Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Dense
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- smoky
- paranoid
- late night noir viewing
- classic crime marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film an ambitious but uneven neo-noir sequel, praising its craftsmanship while faulting its convoluted and sometimes dull storytelling.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The murder investigation leads Gittes to land development on a former orange grove tied to an unresolved earlier case.
Gittes recognizes the development site as connected to a case he has never gotten over.
Multiple parties pressure Gittes for the wire recording of the fatal encounter.
The film places a private eye inside a postwar Los Angeles murder conspiracy and uses the neo-noir tradition identified in its metadata.
Films like The Two Jakes, and why
Chinatown
Los Angeles neo-noir investigation, morally compromised private detective, and corruption rooted in real-estate development
L.A. Confidential
Period private-eye mystery with layered conspiracies, fatalistic atmosphere, and an investigator trapped between competing interests
The Long Goodbye
Hardboiled detective story defined by distrust, murder, and an increasingly opaque web of motives
Movie Details
- Director
- Jack Nicholson
- Release Date
- 1990-08-10
- Runtime
- 137 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (292)
Cast
- Jack Nicholson
- Harvey Keitel
- Meg Tilly
- Madeleine Stowe
- Eli Wallach
- Rubén Blades
- Frederic Forrest
- David Keith
- Richard Farnsworth
- Tracey Walter
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Paramount Plus Essential
- Rent
- JustWatch TV, 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 The Two Jakes about?
- A haunted Los Angeles private eye uncovers old corruption beneath a fresh murder tied to a real-estate empire.
- What is The Two Jakes like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Two Jakes as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as dense.
- Is The Two Jakes violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Two Jakes as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Two Jakes?
- Critics broadly found the film an ambitious but uneven neo-noir sequel, praising its craftsmanship while faulting its convoluted and sometimes dull storytelling.
- Which films are like The Two Jakes?
- Films with a similar feel include Chinatown, L.A. Confidential, and The Long Goodbye.
- How long is The Two Jakes?
- The Two Jakes runs 137 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Two Jakes?
- In United States, The Two Jakes streams on Paramount Plus Essential.
