Bad Lieutenant

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Bad Lieutenant

NC-17,

1992,

1h 38m,

Crime/

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

76%

51 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

10,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

51 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

The Lieutenant (Harvey Keitel) is a corrupt cop steeped in gambling debt who exploits his authority to sexually harass teenage girls, embezzle money and abuse drugs. His troubles come to a head when a mob lackey delivers an ultimatum: pay off his debt, or else. His fate appears sealed. But when The Lieutenant learns that a $50,000 reward is being offered to whoever catches a pair of thugs who raped a nun (Frankie Thorn), he jumps at the opportunity, hoping that he can still redeem himself.

Critics Consensus

Bad Lieutenant will challenge less desensitized viewers with its depiction of police corruption, but Harvey Keitel's committed performance makes it hard to turn away.

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Jake Cole

Slant Magazine

Jun 5, 2024

Even by the scuzzy standards of Abel Ferrara’s filmography, Bad Lieutenant is particularly filthy.

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Peter Rainer

Los Angeles Times

Jan 8, 2019

[Keitel] keeps us watching his descent without wanting to look away. Only an actor with tremendous reserves of power could accomplish that.

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Peter Travers

Rolling Stone

Jan 8, 2019

It's a powerhouse performance in a film of jabbing intensity and wit.

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Kat Halstead

Common Sense Media

Jul 7, 2026

3/5

The title of this gritty, disturbing crime drama doesn't even begin to describe just how depraved and detestable the central character really is.

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Matt Glasby

Flicks (AU, NZ, UK)

Jan 8, 2026

This time, I’m glad to say I made it all the way through, and was (un)pleasantly surprised. It’s still a punishing watch - and flawed as hell - but closer to art than exploitation.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Aug 21, 2025

4/5

…Abel Ferrara’s Bad Lieutenant is an extreme film about an extreme character... even if the subject matter is intended to disturb, it’s still a very good film, with a colossal central performance from Harvey Keitel as a corrupt cop with religious leanings

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Draco R

Feb 4, 2019

not so bad movie about a terrible cop

Hermione R

Nov 15, 2017

Harvey Keitel delivers one of his career's best as the titular self-loathing and unredeemable corrupted cop given a short glimpse of redemption in a close encounter with a raped nun but only to be taken away as a retribution for his sins.

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Kylo M

Aug 24, 2017

This is not a crime thriller or police procedure, but a drama with elements of those genres in it. It's a disorienting, one-way trip to hell that is uncomfortable to watch, but truly rewarding for fans of Keitel and subtly deliberate character studies.

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Theodore S

Aug 9, 2017

A hell of a film. Bad Lieutenant is extremely gritty and disturbing, with a fantastically committed performance from Harvey Keitel and an "independent as fuck" feel. It definitely meanders, though, and there is WAY too much talk of baseball, but overall Bad Lieutenant is a movie that deserves to exist.

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Albus S

May 8, 2017

Nah, a lot of really long scenes with the same lines repeated or silence. Random scenes to confuse you and a bad wookie noise.

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Luke S

Apr 21, 2017

1958 Was 34 Years Old In 1992 And 1923 Was 69 Years Old In 1992.

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Abel Ferrara

Director

Harvey Keitel

The Lieutenant

Frankie Thorn

The Nun

Zoë Lund

Zoe

Anthony Ruggiero

Lite

Eddie Daniels

Jersey Girl (driver)

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Synopsis

The Lieutenant (Harvey Keitel) is a corrupt cop steeped in gambling debt who exploits his authority to sexually harass teenage girls, embezzle money and abuse drugs. His troubles come to a head when a mob lackey delivers an ultimatum: pay off his debt, or else. His fate appears sealed. But when The Lieutenant learns that a $50,000 reward is being offered to whoever catches a pair of thugs who raped a nun (Frankie Thorn), he jumps at the opportunity, hoping that he can still redeem himself.

Director: Abel Ferrara
Producer: Edward R. Pressman, Mary Kane
Screenwriter: Abel Ferrara, Zoë Lund
Production Co: Bad Lt. Productions
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA): $47.5K
Runtime: 1h 38m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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