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The Long Good Friday

Play trailer Poster for The Long Good Friday R 1982 1h 54m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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97% Tomatometer 34 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
In the late 1970s, Cockney crime boss Harold Shand (Bob Hoskins), a gangster trying to become a legitimate property mogul, has big plans to get the American Mafia to bankroll his transformation of a derelict area of London into the possible venue for future Olympic Games. However, a series of bombings targets his empire on the very weekend the Americans are in town. Shand is convinced there is a traitor in his organization, and sets out to eliminate the rat in typically ruthless fashion.
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The Long Good Friday

The Long Good Friday

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Critics Consensus

Bob Hoskins commands a deviously sinister performance in The Long Good Friday -- a gangster flick with ferocious intelligence, tight plotting and razor-edged thrills.

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Critics Reviews

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Anton Bitel Little White Lies May 28, 2024
John Mackenzie’s gangster film offers a panorama of Britain’s shifting place in the world during the Seventies. Go to Full Review
David Jenkins Little White Lies Jun 23, 2015
4/5
The simple, almost Shakespearean moral is that nefarious deeds breed a climate of contempt, and that any success will always be tainted. Go to Full Review
Mark Kermode Observer (UK) Jun 21, 2015
5/5
Sheer brilliance. Go to Full Review
Sarah Boslaugh TheArtsStl Jul 25, 2026
8/10
The Long Good Friday also offers a brilliant portrayal of London in the late 1970s and uncannily anticipates events just a few years in the future. Go to Full Review
Richard Freedman Newark Star-Ledger Jan 7, 2026
Darkly comic, complexly ironic, and magnificently acted and directed. Go to Full Review
Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Aug 23, 2025
9/10
The authenticity all around – from sets to personas to underhanded deals to murders – is approached with a welcome sincerity and realism (save for some over-the-top drama during final showdowns), which would inspire and influence gangster films to come. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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STEPHEN P @IslandAdventurer Aug 4, 2026 This movie did not age well at all. Just was not nearly as intricate as I had hoped. Very simple and pretty shallow, really. See more
Hans H. @HansHans Jun 6, 2026 I guess you have to be a Brit to understand this movie. See more
Luca D @JoeCamel7 Jan 30, 2026 I don't understand where everyone got the idea that Bob Haskins is some kind of world class actor. I just don't get it. Most of the acting in the movie was pretty hard to watch. The soundtrack is very outdated but you can't really blame them for that. The plot was good but I felt like the characters didn't have enough dialogue or backstory to really give them depth. If you're into British crime movies maybe you'll like this one. I probably won't be watching it again. Seems like Mona Lisa in the sense that it's highly overrated. See more
don c @Notjesus Dec 26, 2025 Not sure how this garnered great reviews. I found nothing to recommend it, and the soundtrack was painfully bad. See more
Kevin L @Lakeman Dec 7, 2025 May have been a banger in 1980, but it was pretty middling in 2025. Hoskins was good, but he was the same Hoskins I've always seen. Pudgy little bloke w/ a big mouth & a lot of swaggering attitude. Non-descript acting in general. Mirren was good enough. Earliest sighting of Piecer Brosnin. Didn't trust him enough to give him any lines, though. 3 stars See more
bob c @RT46426964 Dec 1, 2025 Great movie. Opening scenes a bit confusing but important for the plot. Rest of it truly great. Hoskins rules See more
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The Long Good Friday

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Cast & Crew

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John Mackenzie

Director

Bob Hoskins

Harold Shand

Helen Mirren

Victoria

Eddie Constantine

Charlie

Dave King

Parky

Bryan Marshall

Harris

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The Long Good Friday

The Long Good Friday (1980) The Long Good Friday (1980) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In the late 1970s, Cockney crime boss Harold Shand (Bob Hoskins), a gangster trying to become a legitimate property mogul, has big plans to get the American Mafia to bankroll his transformation of a derelict area of London into the possible venue for future Olympic Games. However, a series of bombings targets his empire on the very weekend the Americans are in town. Shand is convinced there is a traitor in his organization, and sets out to eliminate the rat in typically ruthless fashion.
Director
John Mackenzie
Producer
Barry Hanson
Screenwriter
Barrie Keeffe
Distributor
Criterion Collection, Paragon Video, Embassy Pictures
Production Co
Handmade Films
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 2, 1982, Wide
Release Date (DVD)
Nov 24, 1998
Runtime
1h 54m
Sound Mix
Mono
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