At Close Range

Name: At Close Range
Genre: Drama, Crime
Released: April 18, 1986
Duration: 111 min
Rating: 67
Cast: Chris Penn, Christopher Walken, David Strathairn, Eileen Ryan, J.C. Quinn

1986

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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7.3

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7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 8 Ratings

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At Close Range

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Movie Details & Credits

Orion Pictures | Release Date: April 18, 1986 | R

Starring: Chris Penn, Christopher Walken, David Strathairn, Eileen Ryan, J.C. Quinn, Mary Stuart Masterson, Millie Perkins, R.D. Call, Sean Penn, Tracey Walter

Summary: In 1978 Pennsylvania, an absentee father is reacquainted with his estranged teenage sons who become intrigued with his romanticized life of crime.

Director: James Foley

Genre(s): Drama, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 111 min

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Critic Reviews

Roger Ebert

Because this film is violent and cruel and very sad, why would you want to see it? For a couple of reasons, perhaps. One might be to watch two great actors, Penn and Walken, at the top of their forms in roles that give them a lot to work with. Another might be to witness some of the dynamics of a criminal society, some of the forces that push criminals further than they intend to go. Read full review

Jack Kroll

At times veering toward the portentous, the film nonetheless has the relentless rhythm of a juggernaut. The acting is first-rate American realism -- gutsy, funny and scary as the occasion demands. [09 June 1986, p.79]

Staff (Not Credited)

Audiences will respond to the very strong performances of the two leads, especially Walken in one of his best roles. Read full review

Gene Siskel

At Close Range is impeccably photographed, and its other technical credits are fine, too. But this excellence serves a dubious, confused cause, and on that basis the film cannot be recommended. Read full review

Vincent Canby

At Close Range is never boring. There's something bold about the film's wealth of imagery, but it also so overstates the material of the screenplay that it eventually annihilates both it and the story, which might possibly have been moving and terrifying. This just looks like fancy movie making. Read full review

Empire William Thomas

Engaging performances by Penn and Walken cant quite turn this brutal curio into something more substantial. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Foley has opted for a mixture of documentary realism and set pieces which have clearly escaped from over-lit pop promos. Mingle this with Penn and Walken going heavily over the top in usual Method fashion, and the brew is less than intoxicating. Read full review

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User Reviews

MarcJames1987

Sep 4, 2021

One of the best, underrated movies. Amazing performances by every single actor. Walken’s role was unforgettable.

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OriginalDanger

Jul 13, 2020

At Close Range is a 1986 film which confuses me slightly since I've just watched the film and after the credits rolled it says 1985 so that's strange... Anyway it's a crime movie more than anything and director James Foley made a good job when he directed this... Christopher Walken is kindAt Close Range is a 1986 film which confuses me slightly since I've just watched the film and after the credits rolled it says 1985 so that's strange... Anyway it's a crime movie more than anything and director James Foley made a good job when he directed this... Christopher Walken is kind of unpredictable and scary and rather great in his appearance and Sean Penn is very believable and it's one of his best films along with Carlito's Way and State of Grace.... At Close Range see's a lot of people being killed and a few surprises here and there and the story is very great. The acting is faultless and perfect but there's quite a bit of violence in the film which is also great. A possible rape scene that thank God never gets completed and plenty of criminal stuff going on. Christopher Walken strangely enough plays Sean Penn's dad in the movie but that doesn't ruin the film and it works. I recommend any moviegoer to view this film because it's great plus it has a great tune by Madonna when the credits roll at the end which is a perfect way to end it. One other thing is At Close Range is based on a true story so check it out. Also stars Crispin Glover, Stephen Geoffrey's and many others.… Expand

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johntechwriter

Nov 4, 2018

This little film burns like a fuse from start to finish, thanks to intense performances from Christopher Walken and Sean Penn. Viewers who are not aware of the nature of small-town criminals — a completely different culture from big-city gangstas — might think the characters are overplayed,This little film burns like a fuse from start to finish, thanks to intense performances from Christopher Walken and Sean Penn. Viewers who are not aware of the nature of small-town criminals — a completely different culture from big-city gangstas — might think the characters are overplayed, but they’re not. I know because I grew up in a small town and was a casual friend of several of these characters. I went to school with them and then, before I moved to the big city, knew them as young adults. Three of the guys I knew died violently. I wasn’t involved in their escapades, but they knew I wouldn’t squeal, so we lived and let live.

Like their big-city cousins, these criminals live life on the edge, for the moment. The profits from their criminal activities run second to these guys' craving for the juice — the danger, the excitement of a crime in progress. For guys with a criminal mentality, this high is as strong as any drug. And in the small-town version of criminal life, everybody knows who the local bad guys are. But what can law abiding folks do? They are thrown in together with sociopaths and have to figure out how to get along. When you factor all those elements in, and honestly present them as a drama like this one, the tension comes from several directions at once and builds to a devastating climax. What impressed me most about this film was how it rang true — in how the characters conducted themselves, how they interacted, the crazy thing they did. As in small-town real life, the element that makes this movie's fuse burn the brightest is . . . family. When you mix family with criminality, and throw in some hurt feelings to add spice, you’ve got the ingredients for an exciting, original crime movie.… Expand

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