The Big Easy

1986, Crime/Drama, 1h 41m

37 Reviews 5,000+ Ratings

What to know

critics consensus

Loaded with atmosphere and drenched in the sizzling chemistry between Dennis Quaid and Ellen Barkin, The Big Easy remains one of the strongest -- and steamiest -- thrillers of the 1980s. Read critic reviews

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The Big Easy Photos

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Movie Info

Colorful drama, set in New Orleans, about the relationship which develops between a young police lieutenant and an uncompromising female DA who is unimpressed with the bribery and corruption which is rife in his department. A vicious gang war is also simmering and looks set to erupt at any moment, as the murder of a Mafia soldier is followed swiftly by the killing of three drug-dealing gangsters.

Cast & Crew

Dennis Quaid
Det. Remy McSwain
Ellen Barkin
Anne Osborne
Ned Beatty
Jack Kellom
John Goodman
Detective Andre DeSoto
Ebbe Roe Smith
Ed Dodge
Lisa Jane Persky
McCabe
Charles Ludlam
Lamar Parmentel
Tom O'Brien
Bobby McSwain
Grace Zabriskie
Mama
Marc Lawrence
Vinnie "The Cannon" DiMotti
Solomon Burke
Daddy Mention
Jim Garrison
Judge
Jim McBride
Director
Jim McBride
Screenwriter
Daniel Petrie Jr.
Screenwriter
Gordon Greisman
Screenwriter
Jack Baran
Screenwriter
Stephen Friedman
Producer
Mort Engelberg
Executive Producer
Affonso Beato
Cinematography
Brad Fiedel
Original Music
Mia Goldman
Film Editing
Jeannine Oppewall
Production Design
Lisa Fischer
Set Designer
Tracy Tynan
Costume Design
Mary Kay Stolz
Costume Design
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Critic Reviews for The Big Easy

All Critics (37) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (33) | Rotten (4)
Full Review… Variety Staff Variety Full Review… Carrie Rickey Philadelphia Inquirer Full Review… Peter Travers People Magazine Full Review… Jay Boyar Orlando Sentinel Full Review… Gene Siskel Chicago Tribune Full Review… Dave Kehr Chicago Tribune Full Review… Richard Freedman Newhouse News Service Full Review… Kathi Maio Sojourner Full Review… Cathy Burke United Press International Full Review… Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Full Review… Bill Kelley South Florida Sun-Sentinel Full Review… David Parkinson Radio Times
View All Critic Reviews (37)

Audience Reviews for The Big Easy

  • Apr 15, 2021
    I appreciate the fast paced dialogue which does recall older noir films but I wish that certain narrative choices (i.e. having Barkin prosecute Quaid) were less silly.
    Alec B Super Reviewer
  • Jan 15, 2017
    Erm... I liked the music? And the colour scheme was very interesting. But, I found Dennis Quaid's character endlessly irritating and the male posturing wearying. The central relationship is unconvincing at best, rapey at worst, and the story just doesn't grip in the way it should. The film garners momentum when John Goodman's character shows up, but it's largely too little too late.
    Daniel P Super Reviewer
  • Dec 10, 2011
    Hoping for solid 80s film noir (such as the excellent Body Heat, and even Mindhunter), I instead got an unfocused film with a very uneven tone. Dennis Quaid is good, and the chemistry between him and Ellen Barkin works well, but the plot of the film is predictable and often borderline silly. Many other films have done the New Orleans atmosphere better, there's much more too it than clever humor and over-the-top accents. The film shifts from romance to mystery to drama, with no real sense of what came before or after it.
    Jeffrey M Super Reviewer
  • Sep 06, 2010
    Like the synopsis on here says, this movie is more of a romance than a crime thriller or drama, they could have called it cops in love. I found the whole cop romance thing really boring, and the rest of the story even more boring.
    Aj V Super Reviewer
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