Ruthless People (1986)
Average Rating: 7/10
Reviews Counted: 33
Fresh: 31 | Rotten: 2
It's sometimes crude and tasteless, but Ruthless People wrings acid-soaked laughs out of its dark premise and gleefully misanthropic characters.
Average Rating: 8/10
Critic Reviews: 10
Fresh: 10 | Rotten: 0
It's sometimes crude and tasteless, but Ruthless People wrings acid-soaked laughs out of its dark premise and gleefully misanthropic characters.
liked it
Average Rating: 3.2/5
User Ratings: 20,594
Movie Info
The last film to be co-directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, Ruthless People stars Bette Midler (capitalizing on her comeback performance in Down and Out in Beverly Hills) as Barbara, a spoiled rich woman who is kidnapped by the kindly Ken and Sandy Kessler (Judge Reinhold and Helen Slater). Barbara's forceful husband Sam (Danny DeVito) has ripped off the Kesslers and they decide to hold Barbara for ransom. Sam, who hates his wife, refuses to pay. Eventually Barbara befriends
Jun 27, 1986 Wide
Apr 2, 2002
Buena Vista Pictures
Watch It Now
Cast
-
Danny DeVito
Sam Stone -
Bette Midler
Barbara Stone -
Judge Reinhold
Ken Kessler -
Helen Slater
Sandy Kessler -
Anita Morris
Carol -
Bill Pullman
Earl Mott -
William G. Schilling
Police Commissioner -
Art Evans
Lt. Bender -
Clarence Felder
Lt. Walters -
J.E. Freeman
Bedroom Killer -
Phyllis Applegate
Loan Officer -
Jeannine Bisignano
Hooker in Car -
Arturo Bonilla
Waiter -
J.P. Bumstead
Technician -
-
Jon Cutler
Stereo Store Custome... -
Christopher Keene
Cop at Jail -
Gary Riley
Heavy Metal Kid -
Janet Rotblatt
Secretary to Chief o... -
Bob Tzudiker
Sam's Attorney -
Charlotte Zucker
Judge -
Jim Doughan
Cop at Sam's House -
Susan Marie Snyder
Stereo Store Custome... -
Louise Yaffe
Social Worker -
Arnold Turner
Cop with Killer Pict... -
Twyla Littleton
Model -
Frank Sivero
The Mugger
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All Critics (33) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (2) | DVD (7)
The characters here aren't just bad; most of them are truly vile -- human slime. And the film makers chew them up (especially two nefarious bonbons played by Danny DeVito and Bette Midler) with the toothsome glee of jolly cannibals.
Top CriticMuch of the fun of this comedy is in watching what happens as virtually everyone in the movie tries to double-cross or otherwise take advantage of everyone else.
An undemanding but well-executed entertainment.
The people who made Ruthless People probably expect us to laugh... at the pushy people who populate their story. And they're right: We will laugh -- not because we have lousy taste (and wicked thoughts) ourselves, but because their film is genuinely funny.
Ruthless People contains some of the biggest laughs of 1986.
It's a rare kind of craftsmanship, and it produces a rare kind of pleasure.
Occasionally crude and tasteless, Ruthless People is a comedy with a vitriolic twist. It`s a comedy about people who love to hate, with actors who make it worth seeing.
Call it rude, crude, and lewd, but you also have to call it very funny.
At its considerable best, Ruthless People is a riotous anomaly: a very good farce about very bad taste.
DeVito at his best.
One of the best comedy capers of the 80's
Funny and fearless
Funny, nasty 80s update of "The Ransom of Red Chief." The Ref found similar dark laughs a decade later.
A wonderful cynical comedy filled with mean-spirited, but humorous, zest. Loads of fun!
...a large number of Ruthless People's jokes work and work well.
About half as funny as it thinks it is
Grade-A black slapstick comedy. A truly hilarious film.
Audience Reviews for Ruthless People
Super Reviewer
Movies Like Ruthless People
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- Lt. Bender: That might be the stupidest man on the face of the planet.
- Lt. Walters: Maybe we should shoot him.
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Full review coming to themoviefreakblog.com on September 12th.