Target

Play trailer

Target

R

1985

1h 57m

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

62%

Tomatometer

26 Reviews

37%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Chris Lloyd (Matt Dillon) doesn't understand his father at all. Chris has a spontaneous personality and loves racing cars, while his father, Walter (Gene Hackman), is a conservative businessman. When Donna (Gayle Hunnicutt), Walter's wife, goes missing on her European vacation, Walter and Chris fly to Europe to locate her. But what Chris doesn't know is that Walter is a former CIA agent, and that some of his old intelligence contacts are the key to finding Donna.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Target's increasingly implausible plot is offset by a commanding performance from Gene Hackman, reunited with director Arthur Penn.

Read Critics Reviews

Joe Pollack

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

05/26/2021

The basic concept is excellent and could have resulted in a nice, attractive movie with considerable style. But I'm afraid "Hollywood" got to it and as action came in the door, credibility leaped out a rear window.

Go to Full Review

Marsha McCreadie

Arizona Republic

05/26/2021

Standard as it is, Target still manages to be entertaining and fun, and it contains a fine performance by Gene Hackman, a guy who always manages to keep his cool no matter what he's cast in or as.

Go to Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Cater

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

05/26/2021

On one level, it's a well-told spy thriller. On another, it's an affecting, often humorous look at a father-son relationship. On any level, it's a sturdy vehicle for the talents of Gene Hackman and Matt Dillon...

Go to Full Review

Philip French

Observer (UK)

07/25/2024

Target might be a lightweight assignment, but Penn works through its dramatic dilemmas with a proper moral seriousness.

Go to Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

04/10/2024

2.5/4

Gene Hackman’s first two collaborations with director Arthur Penn were 1967’s Bonnie and Clyde and 1975’s Night Moves -- it goes without saying that Target, their third and final teaming, proves to easily be the least of three.

Go to Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

05/01/2023

C+

Surprisingly misses the target.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Fredric H

@RT47555317 11/23/2024

Probably the worst Gene Hackman film I've ever seen. Seems like it was originally a great script. But Hollywood's idiots got to it and worked hard to dumb it down, make it predictable and formulaic, putting in unnecessary silly dialogue that would never find the light of day in a properly written and directed international spy thriller. This flick really could have been great. But it turned into a total yawn. I only watched until the end because I liked watching Hackman and Dillon together in maybe their only professional pairing. If the target of Target was a sloppy caricature of a spy thriller, then Bullseye and Bravo!

See more

Jelisije J

@jjosifovic 11/08/2024

Another under appreciated gem from Gene Hackman where a former CIA agent must find who kidnapped his wife with his estranged son in a young Matt Dillon.

See more

Elizabeth N

@RT65840202 03/05/2024

Fabulous! It's still good

See more

jon c

11/08/2020

When someone becomes a target it's dangerous for everyone. Matt Dillon and Gene Hackman in a conspiracy thriller. Chris Lloyd and his father Walter seem like two completely different people. Chris races cars living life in the fast lane. Walter appears to be a typical businessman. But his wife Donna goes missing after a trip in Europe. They both embark on a mission to track her down but Walter has some old enemies to contend with. He's actually a member of the CIA of all things. It looks like some of his tactics may have to be put to use again. The movie is somewhat of a slow-burner thriller. Some car chases here and there but some scary plot twists. It's more than just the wife/mother disappearing. Chris and Walter have some unexpected bonding moments throughout this whole ordeal, after all they're family. Chris could've stayed behind but chose to be part of this. Could've been trimmed down to an hour and a half instead. Feels like a straight up cable-of-the-week film but Hackman and Dillon work well.

See more

steve d

@RT35616104 07/13/2020

A terrible script sinks the film.

See more

05/08/2020

My favourite Gene Hackman movie and loved Matt Dillon too! Love the car chase scenes and the story! This is one of the top 5 movies of all time.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Arthur Penn

Director

Gene Hackman

Walter Lloyd

Matt Dillon

Chris Lloyd

Gayle Hunnicutt

Donna Lloyd

Herbert Berghof

Schroeder

Josef Sommer

Taber

The Falcon and the Snowman

83%

70%

The Falcon and the Snowman

Watchlist

The Osterman Weekend

45%

38%

The Osterman Weekend

Watchlist

The Package

68%

45%

The Package

Watchlist

A Prayer for the Dying

50%

53%

A Prayer for the Dying

Watchlist

Suspect

67%

59%

Suspect

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Chris Lloyd (Matt Dillon) doesn't understand his father at all. Chris has a spontaneous personality and loves racing cars, while his father, Walter (Gene Hackman), is a conservative businessman. When Donna (Gayle Hunnicutt), Walter's wife, goes missing on her European vacation, Walter and Chris fly to Europe to locate her. But what Chris doesn't know is that Walter is a former CIA agent, and that some of his old intelligence contacts are the key to finding Donna.

Director: Arthur Penn
Producer: Richard D. Zanuck, David Brown
Screenwriter: Howard Berk, Don Petersen
Production Co: CBS Productions, CBS Theatrical Films, CBS Entertainment Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 25, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.0M
Runtime: 1h 57m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now