Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- gritty
- tense
- brooding
- 1970s crime movie night
- gritty thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the gritty action, dynamic direction, and Gene Hackman's performance while finding the film more conventional and occasionally overextended than its predecessor.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film combines a hard-edged detective protagonist, Marseille's seedy criminal world, and stark crime-thriller atmosphere.
Doyle is kidnapped, injected with heroin, abandoned, and forced through a harrowing detoxification process.
A New York narcotics detective must work with French gendarmes while pursuing a Marseille smuggling ring.
Popeye Doyle's volatile behavior and questionable methods drive both his investigation and his conflicts with French authorities.
Films like French Connection II, and why
The French Connection
gritty 1970s police procedural with a morally abrasive detective and grounded crime investigation
Serpico
neo-noir crime thriller built around obsessive law enforcement, urban corruption, and dynamic action
The Seven-Ups
intense international crime investigation with hard-edged procedural realism and a charismatic antihero
The Day of the Jackal
stylish French-set crime thriller combining police pursuit, criminal networks, and morally ambiguous characters
Movie Details
- Director
- John Frankenheimer
- Release Date
- 1975-05-18
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (491)
Cast
- Gene Hackman
- Fernando Rey
- Bernard Fresson
- Philippe Léotard
- Ed Lauter
- Charles Millot
- Jean-Pierre Castaldi
- Cathleen Nesbitt
- Samantha Llorens
- André Penvern
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 French Connection II about?
- A volatile New York narcotics detective confronts an international heroin network, hostile French institutions, and the devastating consequences of forced addiction.
- What is French Connection II like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of French Connection II as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is French Connection II violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in French Connection II as moderate.
- What did critics think of French Connection II?
- Critics broadly praised the gritty action, dynamic direction, and Gene Hackman's performance while finding the film more conventional and occasionally overextended than its predecessor.
- Which films are like French Connection II?
- Films with a similar feel include The French Connection, Serpico, The Seven-Ups, and The Day of the Jackal.
- How long is French Connection II?
- French Connection II runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch French Connection II?
- In United States, French Connection II is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
