Hammett
1982 · Movie · PG · 98 min · ★ 6.3 · 69% critics
In 1928 San Francisco, a retired private detective turned pulp writer is pulled back into trouble when an old colleague asks for help on a missing-person case. The search leads into Chinatown’s underworld, where threats, corruption, and shifting loyalties blur the line between the stories he writes and the danger he’s facing.
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Details
- Years
- 1982
- Release date
- 1982-06-09
- Language
- English
- Rated
- PG
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Critic score
- 69/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.3/10 (77 votes)
- Budget
- $7,000,000
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a stylized, old-school noir mystery with a smoky Chinatown backdrop and a twisty case, but Not for you if you dislike slow, sometimes confusing plots or stagey performances; it may appeal to fans of Obsession.
Pros: rich period atmosphere; strong noir homage; memorable supporting cast | Cons: uneven pacing; confusing, convoluted plot; dialogue can feel stiff
Themes
- based on novel or book
- san francisco, california
- chinatown
- historical figure
- femme fatale
- neo-noir
- 1920s
- crime fiction writer
- semi-fiction
Cast & crew
Frederic Forrest
as Hammett
Peter Boyle
as Jimmy Ryan
Marilu Henner
as Kit Conger / Sue Alabama
Roy Kinnear
as English Eddie Hagedorn
Lydia Lei
as Crystal Ling
Elisha Cook Jr.
as Eli the Taxi Driver
David Patrick Kelly
as The Punk
R.G. Armstrong
as Lt. O'Mara
Richard Bradford
as Detective Bradford
Jack Nance
as Gary Salt
Directed by Wim Wenders