Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- gritty
- paranoid
- 1990s action marathon
- crime thriller night
What critics said
Critics broadly viewed it as a rote, derivative 1990s action thriller weakened by flat direction and passionless performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The victims are women Tom Hardy previously dated, making the homicide investigation personally implicating rather than purely procedural.
Hardy is demoted from detective work to river patrol, and boats and the Pittsburgh waterways are central to the investigation.
After accusing the killer of possibly being a police officer, Hardy loses status and pursues the case without authorization.
Critical reception specifically characterizes the film as flat and dankly lit, consistent with its riverfront crime atmosphere.
Films like Striking Distance, and why
The Last Boy Scout
shares a 1990s police thriller framework, serial killer investigation, and action-oriented lead performance
The Bone Collector
shares a gritty urban crime investigation, cop protagonist, and conventional 1990s action-thriller pacing
Kiss the Girls
shares a serial killer mystery, law-enforcement protagonists, and escalating procedural tension
Movie Details
- Director
- Rowdy Herrington
- Release Date
- 1993-09-17
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (1002)
Cast
- Bruce Willis
- Sarah Jessica Parker
- Dennis Farina
- Tom Sizemore
- Brion James
- Robert Pastorelli
- Timothy Busfield
- John Mahoney
- Andre Braugher
- Tom Atkins
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- 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 Striking Distance about?
- A demoted Pittsburgh river cop risks his career to track a sadistic killer whose victims are tied to his own past.
- What is Striking Distance like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Striking Distance as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Striking Distance violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Striking Distance as moderate.
- What did critics think of Striking Distance?
- Critics broadly viewed it as a rote, derivative 1990s action thriller weakened by flat direction and passionless performances.
- Which films are like Striking Distance?
- Films with a similar feel include The Last Boy Scout, The Bone Collector, and Kiss the Girls.
- How long is Striking Distance?
- Striking Distance runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Striking Distance?
- In United States, Striking Distance streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
