Serpico

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Serpico

R,

1973,

2h 9m,

Crime/

Drama/

Biography

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Watchlist

93%

55 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

50,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

55 Reviews

88%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Frank Serpico is an idealistic New York City cop who refuses to take bribes, unlike the rest of the force. His actions get Frank shunned by the other officers, and often placed in dangerous situations by his partners. When his superiors ignore Frank's accusations of corruption, he decides to go public with the allegations. Although this causes the Knapp Commission to investigate his claims, Frank has also placed a target on himself. The film is based on a true story.

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Critics Consensus

An engrossing, immediate depiction of early '70s New York, Serpico is elevated by Al Pacino's ferocious performance.

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Ed Potton

The Times (UK)

Aug 18, 2023

4/5

... One of Hollywood’s most wince-inducing explorations of police corruption.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Aug 16, 2023

5/5

Sweat and grit and fear pulse off it like waves; and there are dynamic streetscape scenes.

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Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

Jun 28, 2023

Sidney Lumet directs with his customary verve and grit.

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Sebastian Zavala Kahn

Loud and Clear Reviews

Jul 2, 2025

5/5

If the film still works, it’s because it depicts a version of New York City that feels both different and similar to the one that exists today. [...] More than fifty years might have passed, but the movie has lost none of its considerable potency.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Aug 9, 2023

6/10

Though Pacino delivers an iconic performance, the pacing here is largely off, as it builds, mostly suspense-free, to an ending that is already known - thanks to the opening moments.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Jul 24, 2023

3.5/5

In the end the strengths of Lumet’s direction, Pacino’s performance, and Arthur J. Ornitz’s gritty cinematography are more than enough to get past the film’s handful of stumbles.

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Luke M

Apr 3, 2019

To look at how young Al Pacino is, this is the one I have in mind. Serpico is about an NYPD officer Frank Serpico played by the really young Al Pacino, who went undercover to expose corruption in the police force. It's based on an actual person, Frank Serpico and it's based on an biographical book by Peter Maas. Al Pacino did a really good job portraying Frank Serpico, even the story is faithful to the original material. I would say more about Serpico but I just can't because there's really nothing more to talk about it. It's a brilliant good old biographical crime film.

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Feb 2, 2019

The best thrilling and inspiring movie ever made! With the best movie character ever portrayed: Al Pacino as Frank Serpico!

Albus W

Dec 29, 2018

Pacino looks good with the beard and it certainly evokes a time and place realistically but drags on and often feels aimless, especially concerning his boring love affairs. Does convey Serpico's frustration at trying to find someone to back him and there is some tension later on. A shame none of the other characters are really fleshed out. This is Pacino's show.

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Han W

Dec 19, 2018

Very good, in my opinion this is one of the best movies ever and one of the greatest classics of the 70's. It had a great casting, a good story line and a fantastic wardrobe. This film is one of those films that, although it does not change our life, it is impossible not to like it. I highly recommend it, I think everyone should watch this movie at least once.

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Finn G

Oct 28, 2018

Serpico is a solid movie which features a very important real-life story of an inspirational titular figure well acted by Al Pacino. It's also well shot and with memorable atmosphere to it. But the pacing is so slow and the runtime is too long that the movie ended up being quite uneven and never achieving the much needed immediacy in its tone.

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Rey G

Oct 20, 2018

Off the back of watching the truly excellent Dog Day Afternoon I finally got round to watching a true cinema classic. What a huge disappointment. Pacino is solid but overall its a sprawling mess of a story that leaps to many times from year to year. It has not stood the test of time very well.

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Sidney Lumet

Director

Al Pacino

Serpico

John Randolph

Chief Sidney Green

Jack Kehoe

Tom Keough

Biff McGuire

Capt. Insp. McClain

Barbara Eda-Young

Laurie

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Synopsis

Frank Serpico is an idealistic New York City cop who refuses to take bribes, unlike the rest of the force. His actions get Frank shunned by the other officers, and often placed in dangerous situations by his partners. When his superiors ignore Frank's accusations of corruption, he decides to go public with the allegations. Although this causes the Knapp Commission to investigate his claims, Frank has also placed a target on himself. The film is based on a true story.

Director: Sidney Lumet
Producer: Martin Bregman
Screenwriter: Waldo Salt, Norman Wexler
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Artists Entertainment Complex, Produzion De Laurentis
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Biography
Original Language: Spanish
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 5, 1973, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 6, 2014
Runtime: 2h 9m
Sound Mix: Stereo

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