L.A. Confidential
Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: September 19, 1997 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
91
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 28 Critic Reviews
Positive:
27
Mixed:
1
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
A movie bull's-eye: noir with an attitude, a thriller packing punches. It gives up its evil secrets with a smile. Read full review
100
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
A juicy noir stew of amorality that's the best thing since "Chinatown." Read full review
100
The New York TimesJanet Maslin
A tough, gorgeous, vastly entertaining throwback to the Hollywood that did things right. As such, it enthusiastically breaks most rules of studio filmmaking today. Read full review
100
VarietyTodd McCarthy
An irresistible treat with enough narrative twists and memorable characters for a half-dozen films. Read full review
100
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
L.A. Confidential, with an exceptional ensemble cast directed by Curtis Hanson from James Ellroy's densely plotted novel, looks to be the definitive noir for this particular time and place. Read full review
100
Dallas ObserverMichael Sragow
He's (Hanson) never before generated the kind of heat inside a picture--and out of it--that he has with L.A. Confidential. Read full review
100
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
One of the best crime dramas to come along in years. Read full review
100
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Seductive and beautiful, cynical and twisted, and one of the best films of the year. Read full review
100
Washington PostDesson Thomson
There are so many things to enjoy here. Read full review
100
The A.V. ClubJohn Krewson
As the story unfolds, carefully and elaborately, what develops is not just a remarkably intricate crime tale but a brilliant and compassionate story of people who struggle to rise above their flawed nature. This may be the best movie of the year; it's definitely one of the greatest crime films of all time. Read full review
100
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Voluptuously engrossing. Read full review
100
TNT RoughCutWendy Wilson
Blessed substance marries beautiful style in a '90s film noir.
100
NewsweekDavid Ansen
You have to pay close attention to follow the double-crossing intricacies of the plot, but the reward for your work is dark and dirty fun. Read full review
95
Mr. ShowbizRichard T. Jameson
See L.A. Confidential. Be astonished at discovering anew how very, very satisfying movies can still be. And how fine that can feel. Read full review
90
Film.comSean Means
Once L.A. Confidential gets rolling, it hits with power, stunning in its sweep and surprising with its plot twists.
90
Film.comJohn Hartl
L.A. Confidential is at the same time his (Hanson) most personal movie and Hollywood filmmaking at its best.
90
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
This movie restores genre elements to a level of potency that's disturbing, satisfying, and rare as hell. Read full review
88
USA TodayMike Clark
This sleek adaptation of James Ellroy's dauntingly complex novel has the black-and-white tabloid soul of an old "Confidential" magazine. Read full review
88
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
Lately, it seems that film noir has become the province of independent productions. As a result, it's refreshing to see a big-budget, studio effort of this sort that does nearly everything right. Read full review
80
Washington PostStephen Hunter
Hanson delivers something ever rarer in film culture, not a new film noir but an old-fashioned total movie, somehow of a single piece. Read full review
80
SlateDavid Edelstein
That rare mainstream cop thriller that refuses to telegraph its outcome in the first 15 minutes or, for much of its running time, to tell you how to feel about its protagonists. Read full review
80
TimeRichard Schickel
A movie of shadows and half lights, the best approximation of the old black-and-white noir look anyone has yet managed on color stock. Read full review
78
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Full of period locations, costumes, and one very clever Lana Turner gag, it's easy to see why Ellroy is so pleased with the film. Read full review
75
Baltimore SunAnn Hornaday
A glamorous, alluring entertainment that revels in the artifice of Hollywood while exposing its corrupt heart, L.A. Confidential pays stylish homage to some of the great film noirs of the distant and recent past. Read full review
75
San Francisco ExaminerG. Allen Johnson
"The Big Sleep" and "The Maltese Falcon" echo loudly throughout. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
The story is so complicated that the movie can't quite make it clear, but the picture has impressive energy and high-intensity performances from Kevin Spacey, Danny DeVito, and Guy Pearce. Read full review
70
SalonDwight Garner
A movie that refuses to kick into gear until it's far too late. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Director Curtis Hanson keeps the hugely complicated story zooming along the boulevard of broken dreams without losing sight of the details that make the trip worthwhile. Read full review
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