Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- grim
- sardonic
- visceral
- late night noir viewing
- crime thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film absorbing and forcefully performed, praising its darkly self-aware take on the dirty-cop noir despite concerns about its implausible plot and flat direction.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lloyd Hopkins is amoral, sardonic, vicious, and shaped by prolonged exposure to crime while pursuing the murderer.
The investigation moves through Los Angeles crime, drugs, prostitution, hustlers, and compromised police work.
Critical reception specifically identifies the film as an essay on violent cop movies, with James Woods undercutting the material through performance and humor.
The film is described as grim, brutally violent, darkly humorous, and singularly unpleasant yet absorbing.
Films like Cop, and why
Dirty Harry
hard-boiled police protagonist, morally compromised law enforcement, and grim modern noir atmosphere
To Live and Die in L.A.
violent urban crime investigation centered on an abrasive detective and institutional corruption
Manhunter
psychological police thriller with a brutal serial killer investigation and bleak Los Angeles milieu
Sea of Love
stylized neo-noir crime thriller featuring compromised masculinity and obsessive pursuit
Movie Details
- Director
- James B. Harris
- Release Date
- 1988-02-05
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (148)
Cast
- James Woods
- Lesley Ann Warren
- Charles Durning
- Charles Haid
- Raymond J. Barry
- Randi Brooks
- Steven Lambert
- Christopher Wynne
- Jan McGill
- Vicki Wauchope
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- ScreenPix Apple TV channel
- 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 Cop about?
- A vicious Los Angeles detective hunts a woman-targeting serial killer while sinking deeper into the corrupt world he polices.
- What is Cop like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Cop as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Cop violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Cop as graphic.
- What did critics think of Cop?
- Critics broadly found the film absorbing and forcefully performed, praising its darkly self-aware take on the dirty-cop noir despite concerns about its implausible plot and flat direction.
- Which films are like Cop?
- Films with a similar feel include Dirty Harry, To Live and Die in L.A., Manhunter, and Sea of Love.
- How long is Cop?
- Cop runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch Cop?
- In United States, Cop streams on ScreenPix Apple TV channel.
