Overview
A bounty hunter's road trip turns into an unexpected friendship amidst chaos and danger.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- irreverent
- propulsive
- movie night
- road movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an unusually entertaining comic thriller powered by the antagonistic chemistry between Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jack Walsh and Jonathan Mardukas repeatedly clash during their forced journey while developing an unexpected friendship.
The central journey takes Jack and The Duke from New York to Los Angeles while the Mafia, FBI, and a rival bounty hunter pursue them.
The fugitive accountant, Mafia threats, FBI pursuit, and competing bounty hunter continually intensify the film's comic thriller situations.
The film combines chase sequences and profanity-laced banter with a moving resolution centered on the leads' bond.
Films like Midnight Run, and why
48 Hrs.
shared buddy-film structure, road-movie momentum, crime caper energy, and antagonistic chemistry between mismatched leads
The Hitman's Bodyguard
shared cross-country pursuit, comic criminal complications, and abrasive-to-affectionate partnership
The Nice Guys
shared odd-couple banter, escalating criminal danger, and action-comedy pacing
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
shared road-movie framework, fugitive pressure, and warm character development beneath comic tension
Movie Details
- Director
- Martin Brest
- Release Date
- 1988-07-20
- Runtime
- 126 min
- Rating
- 7.2 / 10 (1347)
Cast
- Robert De Niro
- Charles Grodin
- Yaphet Kotto
- John Ashton
- Dennis Farina
- Joe Pantoliano
- Richard Foronjy
- Robert Miranda
- Jack Kehoe
- Wendy Phillips
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- 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 Midnight Run about?
- A hard-bitten bounty hunter and a talkative fugitive accountant cross the country under pursuit, turning a paid capture into an unlikely friendship.
- What is Midnight Run like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Midnight Run as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Midnight Run violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Midnight Run as moderate.
- What did critics think of Midnight Run?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an unusually entertaining comic thriller powered by the antagonistic chemistry between Robert De Niro and Charles Grodin.
- Which films are like Midnight Run?
- Films with a similar feel include 48 Hrs., The Hitman's Bodyguard, The Nice Guys, and Planes, Trains & Automobiles.
- How long is Midnight Run?
- Midnight Run runs 126 minutes.
- Where can I watch Midnight Run?
- In United States, Midnight Run streams on YouTube TV.
