Overview
In a city where corruption runs deep, three cops navigate the treacherous waters of crime and deceit.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Brutal
- cynical
- seductive
- brooding
- late night noir viewing
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a taut, brilliantly written, stylish neo-noir elevated by Oscar-caliber performances and sharply interlocking crime plotting.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The LAPD, senior officers, politicians, and criminal interests are entangled in a conspiracy surrounding the central murders.
Exley, White, and Vincennes investigate from sharply different moral and professional positions before joining forces.
1950s Los Angeles entertainment culture, celebrity policing, tabloids, and call-girl schemes shape the film's criminal landscape.
The polished image of mid-century Los Angeles is repeatedly contrasted with corrupt police spaces, violent crime scenes, and sordid Hollywood dealings.
Films like L.A. Confidential, and why
Chinatown
shared neo-noir atmosphere, police corruption, morally compromised investigators, and intricate crime plotting
The Long Goodbye
shared 1950s Los Angeles setting, Hollywood sleaze, noir fatalism, and investigative mystery
Serpico
shared police procedural tension, institutional corruption, ensemble investigators, and morally complex crime drama
The French Connection
shared dense noir plotting, cynical urban atmosphere, and detectives confronting systemic corruption
Movie Details
- Director
- Curtis Hanson
- Release Date
- 1997-09-19
- Runtime
- 138 min
- Rating
- 7.8 / 10 (5759)
Cast
- Kevin Spacey
- Russell Crowe
- Guy Pearce
- James Cromwell
- Kim Basinger
- Danny DeVito
- David Strathairn
- Ron Rifkin
- Graham Beckel
- Amber Smith
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is L.A. Confidential about?
- Three sharply contrasted Los Angeles detectives navigate police corruption, Hollywood exploitation, and murder in a lavishly constructed neo-noir mystery.
- What is L.A. Confidential like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of L.A. Confidential as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is L.A. Confidential violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in L.A. Confidential as brutal.
- What did critics think of L.A. Confidential?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a taut, brilliantly written, stylish neo-noir elevated by Oscar-caliber performances and sharply interlocking crime plotting.
- Which films are like L.A. Confidential?
- Films with a similar feel include Chinatown, The Long Goodbye, Serpico, and The French Connection.
- How long is L.A. Confidential?
- L.A. Confidential runs 138 minutes.
- Where can I watch L.A. Confidential?
- In United States, L.A. Confidential streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
