Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- tense
- brooding
- paranoid
- late night thriller viewing
- 1980s crime marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film lean and effective as first-class action storytelling, with strong central performances but a divisive or damaging conclusion.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Cleve's account implicates one of the country's most powerful politicians, while forces work to suppress the evidence.
Hit man Cleve recruits writer and former cop Dennis Meechum to help turn his criminal history into a book.
The film is identified as neo-noir and emphasizes essential action storytelling, criminal menace, and institutional corruption.
Dennis and Cleve travel across the country collecting statements and evidence while powerful enemies attempt to prevent publication.
Films like Best Seller, and why
To Live and Die in L.A.
shared neo-noir atmosphere, criminal protagonist, and stripped-down action storytelling
Manhunter
shared police crime thriller structure, morally compromised characters, and 1980s urban tension
The Silence of the Lambs
shared killer-and-investigator pairing, psychological tension, and procedural crime drama
Movie Details
- Director
- John Flynn
- Release Date
- 1987-09-25
- Runtime
- 95 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (154)
Cast
- James Woods
- Brian Dennehy
- Victoria Tennant
- Allison Balson
- Paul Shenar
- George Coe
- Anne Pitoniak
- Mary Carver
- Kathleen Lloyd
- Sully Boyar
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Best Seller about?
- A haunted police writer teams with a fascinatingly dangerous hit man to expose the political machinery behind his crimes.
- What is Best Seller like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Best Seller as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Best Seller violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Best Seller as brutal.
- What did critics think of Best Seller?
- Critics generally found the film lean and effective as first-class action storytelling, with strong central performances but a divisive or damaging conclusion.
- Which films are like Best Seller?
- Films with a similar feel include To Live and Die in L.A., Manhunter, and The Silence of the Lambs.
- How long is Best Seller?
- Best Seller runs 95 minutes.
- Where can I watch Best Seller?
- In United States, Best Seller streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
