Prizzi's Honor

Name: Prizzi's Honor
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance, Crime
Released: June 14, 1985
Duration: 130 min
Rating: 84
Cast: Anjelica Huston, George Santopietro, Jack Nicholson, John Randolph, Kathleen Turner

1985

METASCORE

Universal acclaim based on 16 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	Your Score
6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Ratings

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Prizzi's Honor

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Movie Details & Credits

Producers Sales Organization (PSO) | Release Date: June 14, 1985 | R

Starring: Anjelica Huston, George Santopietro, Jack Nicholson, John Randolph, Kathleen Turner, Lawrence Tierney, Lee Richardson, Michael Lombard, Robert Loggia, William Hickey

Summary: A professional hitman and hitwoman fall in love.

Director: John Huston

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Romance, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 130 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Vincent Canby

From start to finish, this exhilarating adaptation of Richard Condon's phantasmagorical and witty novel -set inside the world of the Mafia - ascends, plunges and races around hairpin curves, only to shoot up again and dive over another precipice. [14 June 1985, p.C8]

100

Gene Siskel

This film would be a winner any time of the year. It`s a classic piece of moviemaking that I plan on seeing again very soon. Read full review

100

Sheila Benson

To say the film is the treasure of the year would be to bad-mouth it in this disastrous season. Prizzi's Honor would be the vastly original centerpiece of a great year. It's a rich, dense character comedy in which Huston, working from a screenplay Richard Condon and Janet Roach adapted from Condon's novel, cocks a playful but unblinking eye at love, family loyalty and the togetherness of a happy marriage--Sicilian style. Read full review

Pauline Kael

It's like "The Godfather" acted out by The Munsters...Everything in this picture works with everything else - which is to say that John Husto has it all in the palm of his big, bony hand.

Jay Scott

A work of crazed distinction. [14 June 1985]

Staff (Not Credited)

Picture is a stretch for Nicholson, who speaks in a street-tough, accented gangster-ese that initially takes some getting used to, but shortly becomes totally convincing. Turner manages to use her loveliness to jolting results. Read full review

Dave Kehr

Huston does a reverse take on the material, underplaying the grotesque situation until it turns into a parody on the problems of the average working couple, but the pacing is so lugubrious that the laughs never materialize. Read full review

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User Reviews

DawdlingPoet

Nov 27, 2021

This is a slightly slow moving crime drama. As far as comedy goes, its quite dark or black comedy. The American-Italian (or, to be more precise, sicilian, so characters claim) accents sound like stereotypes but I suppose I dont know anyone of that ethnicity to say whether their genuine orThis is a slightly slow moving crime drama. As far as comedy goes, its quite dark or black comedy. The American-Italian (or, to be more precise, sicilian, so characters claim) accents sound like stereotypes but I suppose I dont know anyone of that ethnicity to say whether their genuine or not, it just seemed a little over the top in some regards. In any case, the main plot is fairly slow to build pace - Nicholson gives an alright performance and there are some engrossing scenes but there are scenes featuring many characters talking around tables, which I took little obvious substance from. Its not an awful film, its definitely ok, it just didn't maintain my interest enough for the most part. There are definitely some amusing moments but not enough for me to feel like this is primarily a comedy film - I'd say its primarily a crime drama film. If it weren't for Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner, this would be a much more cringe-worthy, bad film I imagine but the main performances are entertaining enough for it to be worth a watch, so I suppose I'd cautiously recommend this film, as long as you have relatively low expectations - you may be pleasantly surprised but I doubt it'll be many peoples favourite film or anything like that. Its ok - amusing and diverting, if a little bland/long winded perhaps.… Expand

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FilipeNeto

Jan 16, 2022

This film was released in 1985, at a time when mob movies were still in vogue and light romantic comedies were much more highly regarded than they are today. The plot revolves around a couple who fall in love and quickly marry: it turns out that both are professional killers in pay from theThis film was released in 1985, at a time when mob movies were still in vogue and light romantic comedies were much more highly regarded than they are today. The plot revolves around a couple who fall in love and quickly marry: it turns out that both are professional killers in pay from the same mob family, the Prizzi (any resemblance to the Corleones is obviously no coincidence). Of course, everything looks fine, but the day comes when the heads of the family start to complicate their romance to the point where they demand that they kill each other.

Personally, and I'm going to be very honest, I expected a lot more from this movie. The mob premise is nice, and I really like Mob movies, but it's missed by a script that just can't write a compelling romantic story with some fun and movement. The film wastes a lot of time on insipid dialogues, and there are loads of scenes that look like they were inserted just to add some extra length. The pace is heavy, slow and tiring, and the plot, after a certain point, completely loses its interest.

The cast includes several big names in the industry, starting with Jack Nicholson and Kathleen Turner. The two deftly secure co-protagonism here, and are very good at their work, individually... but I felt their chemistry doesn't work and there isn't an overwhelming passion there. They're as warm as possible together, and that doesn't give the characters' romance any authenticity. The film also features an interesting work by William Hickey and Lee Richardson, two good actors to watch closely. Much less happy, Anjelica Huston seems completely lost here, despite looking magnificent.… Expand

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