Directed By:John Mackenzie
Written By:Barrie Keeffe
The Long Good Friday
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
82
User score
Generally Favorable
7.8
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Top Cast
Metascore
Universal Acclaim
82
100% Positive
16 Reviews
16 Reviews
0% Mixed
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
100
Brutal and brilliant.
88
As a collage of glossy gangster conventions and one-liners, The Long Good Friday explodes with energy, but it’s the political and social tensions that make Mackenzie’s film a lasting vision of British tragedy.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.8
73% Positive
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
27% Mixed
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Dec 28, 2024
9
The Long Good Friday as a textbook for Guy Ritchie. Now I understand where Guy Ritchie got his inspiration from when he created his first and best films. The Long Good Friday is a great example of a crime drama. There is also a thriller, a comedy and a drama. The Long Good Friday perfectly jangles genres. If at first I expected to see something similar to Get Carter movies. He got something completely different. First of all, in The Long Good Friday the main role is played by the wonderful performance of Bob Hoskins. He literally got hooked on the role. And although The Long Good Friday ends quite predictably, it does not prevent you from watching the movie without breaking away. If you like Guy Ritchie's movies, especially Gentlemen. But you should definitely watch The Long Good Friday. It was already removed more than 40 years ago. And it hasn't aged in any way, it's still relevant.
Aug 30, 2023
9
A really fun intriguing gangster movie that tries to make you feel empathetic for some real ****. The movie has a really good pace. It never really gets stale. They keep having interesting dialogue and they are just so interesting to look at and be intrigued by it was truly a fun movie to watch with a friend. The movie almost Feels Like An Icarus story about a man flying too hot into the sun and the camera work looked really good. They had a lot of camera angles ready. Just move the camera and one long take it was really good to watch and had some interesting Gore.
80
The terrific close-up showing Harold's look of appalled realisation – and resignation – is unforgettable.
80
In many respects a conventional thriller set in London's underworld, The Long Good Friday is much more densely plotted and intelligently scripted than most such yarns.
80
Hoskins’ bullish, black-comic Napoleonism makes this movie: pugnacious, sentimental, a cockney Cagney.
75
Bob Hoskins gives a growly, charismatic performance as the kingpin brought low by phantom forces over the course of an Easter weekend, and there’s a political theme that asserts itself with nicely rising force.
70
Hoskins is admirably twitchy as the crime-boss in the midst of having his henchmen culled, and being unable to work out who is behind it. [06 Mar 2000, p.21]
Jun 21, 2026
6
Superb cinematography and a talented cast breathe life into the barebones gangster plotline. There's little to be discovered here that you haven't seen a thousand times before, likely executed with more skill and better writing too. Therefore, given how basic things are here it's very well done holding up well in my home theatre 2026 setup. Worth a look if you're a fan of the genre/cast. In particular the cinematography is very good.
Production Company:
- HandMade Films
- Black Lion Films
- Calendar Productions
Release Date:Apr 2, 1982
Duration:1 h 54 m
Rating:R
Tagline:Who lit the fuse that tore Harold's world apart?
Website:
Awards
Edgar Allan Poe Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Evening Standard British Film Awards
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
BAFTA Awards
• 1 Nomination
