Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Brutal
- hard edged
- witty
- irreverent
- action movie night
- 1980s nostalgia
What critics said
Critics generally found the film's formulaic buddy-cop framework elevated by Walter Hill's rugged direction, stylized violence, humor, and Schwarzenegger's focused performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ivan Danko's stern Soviet discipline is repeatedly contrasted with Art Ridzik's improvisational Chicago street-cop style.
A Moscow police captain must work inside Chicago while navigating institutional and cultural differences between the Soviet Union and the United States.
The film features frequent gunplay, martial arts, chases, and police violence presented in Walter Hill's stylized, exaggerated register.
The climax and action set pieces exploit bustling downtown Chicago streets, vehicles, and a prominent bus chase.
Films like Red Heat, and why
Lethal Weapon
shared 1980s buddy cop structure, culture-clash humor, urban crime action, and mismatched detective partnership
48 Hrs.
shared hard-edged Walter Hill action style, police partnership, comic-book violence, and criminal underworld pursuit
Tango & Cash
shared international police partnership, fish-out-of-water comedy, and brisk crime-action formula
Movie Details
- Director
- Walter Hill
- Release Date
- 1988-06-17
- Runtime
- 104 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (1685)
Cast
- Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Jim Belushi
- Peter Boyle
- Ed O'Ross
- Laurence Fishburne
- Gina Gershon
- Richard Bright
- Brent Jennings
- Gretchen Palmer
- Pruitt Taylor Vince
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Red Heat about?
- A stoic Soviet police captain and a wisecracking Chicago detective must overcome their ideological differences to hunt a murderous drug kingpin.
- What is Red Heat like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Red Heat as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Red Heat violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Red Heat as brutal.
- What did critics think of Red Heat?
- Critics generally found the film's formulaic buddy-cop framework elevated by Walter Hill's rugged direction, stylized violence, humor, and Schwarzenegger's focused performance.
- Which films are like Red Heat?
- Films with a similar feel include Lethal Weapon, 48 Hrs., and Tango & Cash.
- How long is Red Heat?
- Red Heat runs 104 minutes.
- Where can I watch Red Heat?
- In United States, Red Heat is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
