SummaryChicago crime kid Mick O'Brien is sent to reform school after accidentally killing a rival's kid brother.
Directed By:Rick Rosenthal
Written By:Richard Di Lello
Bad Boys
Metascore
Mixed or Average
53
User score
Generally Favorable
7.6
My Score
Drag or tap to give a rating
Hover and click to give a rating
Where to Watch
Not available in your country?
ExpressVPN
Get 3 Extra months free
$6.67/mth
Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
53
50% Positive
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
30% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
20% Negative
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
80
Bad Boys is a troubling and often riveting drama about juvenile delinquency. Director Rick Rosenthal does a topnotch job of bringing to life the seedy, hopeless environment of a jail for juvenile offenders and has gotten some terribly convincing performances from his young cast, notably topliner Sean Penn.
75
Bad Boys is disturbing, sometimes annoying, often painful, and never boring. Writer Richard Dilello and director Richard Rosenthal have taken a difficult subject and infused it with interesting people, some wit, and a lot of careful thought.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.6
71% Positive
10 Ratings
10 Ratings
29% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Sep 6, 2020
10
I can't believe that I'm here saying that Bad Boys from 1983 is one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. The characters, the plot, the twists, the tension. It's so incredible and I will gladly tell all that this is one they must watch.
Jun 26, 2026
8
An absolute powerhouse of a movie that offers a raw, unfiltered look at the juvenile crime scenario of 1980s America. Bad Boys brilliantly tracks the intersecting lives of two young criminals trapped in a vicious cycle of tragedy and revenge—showing how one ultimately strives for growth while the other consumes himself with hatred. The narrative build-up inside the correctional facility is excellent, creating a tense, gripping atmosphere that never bores the audience. Sean Penn and Esai Morales deliver top-notch, ferocious performances. The film culminates in a spectacular, emotionally powerful ending that avoids typical Hollywood cliches. A highly recommended, underrated gem.
75
Following the tradition governing such movies, the story eventually comes to a moral decision at which a bad boy has to decide whether to become a good man -- and that's too bad, because until the movie turns predictable, it is very, very good. The acting, the direction and the sense of place in Bad Boys is so strong that the movie deserves more than an obligatory right scene for its conclusion.
50
Penn is given so little to work with here that it's practically a pantomime performance. He's worth watching, even though the picture is singularly unimaginative.
50
Though Rosenthal is slick enough to lure us into the big Rocky climax, his movie isn't serious enough, or good enough, not to leave a bad taste in the mouth after it's over. [27 Mar 1983, p.L4]
30
The general idea is obviously dog-eat-dog, but it's depicted in ways that convince you of nothing so much as the filmmakers' obscene dependence on brutality. Bad Boys emerges as a textbook example of rotten melodrama. [25 Mar 1983, p.C2]
25
The story is as stale as prison air and so is the star. [25 Mar 1983, p.18]
Jan 23, 2025
5
Kind of enjoyed some of this grimy and very 80s prison melodrama. A lot of recognizable young faces was cool to see.
Production Company:
- EMI Films
- Solofilm
Release Date:Mar 25, 1983
Duration:2 h 3 m
Rating:R
Tagline:In their world, if you're 17 and still alive you're a survivor [Video Australia]
Awards
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
