
Best Seller
1987, Crime/Drama, 1h 32m
15 Reviews 1,000+ RatingsYou might also like
Where to watch
Best Seller Photos
Movie Info
Cast & Crew
Cleve
Dennis Meechum
Roberta Gillian
Holly Meechum
David Madlock
Graham
Critic Reviews for Best Seller
All Critics (15) | Top Critics (2) | Fresh (11) | Rotten (4)
-
Best Seller wouldn't amount to much without Woods' foul, sadistic, gleefully profane edge.
March 30, 2015 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review… -
The problem is that Best Seller is light on plot, real light. It doesn't have a compelling story at its center, only the original inspiration of the best-selling cop and the killer who wants to talk.
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 1/4 | Full Review… -
Best Seller is an intelligent and intuitive movie. [Full Review in Spanish]
April 1, 2020 | Full Review… -
[Larry] Cohen cannily mixes social satire and genre twists in his clever screenplay of an unlikely friendship between two men with more history than they realize...
May 22, 2016 | Full Review… -
Ingenious big city cop film.
April 7, 2016 | Rating: B | Full Review… -
Concentrate(s) on character interactions, shootouts, and chases, with things like plot and motivation taking a back seat. The slick, 1980s design does the rest.
March 27, 2015 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Best Seller
-
Feb 26, 2013Best Seller is a stunning well crafted dramatic thriller that boasts a strong cast and great directing from director John Flynn. James Woods gives a blistering performance as Cleve a contract killer who tells his story to Dennis Meechum, a cop and true crime author. Meechum is also very well acted by Brian Dennehy. This is a well constructed film that is highly engaging from start to finish. The plot is very engaging and in the end it delivers a cat and mouse angle to the plot which is riveting. James Woods' performance alone makes this film worth seeing and he is simply psychotic with a certain charm that adds a lot to the film. Of course the film could have been better and it does fall flat in a few areas. For the most part however, Best Seller is a very good picture that showcases two standout actors at their best. I really liked the conflict that Dennehy brought to the role as he tries to balance the author and the cop part of himself. Best Seller has its flaws, but due to a very good script, it manages to overcome its shortcomings and deliver something quite memorable. This is a film that didn't deserve the flack it has received and it is one of the better dramatic thrillers of the latter half of the 1980's. Best Seller is a film worth checking out and is definitely a film that the critics were wrong about. The performances are great and with that being said, it's what makes this one standout above other movies in this caliber. Don't believe the critics, if you love James Woods, you'll surely enjoy this. Far from perfect, but it is nonetheless a well constructed picture that will grab your attention from the first frame onwards.Alex r Super Reviewer
-
Dec 12, 2009Way better then I expected.What a good movieBrody M Super Reviewer
-
Jun 19, 2006Another underrated gem from the 80s.Wu C Super Reviewer
Best Seller Quotes
There are no approved quotes yet for this movie.
Movie & TV guides
About Tomatometer
The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review
About Audience Score
The percentage of users who rated this 3.5 stars or higher.
Verified