Overview
In a city ravaged by disaster, a corrupt cop spirals deeper into addiction and crime.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- feverish
- unhinged
- bleak
- late night
- arthouse crime marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Werner Herzog's fearless direction and Nicolas Cage's hypnotically unhinged performance, while recognizing the film's deliberately unconventional crime-drama approach.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Terence McDonagh investigates murders while stealing police property, abusing drugs, gambling, and collaborating with dealers.
Herzog combines police corruption and addiction with bizarre encounters, hallucinations, and an intentionally unhinged performance.
Terence begins seeing things as his cocaine and painkiller addiction intensifies.
The story begins after Hurricane Katrina and follows policing, crime, and personal collapse in New Orleans.
Films like Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans, and why
Bad Lieutenant
shared neo-noir crime setting, morally compromised law enforcement protagonist, and feverish psychological intensity
The Shield
shared corrupt police protagonist, drug-fueled paranoia, and bleakly comic urban crime atmosphere
Bringing Out the Dead
shared unhinged performance style, criminal underworld intrigue, and heightened psychological instability
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
shared drug use, hallucination, police corruption, and surreal descent into self-destruction
Movie Details
- Director
- Werner Herzog
- Release Date
- 2009-09-11
- Runtime
- 122 min
- Rating
- 6.2 / 10 (1320)
Cast
- Nicolas Cage
- Eva Mendes
- Val Kilmer
- Xzibit
- Fairuza Balk
- Shawn Hatosy
- Jennifer Coolidge
- Tom Bower
- Brad Dourif
- Vondie Curtis-Hall
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Criterion Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Howdy 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 Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans about?
- A newly promoted New Orleans lieutenant spirals through addiction, corruption, hallucination, and criminal debt while pursuing a drug-related murder case.
- What is Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans as moderate.
- What did critics think of Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans?
- Critics broadly praised Werner Herzog's fearless direction and Nicolas Cage's hypnotically unhinged performance, while recognizing the film's deliberately unconventional crime-drama approach.
- Which films are like Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans?
- Films with a similar feel include Bad Lieutenant, The Shield, Bringing Out the Dead, and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
- How long is Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans?
- Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans runs 122 minutes.
- Where can I watch Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans?
- In United States, Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans streams on Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, Criterion Channel, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Shout! Factory Amazon Channel, Howdy Amazon Channel.
