After Hours
Geffen Company, The | Release Date: September 13, 1985
8.0
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 138 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
116
Mixed:
13
Negative:
9
Watch Now
Stream On
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand
Review this movie
VOTE NOW
 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Check box if your review contains spoilers 0 characters (5000 max)

User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
10
MichaelD.Apr 8, 2008
Brilliant black comedy that condenses one man's nightmarish evening into a series of bizarre encounters with the after hours crowd of Soho. While it might play on people's fears of urban life, much like the Out of Towners did in Brilliant black comedy that condenses one man's nightmarish evening into a series of bizarre encounters with the after hours crowd of Soho. While it might play on people's fears of urban life, much like the Out of Towners did in the 70's, it is more a commentary on the contrast between the button down, workaday life led by many New Yorkers and the late night, artsy subculture.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful
6
slacker4579Dec 14, 2011
Pepe: Art sure is ugly. Neil: Shows how much you know about art. The uglier the art, the more it's worth. Pepe: This must be worth a fortune, man. Pepe and Neil are a couple of thieves and just two of the many oddly pretentious charactersPepe: Art sure is ugly. Neil: Shows how much you know about art. The uglier the art, the more it's worth. Pepe: This must be worth a fortune, man. Pepe and Neil are a couple of thieves and just two of the many oddly pretentious characters that Paul Hackett runs into. After meeting a woman at a local coffee shop and scoring her number, Paul heads to downtown SoHo to meet her at her apartment. He expects a romantic evening. What he gets is a bizarre series of events and comedic irony that's too smart for the filmâ… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
9
EpicLadySpongeApr 18, 2016
I don't understand what's the ego supposed to be in After Hours because I spent hours watching this realizing I only watched it because it was a great film.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
All this user's reviews
10
Lambo442Nov 22, 2013
This movie is both pure entertainment and an enigma that warrants being seen over and over again to start comprehending it's many layers. It's completely unique, thematically and in terms of it's feel in general, with haunting music thatThis movie is both pure entertainment and an enigma that warrants being seen over and over again to start comprehending it's many layers. It's completely unique, thematically and in terms of it's feel in general, with haunting music that nests itself into your mind (can hear it now if I try) and excellent camera work which always compliments the action and mood. My favorite Scorsese movie by far and one of my favorite films in general. The fact that it never gets dull is testament to it greatness. I also like the fact that it's all set in one evening, which really pulls you into the situation with the character and forces you to share his sense of helplessness. If you have seen this you need to,… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
10
sean007Feb 18, 2011
Scorsese does it yet again.delivers another classic that will keep you glued to your chair.brilliant!this is a must see movie.it might as well be the funniest movie ever.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
9
RobusualsuspectMar 12, 2011
Un film vraiment brillant de la part de Scorsese qui montre ainsi qu'il maitrise assez bien l'art du burlesque. Une sorte de Very Bad Trip avant l'heure !
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
10
sjsidney11Jul 14, 2012
Masterpiece of Scorcese: an inteligent comedy filmed through New York. Refinated humor is carachterized when sinalizations indicates "dead people" at apartment of Fiorentino´s...Unforntunatelly, haven´t been the appropriatedMasterpiece of Scorcese: an inteligent comedy filmed through New York. Refinated humor is carachterized when sinalizations indicates "dead people" at apartment of Fiorentino´s...Unforntunatelly, haven´t been the appropriated recognized by the spectators. On of the best comedy´s of all time...… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
SpangleJan 27, 2017
After Hours is either a ringing endorsement for cocaine or a cautious tale about what cocaine can do to the brain. With director Martin Scorsese channeling David Lynch's surreal approach to storytelling, After Hours tells the story of oneAfter Hours is either a ringing endorsement for cocaine or a cautious tale about what cocaine can do to the brain. With director Martin Scorsese channeling David Lynch's surreal approach to storytelling, After Hours tells the story of one man's really weird night as he tries to get home from the SoHo district in New York. Confronting dead girls, burned girls, weird girls, and an angry mob, Paul Hackett (Griffin Dunne) is simply a man who wanted to have sex and got more than he ever bargained for. Truly an odd experience, After Hours is a film that feels so unlike anything else in Scorsese's filmography. While you can still feel his presence (and he has a cameo), it feels so odd to watch unfold. By comparison, The King of Comedy feels like a perfect fit in his filmography, that is how odd this film is to experience.

After Hours is one of those films where once it is watched, you spend the time after the runtime trying to figure out what the hell it was about and whether or not you liked it. One possible reading of this is in regards to castration and the danger women could pose to men. From the psychos he hangs out with to the image of the shark biting off a man's member, After Hours seems to be arguing that men need to be wary of weirdos. But, above all, Paul is the weirdo. Thus, while that seems to be what Wikipedia believes, it is not necessarily one that I believe fits the film. Rather, the shark biting of the man's member in the bathroom is more in line with business and working life. As shrewd business people are often called sharks (Shark Tank), After Hours could be seen as a warning to men and women alike about the threats of being a slave to work. From the encounter in his office where a co-worker expresses his desire to not work there forever, the waitress who hates her two jobs, the mob leader who drives an ice cream truck, and Paul looking up to the heavens and begging for mercy, for he is but a simple word processor, the film is all about work. Everybody hates their dead end jobs and want to quit. Yet, they show up and do the job anyways and float through the day as if they were ghosts. In many ways, After Hours is a surreal black comedy that shows the dangers of working life and how it leaves you susceptible to being attacked out in the world.

Yet, Scorsese's approach to the film feels so odd and so off-the-wall. With threats coming from every angle, Paul Hackett finds friendly faces around the corner, but they consistently turn against him and join the angry mob that accuses him of being a thief. The film just feels so abrasive and antagonistic against both its protagonist and the audience. We constantly feel claustrophobic and trapped in this hellish nightmare right alongside Paul and, as a result, this can be a tough watch at times. It is one where your expectations are consistently subverted with even more absurd happenings around every corner and whether or not they all work, they at least shock you.

Acting-wise, the film is solid. Lacking the true big names of many Scorsese films, Griffin Dunne still holds his own as a leading man in a Scorsese film. He plays the typically straight-laced and entirely frazzled Paul Hackett terrifically and really captures the necessary everyman notes. He is a guy who could be working in any office in America and be nothing but a normal guy. Thus, his response to this weird cast of characters feel entirely genuine and within range for a relatively normal guy who has a very, very bad night.

While After Hours is certainly a screwball black comedy, its comedy comes from the absurdity of what transpires. What transpires is the artists revolting on a man working for the sharks of the world that steal and trample on the little guy. An odd film from Scorsese, After Hours proves that cocaine is one hell of a drug and if you wish to experience this in your life, cocaine can certainly help you replicate Paul Hackett's wild and crazy night. But, if you do not wish to have an angry mob running through New York after you and be trapped in a paper mache statue, maybe lay off the cocaine.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
5
Voodoo123Aug 10, 2023
The decent cinematography and talented cast fail to excite under the flabby weight of the pretentious artists set free cocaine fuelled non sensical screenplay and plot. The pacing is all over the place and the 90 min runtime draaaags itsThe decent cinematography and talented cast fail to excite under the flabby weight of the pretentious artists set free cocaine fuelled non sensical screenplay and plot. The pacing is all over the place and the 90 min runtime draaaags its heels. The character choices make little sense. An intriguing but ultimately empty ride.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
10
DinoBeamDec 27, 2020
THIS FILM IS RELENTLESS!!!! Wow that isn't what I thought it was gonna be, it's a film that really takes you on a ride, real energetic. Best black comedy I've ever seen. What a film.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
Jaredc324May 17, 2019
After Hours is one of those rare "types of movies," one that you turn on and just get lost in its viscosity. It's a relevant, strongly resonant and true series of strange events, escaping from the bore of the modern realm. ScorseseAfter Hours is one of those rare "types of movies," one that you turn on and just get lost in its viscosity. It's a relevant, strongly resonant and true series of strange events, escaping from the bore of the modern realm. Scorsese orchestrates a masterpiece that goes by you like a bird in the night. It might not effect you like normal "masterful films" might do, but it leaves a much more effecting imprint and that is, you keep getting drawn back into it's psychotic lure, even if you're quite not sure why.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
10
JorgecopOct 22, 2021
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. After Hours might be Martin Scorsese's richest film from the early 80's. Raging Bull has a more complex cinematic form but After Hours deals with male desire and destructiveness in a far more original way than Raging Bull. Its cringe humor is not only subversive for a Hollywood film but also Buñuelian in its representation of impotence and rage.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
10
livinmediocreNov 17, 2021
After Hours (1985), is such an insane, fever dream of a movie. It tests its characters to their absolute limits, seeing how much you can really put somebody through.But what the movie really asks of Paul, and of the audience, is why is thisAfter Hours (1985), is such an insane, fever dream of a movie. It tests its characters to their absolute limits, seeing how much you can really put somebody through.But what the movie really asks of Paul, and of the audience, is why is this happening?

It starts off with Paul (Griffin Dunne) at work as a word processor, training a new kid how to run the computer file systems. The kid tells him how this isn’t how he wants to spend his life, how it’s boring, and that he has bigger plans for himself than just being a word processor. This scene is so important to Paul’s character, since it most likely is why he went out in the first place. Feeling the need for spontaneity in his life and wanting to be more than just a word processor. In Paul’s words, he wants to just go out, have fun, and meet a girl.

“What do you want from me? I’m just a word processor!”

But Paul does go out, reading his favorite book in a nearby coffee shop where he meets Marcy (Rosanna Arquette). They hit it off, and he gets her number after being intrigued by some Plaster of Paris paperweights her friend makes. She leaves and he heads home, calling the number as soon as he does. She invites him over to where she’s staying so they can talk more. It made me think of the same thing that happens in Michel Gondry’s Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind when Jim Carrey calls Kate Winslet, saying that oddly enough he missed her, which holds two possible references to this movie with that exchange being shared with another character.

This is where the movie starts drifting away from any sort of normal narrative and we take a trip into the fever dream. From the incessant cab ride on, Paul gets blamed for a string of burglaries in the area, sought after by a violent mob, and mummified. Things that you see, and you really do start to sympathize for Paul. Many times, he is so close, but not quite there to being able to just… get… home.

A lot of this movie is insanely frustrating like that, but in a very funny way. Maybe due to just how ridden with anxiety the film makes the viewer. Two immediate scenes that stick out in this regard, when Paul is at the subway station trying to buy a ticket home and the attendant (Murray Moston) just isn’t having it. As well as the scene in the bar where Tom the bartender (John Heard) is trying to get change out of the register so he can take the subway home… that’s cinema right there. There’s also just a hilarious moment in the diner where Victor Argo’s character has ready the cheeseburger and coffee that Paul had ordered before dashing away. What this leads to, is that this movie, on top of being just very insane, is very funny. Something that is always appreciated, because we know Martin Scorsese can mix humor well in his movies. Look at The Wolf of Wall Street’ and Goodfellas for examples of movies that aren’t exactly comedies but have so many moments where you just cannot help but start laughing.

And what is this movie if not for its supporting cast, who do just as good a job as Dunne in this movie. We also have the unusual sculptress friend Kiki played by Linda Fiorentino. June (Verna Bloom), Neil and Pepe (Cheech and Chong), Julie (Teri Garr), and there’s even more where that came from. But those are the ones that really shine and help fill out the rest of this ensemble. I won’t lie either, the scenes with John Heard were some of my favorite in the movie.

What really makes this movie work is that is no real message or lesson to be learned. It really is, as they say, ‘No Plot Just Vibes: The Movie’. There are some existential moments, and you start to look for answers seeing how this could be happening to somebody like Paul, but there are no answers. Paul is just having a really, really bad night. But of course, the movie wants you to think about what’s happening and why, because that’s what Paul is asking himself. Look at all the closeups on Paul during these things, look at the confused look. He never really asks himself, why is this happening? Not out loud anyways.

Overall, I think it’s one of Scorsese’s best films, and one of his most undervalued. I mean, if you look on IMDb it’s ranked 17thin his filmography, and 14th on Letterboxd in terms of popularity. I also find it just very hard to find things wrong with this movie. I don’t think wondering what’s going on is a fault to this film but is the point and helps the movie in its existence.

If you do want to watch the movie, it was streaming, making it very accessible, but is only available for rent or purchase at the time of writing. In this writer’s opinion though, it is easily worth a few dollars and cents to watch.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
9
SDFismeApr 6, 2021
Another one of Scorsese's masterpieces. It's one of those movies where how and where you watch the movie, influences how you interpret this movie. Scorsese's second attempt at nightmarish portrayal; after 'Taxi Driver'(1976) didn't quite workAnother one of Scorsese's masterpieces. It's one of those movies where how and where you watch the movie, influences how you interpret this movie. Scorsese's second attempt at nightmarish portrayal; after 'Taxi Driver'(1976) didn't quite work as was expected maybe because of a weaker script. However, the suspenseful nature, cinematography, the acting and the humor saved the film. Brilliant!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
7
AmylyJun 29, 2021
Great album but single Blinding Lights very overrated deserved of some Grammys
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
8
NickTheCritickNov 4, 2021
This is my second favourite Scorsese's movie and a good example of what a comedy should be like. Simply (that doesn't mean easy), light, funny and entertaining. A comedy full of quality.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
All this user's reviews
More From This Movie

89 Critic Reviews

8.0 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL