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Unlawful Entry

Play trailer Poster for Unlawful Entry R,  1992,  1h 51m,  Mystery & Thriller/ Crime/ Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 72% 32 Reviews Tomatometer 49% 5,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
72% Tomatometer 32 Reviews 49% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Happily married Michael (Kurt Russell) and Karen Carr (Madeleine Stowe) call the police after a failed robbery. Officer Pete Davis (Ray Liotta) arrives and helps arrange the installation of a new security system. The grateful Carrs have Pete to dinner and strike up a friendship. Pete invites Michael to ride with him during a night's patrol and gives him the chance to beat up the burglar. Michael refuses and tells the disturbed cop to stay away, but Pete begins stalking the terrified couple.
Unlawful Entry

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Unlawful Entry may not depict a particularly novel or believable situation, but tense direction and a roundly committed cast make it easy to get caught up in the moment.

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Critics Reviews

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Jo Berry Empire Magazine Apr 9, 2008
4/5
A wonderfully nasty turn from Liotta, along with a novel treatment of familiar plotlines, elevates Kaplan's effort into the 'must see' category. Go to Full Review
Todd McCarthy Variety Apr 9, 2008
Although it exists primarily to send an audience into a bloodthirsty frenzy and has major credibility problems in the bargain, Unlawful Entry is still a very effective victimization thriller. Go to Full Review
Jonathan Rosenbaum Chicago Reader Apr 9, 2008
Neither Lewis Colick's script nor Jonathan Kaplan's direction is quite as streamlined as it could be, but you certainly get a run for your money. Go to Full Review
Russell Rhodes Birmingham Mail Dec 14, 2023
Formula but fun. Go to Full Review
Bob Shelton Birmingham Post Dec 14, 2023
Well told, if not altogether plausible, Unlawful Entry should give thriller-lovers a pleasant jolt of anxiety. Go to Full Review
Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal Jun 30, 2022
3.5/5
Easily among the best in its ’90s-stalker subgenre, "Unlawful Entry" finds a way to give people exactly what they want from such a thriller and a sense of understanding its players that they might not expect. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Harry G Dec 3, 2018 Unlawful Entry is a decent thriller featuring a nice turn by Ray Liotta who plays a psychopathic cop. An upstate couple(Russell and Stowe) are suddenly awakened at night to find an intruder with a knife in their house. The cops(Liotta partnering with Roger E Mosley) take their statement and assist them to the full of their extent. All is fine except one of them grows an infatuation with the wife which leads to recursions. As stated on top this is a decent film watchable because of Ray Liotta's turn. Everyone else is adequate and the pacing of the film is decent enough that you won't be bored. If you are in the mood for an early 90s watch than Unlawful Entry could be a decent choice. See more
Albus L Nov 11, 2018 In Unlawful Entry Kurt Russell and Madeline Stowe play a married couple living in an Upscale flat in LA when one night they are awakened by a break in. Two cops come to their assistance and one of them- Liotta, playing a deranged cop befriends the couple, to another level- even taking Russell out for a night out, simply because he becomes infatuated with Russell's wife. Liotta is suitably creepy and carries the film on his shoulders. Russell and Stowe are adequate and aren't allowed to do much except go with the proceedings. A good one-time watch. ( Great crazy cop movie with a crazy turn by Liotta). See more
Kylo W Oct 24, 2018 A couple are rudely awakened in the middle of the night by an intruder. The next day two police officers come to check on them and file a complaint. One of them- played slyly by an in-form Ray Liotta develops a fixation on the wife. This fixation leads to everything from stalking to murder and death. Unlawful Entry is a decent early 90s psychological thriller starring Kurt Russell and Madeline Stowe as the bothered couple with the aforementioned Ray Liotta playing the perfect sociopathic creep that makes life hell for them. For Liotta's fine turn this movie is a recommendation. See more
Rey W Oct 21, 2018 A predictable stalker film, but Kurt Russell and Ray Liotta both perform their roles well. It was worth seeing once. (First and only viewing - 1/5/2019) See more
Poe S Oct 16, 2018 In Unlawful Entry Kurt Russell and Madeline Stowe play a married couple living in an Upscale flat in LA when one night they are awakened by a break in. Two cops come to their assistance and one of them- Liotta, playing a deranged cop befriends the couple, to another level- even taking Russell out for a night out, simply because he becomes infatuated with Russell's wife. Liotta is suitably creepy and carries the film on his shoulders. Russell and Stowe are adequate and aren't allowed to do much except go with the proceedings. A good one-time watch. See more
Han W Sep 5, 2018 A couple are rudely awakened in the middle of the night by an intruder. The next day two police officers come to check on them and file a complaint. One of them- played slyly by an in-form Ray Liotta develops a fixation on the wife. This fixation leads to everything from stalking to murder and death. Unlawful Entry is a decent early 90s psychological thriller starring Kurt Russell and Madeline Stowe as the bothered couple with the aforementioned Ray Liotta playing the perfect sociopathic creep that makes life hell for them. For Liotta's fine turn this movie is a recommendation. See more
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Unlawful Entry

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis Happily married Michael (Kurt Russell) and Karen Carr (Madeleine Stowe) call the police after a failed robbery. Officer Pete Davis (Ray Liotta) arrives and helps arrange the installation of a new security system. The grateful Carrs have Pete to dinner and strike up a friendship. Pete invites Michael to ride with him during a night's patrol and gives him the chance to beat up the burglar. Michael refuses and tells the disturbed cop to stay away, but Pete begins stalking the terrified couple.
Director
Jonathan Kaplan
Producer
Charles Gordon, Joseph Newton Cohen
Screenwriter
George Putnam, John Katchmer, Lewis Colick
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
20th Century Fox, Largo Entertainment, JVC Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 26, 1992, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 6, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$55.9M
Runtime
1h 51m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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