Overview
A high-stakes game of cat and mouse unfolds between criminals and law enforcement, where obsession drives both sides to their limits.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- brooding
- melancholic
- tense
- crime movie night
- late night viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Heat as an engrossing, intelligent, meticulously made crime drama elevated by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro's performances and Michael Mann's command of the genre.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Neil McCauley and Lt. Vincent Hanna mirror one another as highly disciplined professionals on opposite sides of the law.
The bank robbery escape and downtown shootout emphasize automatic weapons, exposed streets, suppressive fire, and chaotic civilian danger.
Neil's commitment to never remaining attached conflicts with his growing relationship and his attempt to leave criminal life.
Los Angeles freeways, industrial zones, diners, hotels, and glass towers become stark spaces of pursuit and emotional isolation.
Films like Heat, and why
The French Connection
Shared neo-noir atmosphere, professional criminals, police pursuit, moral ambiguity, and melancholic character drama.
Thief
Shared heist structure, procedural investigation, urban criminal underworld, and tense action realism.
The Departed
Shared ambitious crime plotting, divided loyalties, volatile law enforcement, and tragic masculine intensity.
The Town
Shared meticulously planned robbery, opposing professionals, existential melancholy, and emotionally restrained neo-noir style.
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Mann
- Release Date
- 1995-12-15
- Runtime
- 170 min
- Rating
- 7.9 / 10 (8731)
Cast
- Al Pacino
- Robert De Niro
- Val Kilmer
- Jon Voight
- Tom Sizemore
- Diane Venora
- Amy Brenneman
- Ashley Judd
- Mykelti Williamson
- Wes Studi
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- 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 Heat about?
- A master thief and an equally relentless detective collide in a sprawling Los Angeles cat-and-mouse crime epic where professional codes cannot contain human attachment.
- What is Heat like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Heat as measured, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Heat violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Heat as brutal.
- What did critics think of Heat?
- Critics broadly regard Heat as an engrossing, intelligent, meticulously made crime drama elevated by Al Pacino and Robert De Niro's performances and Michael Mann's command of the genre.
- Which films are like Heat?
- Films with a similar feel include The French Connection, Thief, The Departed, and The Town.
- How long is Heat?
- Heat runs 170 minutes.
- Where can I watch Heat?
- In United States, Heat streams on YouTube TV.
