SummaryA reformed convict goes undercover with the help of an angry detective to ensnare a psychotic mobster.
Directed By:Barbet Schroeder
Written By:Eleazar Lipsky, Ben Hecht, Charles Lederer, Richard Price
Kiss of Death
Metascore
Generally Favorable
72
User score
Mixed or Average
5.2
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
72
81% Positive
21 Reviews
21 Reviews
19% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
The intensity of Caruso's close-to-the-vest performance in this absorbing, brutal crime movie suggests that he may have the makings of a big-screen star. [21 Apr 1995, p.29]
83
It's a tough, tight, no-nonsense action melodrama filled with irresistibly hard-boiled dialogue and a large cast of engagingly hard-boiled characters. All and all, it's one of the better of the many recent Hollywood remakes of classic film noir. [21 Apr 1995]
80
It's a sleek, muscular thriller played by a terrific ensemble cast, directed by Barbet Schroeder with the somber acuity he has brought to subjects as diverse as Claus von Bulow ("Reversal of Fortune") and Gen. Idi Amin Dada.
75
If you're looking for down and dirty, Kiss of Death delivers the goods. [21 Apr 1995, p.3E]
63
If you savor movies about sleazy plea bargains and other lawyer hardballing, Death has its moments. Otherwise the latest from director Barbet Shroder is only a movie of moments - much like his last: Single White Female. [21 Apr 1995, p.7D]
60
Well made, but not entirely successful ensemble thriller.
50
There is plot and more plot in Kiss of Death. By the time it's over you may wish you had taken notes, to keep track of who is doing what, and with which, and to whom.
User score
Mixed or Average
5.2
33% Positive
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
50% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
17% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Mar 27, 2025
0
Kiss of Death is OK. However, it certainly didn’t wow me. The plot’s solid, and Widmark’s unhinged performance steals the show, but it drags in places and feels a bit stiff overall. Classic noir vibes, but there’s nothing here I hadn’t seen before. It's worth a watch but certainly isn’t essential viewing.
