Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- gritty
- tense
- morally ambiguous
- crime movie night
- 1970s cinema marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly view the film as a tense, gritty crime thriller distinguished by strong police-film atmosphere and energetic action.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The Seven-Ups emphasizes old New York neighborhoods, undercover work, mob contacts, and procedural police activity.
Buddy relies on childhood friend Vito Lucia as an informant while Vito faces danger from the mob and the investigation becomes personal.
The kidnappers impersonate NYPD detectives, while the Seven-Ups themselves use unethical undercover methods defended by their superior.
The film is known for its extended, high-impact automobile pursuit amid the escalating police-mob conflict.
Films like The Seven-Ups, and why
The French Connection
gritty 1970s police crime thriller with morally compromised investigators and authentic urban texture
Serpico
New York crime drama centered on undercover police work, street-level corruption, and escalating criminal violence
The Driver
hard-edged police procedural combining mob intrigue, betrayal, and kinetic car-chase spectacle
Movie Details
- Director
- Philip D'Antoni
- Release Date
- 1973-12-14
- Runtime
- 103 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (132)
Cast
- Roy Scheider
- Jerry Leon
- Tony Lo Bianco
- Victor Arnold
- Ken Kercheval
- Larry Haines
- Richard Lynch
- Bill Hickman
- Lou Polan
- Joe Spinell
Common questions
- What is The Seven-Ups about?
- A morally gray NYPD detective unit hunts a kidnapping mastermind whose operation exposes the dangerous symmetry between police tactics and organized crime.
- What is The Seven-Ups like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Seven-Ups as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Seven-Ups violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Seven-Ups as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Seven-Ups?
- Critics broadly view the film as a tense, gritty crime thriller distinguished by strong police-film atmosphere and energetic action.
- Which films are like The Seven-Ups?
- Films with a similar feel include The French Connection, Serpico, and The Driver.
- How long is The Seven-Ups?
- The Seven-Ups runs 103 minutes.
