Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- witty
- tense
- propulsive
- retro action night
- crime thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film smart, twisty, well cast, and unusually entertaining, with its strong story and special-effects premise giving the crime thriller consistent momentum.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Rollie Tyler uses his expertise in simulated killings, props, disguises, and staged evidence to navigate an actual conspiracy.
The protagonist's special-effects work drives the premise and supplies the film's signature set pieces.
The film combines mob danger, police investigation, and corruption with Rollie's clever, effects-assisted improvisation.
The witness-protection operation, federal officials, and police investigation repeatedly conceal information from one another.
Films like F/X, and why
The Thomas Crown Affair
shared neo-noir atmosphere, professional deception, and twist-driven crime thriller plotting
The Sting
shared inventive criminal schemes, sardonic suspense, and charismatic professional protagonists
To Live and Die in L.A.
shared 1980s urban action-thriller energy, institutional corruption, and resourceful protagonists
The Spanish Prisoner
shared crime investigation, deception, and tightly constructed suspense with comic tonal touches
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Mandel
- Release Date
- 1986-02-07
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (522)
Cast
- Bryan Brown
- Brian Dennehy
- Diane Venora
- Cliff DeYoung
- Mason Adams
- Jerry Orbach
- Joe Grifasi
- Martha Gehman
- Trey Wilson
- Roscoe Orman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is F/X about?
- A resourceful movie-effects artist turns cinematic illusion into a survival strategy after a staged mob assassination exposes a lethal conspiracy.
- What is F/X like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of F/X as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is F/X violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in F/X as moderate.
- What did critics think of F/X?
- Critics broadly found the film smart, twisty, well cast, and unusually entertaining, with its strong story and special-effects premise giving the crime thriller consistent momentum.
- Which films are like F/X?
- Films with a similar feel include The Thomas Crown Affair, The Sting, To Live and Die in L.A., and The Spanish Prisoner.
- How long is F/X?
- F/X runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch F/X?
- In United States, F/X streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
