Los Angeles coffee shop in the early 1950s. Detective Lieutenant Exley (Guy Pearce), the son of a murdered detective, is out to avenge his father's killing. The ex-partner of Officer White (Russell Crowe), implicated in a scandal rooted out by Exley, was one of the victims. Sergeant Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) feeds classified information to a tabloid magnate (Danny DeVito).

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Critics Consensus

Taut pacing, brilliantly dense writing and Oscar-worthy acting combine to produce a smart, popcorn-friendly thrill ride.

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Ella Taylor

L.A. Weekly

Oct 20, 2021

A masterfully smart and soulful film that bows low before genre even as it betrays it.

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Jay Carr

Boston Globe

Oct 20, 2021

4/4

One of the things the film conveys, in addition to institutionalized corruption, is the energy and excitement of a city that knows it's on the move. L.A. Confidential is juicy dynamite.

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David Stratton

At the Movies (Australia)

Oct 19, 2021

4.5/5

Dante Spinotti's widescreen camerawork and Jeannine Oppewall`s production design brilliantly recreate the somewhat tawdry world of a glamorous city which is starting to lose its glamour.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 24, 2026

4/4

Writer-director Curtis Hanson's adaptation of the James Ellroy novel wasn't merely one of the two or three greatest movies of the 1990s; it stands as a masterpiece for the ages.

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Wesley Lovell

Cinema Sight

Jul 6, 2025

4/4

...with great skill telling several interwoven narratives that expose corruption, venality, and murder with compelling twists and turns that will leave the audience riveted until its closing frame.

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Dimitris Passas

PopMatters

Nov 28, 2023

L.A. Confidential‘s representation of a long-gone era in Los Angeles is exemplary, and the 1950s are enlivened on screen in an accurate and opulent manner.

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Luca F

@LucaF Oct 5, 2026

Incredible movie that nobody talks about, with awesome cast and great plot twists. Watch it, you won't regret it.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 26, 2026

This movie is a *5* star Movie!

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Rob S

@Setty00 Aug 12, 2026

Awesome movie...highly recommend it!!

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Chris S

@Janomi Aug 10, 2026

L.A. Confidential is excellent because the screenplay is so tightly constructed. The story has corruption, murder, celebrity, police politics, organized crime, tabloids, racism, ambition, and old Hollywood glamour, but it never feels like empty complexity. Every thread slowly connects. Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, and Kevin Spacey give the movie its strongest dramatic engine. Bud White is violent but wounded, Ed Exley is ambitious and principled but cold, and Jack Vincennes is charming but compromised. Watching them clash and slowly expose the rot around them is gripping. The noir atmosphere is terrific, capturing a Los Angeles that looks glamorous on the surface and rotten underneath. Kim Basinger gives Lynn Bracken sadness, intelligence, and dignity, though her Oscar win still feels like a stretch. The whole cast helps make the city feel full of secrets, making L.A. Confidential smart, stylish, and deeply satisfying.

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bruce C

@bruce999 Aug 3, 2026

for adults = a must see. nice drama. one of the best movies ever made

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Trystan C

@Sir-Trix-Alot Jul 31, 2026

An amazing noir detective movie with so many twists and turns. I love Russell Crowe

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Curtis Hanson

Director

Kevin Spacey

Jack Vincennes

Russell Crowe

Officer Wendell 'Bud' White

Guy Pearce

Det. Lt. Edmund Jennings Exley

James Cromwell

Capt. Dudley Liam Smith

David Strathairn

Pierce Morehouse Patchett

Heat

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Synopsis

Three policemen, each with his own motives and obsessions, tackle the corruption surrounding an unsolved murder at a downtown Los Angeles coffee shop in the early 1950s. Detective Lieutenant Exley (Guy Pearce), the son of a murdered detective, is out to avenge his father's killing. The ex-partner of Officer White (Russell Crowe), implicated in a scandal rooted out by Exley, was one of the victims. Sergeant Vincennes (Kevin Spacey) feeds classified information to a tabloid magnate (Danny DeVito).

Director: Curtis Hanson
Producer: Michael G. Nathanson, Arnon Milchan, Curtis Hanson
Screenwriter: Curtis Hanson, James Ellroy, Brian Helgeland
Distributor: Warner Home Vídeo, Warner Bros.
Production Co: Warner Brothers, Regency Enterprises
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 19, 1997, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 12, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $64.6M
Runtime: 2h 16m
Sound Mix: Surround, DTS, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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