Cutter's Way

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Cutter's Way

R,

1981,

1h 45m,

Mystery & Thriller/

Crime/

Drama

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Watchlist

92%

24 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

1,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

92%

Tomatometer

24 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Best friends Richard Bone (Jeff Bridges) and Alex Cutter (John Heard) are two middle-class guys living in an upper-class town. The Santa Barbara buddies get dragged into a murder mystery when Richard accidentally spots a man ditching a body into a trash can. Alex, an embittered Vietnam veteran who lost an eye and leg in the war, thinks what Richard saw is worth something, especially when it comes out that the potential murderer is a wealthy and powerful man in the community.

Critics Consensus

A suitably cynical neo-noir that echoes the disillusionment of its era, Cutter's Way relies on character-driven drama further elevated by the work of an outstanding cast.

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

Jun 24, 2011

4/5

Almost as impressive as Polanski's Chinatown and an extraordinary change of gear from one of the fine Czech New Wave's most notable alumni.

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Antonia Quirke

Financial Times

Jun 24, 2011

3/5

[Heard] is one of America's great lost actors.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Jun 23, 2011

4/5

The film moves with an easy uncoerced swing: moment by moment, scene by scene, we are unsure what to think or where we are going. It is a fascinating, organically grown drama.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Mar 16, 2026

4/5

…Ivan Passer’s neglected masterpiece is an easy recommendation for anyone who loves a good old fashioned neo-noir handled in caustic, modern style….

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 15, 2023

3.5/4

Cutter’s Way is at once an American film of its time and for all ensuing times, an ugly-truth endeavor examining a nation in which the rich and powerful literally get away with murder while the poor and pitiful barely exist at all.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

May 14, 2022

3/4

...an exceedingly (and sometimes excessively) deliberate drama that benefits from its stellar performances and raft of appealing, eye-catching attributes...

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Ron L

Oct 17, 2017

An inspiring film, it is constructed like a thriller; but instead of reaching for thrills, it leaves them in the background and concentrates on the complexities of its characters.

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Ivan Passer

Director

Jeff Bridges

Richard Bone

John Heard

Alex Cutter

Lisa Eichhorn

Maureen "Mo" Cutter

Ann Dusenberry

Valerie Duran

Stephen Elliott

J. J. Cord

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Synopsis

Best friends Richard Bone (Jeff Bridges) and Alex Cutter (John Heard) are two middle-class guys living in an upper-class town. The Santa Barbara buddies get dragged into a murder mystery when Richard accidentally spots a man ditching a body into a trash can. Alex, an embittered Vietnam veteran who lost an eye and leg in the war, thinks what Richard saw is worth something, especially when it comes out that the potential murderer is a wealthy and powerful man in the community.

Director: Ivan Passer
Producer: Paul R. Gurian
Screenwriter: Jeffrey Fiskin, Newton Thornburg
Distributor: United Artists, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Gurian Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 12, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Stereo
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Flat (1.85:1)

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