Critic Reviews

L.A. Confidential (1997) Movie Reviews

Expert Review Summary

Movie critics combined give L.A. Confidential (1997) a score of 3.0883 out of 4

based on (168) reviews

Click on the numbers to the right of the graph to see reviews of that rating

Excellent

(58)

Very Good

(88)

Good

(17)

Fair

(1)

Poor

(4)

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Reviews by Score:

See all (58) "Excellent" Reviews

New York Times (Janet Maslin)

Curtis Hanson's resplendently wicked L.A. Confidential is a tough, gorgeous, vastly entertaining throwback to the Hollywood that did things right....read the complete L.A. Confidential (1997) review at New York Times (Janet Maslin)

See all (88) "Very Good" Reviews

San Francisco Examiner (Barbara Shulgasser)

CURTIS HANSON has captured the flinty, sweaty days of post-World War II Los Angeles in his slick policier, "L.A. Confidential." He has the molls, the cynicism and the corruption of a Bogart movie; in fact, "The Big Sleep" and "The Maltese Falcon" echo...read the complete L.A. Confidential (1997) review at San Francisco Examiner (Barbara Shulgasser)

See all (17) "Good" Reviews

Salon.com (Dwight Garner)

"HARD BOILED CRIME FICTION," novelist James Ellroy has pronounced, "is the history of bad white men doing bad things in the name of authority." "L.A. Confidential," the new Curtis Hanson film based on Ellroy's 1990 novel of the same name, is something...read the complete L.A. Confidential (1997) review at Salon.com (Dwight Garner)

See all (1) "Fair" Reviews

Cinema in Focus (Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin)

The appeal of “L.A. Confidential” is not based upon its social or spiritual values. Having received nine Oscar nominations along with nearly 40 other awards and nominations, it is clear that this film is considered a masterpiece by...read the complete L.A. Confidential (1997) review at Cinema in Focus (Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin)

See all (4) "Poor" Reviews

Video Reviews with Joan Ellis

L.A. Confidential" is a cop story so full of time and texture, so full of good acting and direction that its reach extends far beyond Los Angeles, 1954. It was there and then, after all, that the odious celebrity culture we know today first sprouted,...read the complete L.A. Confidential (1997) review at Video Reviews with Joan Ellis