Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- witty
- irreverent
- nostalgic
- lazy weekend
- road movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film an engaging and occasionally affecting generational buddy comedy whose promising first half is weakened by a disjointed final act.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Clean-cut 1980s FBI agent John Buckner is paired with aging 1960s radical Huey Walker, with each man forced to reassess the other.
Huey Walker’s former hippie radicalism is contrasted with the conservative social climate and professional identity of 1989 America.
The plot centers on an FBI escort and a radical prisoner who become reluctant partners while on the run.
After Walker escapes custody on a train, he and Buckner travel together while evading authorities and deceptive appearances.
Films like Flashback, and why
Midnight Run
shared buddy-road-comedy structure, generational conflict, and political satire
The Big Lebowski
shared countercultural themes, crime-comedy energy, and mismatched fugitives
48 Hrs.
shared action-comedy tone, law-enforcement pursuit, and unlikely partnership
Easy Rider
shared 1960s counterculture nostalgia and comic generational disillusionment
Movie Details
- Director
- Franco Amurri
- Release Date
- 1990-02-02
- Runtime
- 108 min
- Rating
- 6.4 / 10 (106)
Cast
- Dennis Hopper
- Kiefer Sutherland
- Carol Kane
- Paul Dooley
- Cliff DeYoung
- Richard Masur
- Michael McKean
- Kathleen York
- Tom O'Brien
- Eric Lorentz
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 Flashback about?
- An uptight FBI agent and an aging hippie radical become reluctant fugitives whose clash exposes the unfinished business between the 1960s and the 1980s.
- What is Flashback like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Flashback as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Flashback violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Flashback as mild.
- What did critics think of Flashback?
- Critics generally found the film an engaging and occasionally affecting generational buddy comedy whose promising first half is weakened by a disjointed final act.
- Which films are like Flashback?
- Films with a similar feel include Midnight Run, The Big Lebowski, 48 Hrs., and Easy Rider.
- How long is Flashback?
- Flashback runs 108 minutes.
- Where can I watch Flashback?
- In United States, Flashback is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
