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The Firm

Play trailer 2:29 Poster for The Firm R 1993 2h 34m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
76% Tomatometer 59 Reviews 65% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
A young lawyer joins a small but prestigious law firm only to find out that most of their clients are on the wrong side of the law. The company is helping to launder mob money, get clients off charges and even murder partners who threaten to blow their cover, but when the FBI come calling to gather evidence on the lawyer's colleagues, he is caught between a rock and a hard place, juggling his life and his liberty.

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The Firm

The Firm

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Critics Consensus

The Firm is a big studio thriller that amusingly tears apart the last of 1980s boardroom culture and the false securities it represented.

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Critics Reviews

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James Jackson The Times (UK) 11/15/2022
Cruise’s toothy heroics are ill-suited to moral complexity, but he is elevated by a stellar supporting cast... Go to Full Review
David Ansen Newsweek 05/15/2018
A summer genre movie for grown-ups, The Firm helps restore faith in Hollywood professionalism. Go to Full Review
Richard Corliss TIME Magazine 05/26/2008
Tom Cruise heads a tony cast in a best-seller movie that is firm at the start and infirm by the end. Go to Full Review
Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) 06/09/2022
Those who admired the book will despise the movie and vice versa. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Sean Collier Box Office Prophets 11/16/2020
8/10
The first adaptation of a John Grisham novel to top the box office, The Firm successfully feels like a mass-market page-turner. Go to Full Review
Tom Meek Cambridge Day 04/06/2020
2.5/4
Tom Cruise is blessed with the amazing ensemble... and a screenplay contribution from Robert Towne, yet the result is a pat paper chase-cum-thriller that's looking constantly to break the surface. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Geo3 F @RT82897544 5d This is a decent movie that starts slow but picks up the pace towards the end of it. it has a very 90s feel to it full of drama and some suspense. Overall, a decent film See more Zane T @ZaneThind Jan 15 An amazing legal thriller that picks apart the corruption in law firms and how informants are portrayed as having a constant struggle with their new duty. See more Ted B @Movieaddicted Oct 14 3.5 stars; First of all, I love John Grisham novels. So if the movie comes anywhere close to replicating the novel, it will get a good rating for me. In this case, it did duplicate the one thing that bugs me about Grisham novels. They start out slow, developing characters, and then get into the plot a quarter of the way through. You can get away with that in a novel, thanks to speed reading, but there's no such thing while watching a film. Tom Cruise was very young in his development as an actor and was kind of cruising (pardon the pun) off his popularity from "Risky Business." He was surrounded by an all-star cast from the 90s that helped hide a few flaws. All that being said, I did enjoy the film even though I knew the plot and punchline. See more jason c @RT58829022 Sep 16 Excellent performances by an all star cast. Great writing. Clever ending. Feels like a real adventure / redemption for hero. See more Robert M @RT80535896 Aug 8 The Firm stands as a masterclass in the legal thriller genre, a film that, even decades after its release, holds up as a captivating and meticulously crafted piece of cinema. Tom Cruise delivers one of his most compelling performances as Mitch McDeere, a bright, ambitious Harvard Law graduate whose dream job at a prestigious Memphis firm quickly spirals into a waking nightmare. The film masterfully builds a sense of unease, slowly peeling back the layers of the firm's glamorous facade to reveal a sinister underbelly tied to the Mafia. Director Sydney Pollack's steady hand guides the audience through a complex web of legal jargon, moral dilemmas, and high-stakes suspense, ensuring that every plot point feels earned and every twist is genuinely surprising. The supporting cast is phenomenal, with Gene Hackman's nuanced portrayal of Avery Tolar being a particular highlight, providing a mentor figure who is both charming and deeply compromised. The film's pacing is exceptional; it's a slow burn that builds tension with each passing minute, culminating in a pulse-pounding finale that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Furthermore, the film’s exploration of corruption, ambition, and the price of success remains incredibly relevant. The Firm is more than just a thriller; it's a smart, stylish, and engaging character study that solidifies its place as a timeless classic. It’s a must-watch for anyone who appreciates a well-told story with a brilliant cast and a thrilling plot. See more Ava S @avawatches Jul 23 Although The Firm begins at a snail's pace, its mystery quickly gains momentum, morphing into a solid thriller brimming with paranoia, secrecy, and moments of investigative goodness. See more Read all reviews
The Firm

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The Firm

The Firm: Official Clip - Outwitting the Hit The Firm: Official Clip - Outwitting the Hit 2:13 The Firm: Official Clip - The Chase The Firm: Official Clip - The Chase 2:13 The Firm: Official Clip - Escape from the Firm The Firm: Official Clip - Escape from the Firm 1:44 The Firm: Official Clip - Dead Lawyers The Firm: Official Clip - Dead Lawyers 1:58 The Firm: Official Clip - Tricking a Federal Agent The Firm: Official Clip - Tricking a Federal Agent 1:48 The Firm: Official Clip - If We Run, They'd Find Us The Firm: Official Clip - If We Run, They'd Find Us 1:44 The Firm: Official Clip - No Lawyer's Ever Left the Firm Alive The Firm: Official Clip - No Lawyer's Ever Left the Firm Alive 2:07 The Firm: Official Clip - Blackmail The Firm: Official Clip - Blackmail 2:13 The Firm: Official Clip - No Associate Has Ever Failed the Bar Exam The Firm: Official Clip - No Associate Has Ever Failed the Bar Exam 1:16 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis A young lawyer joins a small but prestigious law firm only to find out that most of their clients are on the wrong side of the law. The company is helping to launder mob money, get clients off charges and even murder partners who threaten to blow their cover, but when the FBI come calling to gather evidence on the lawyer's colleagues, he is caught between a rock and a hard place, juggling his life and his liberty.
Director
Sydney Pollack
Producer
Scott Rudin, John Davis
Screenwriter
David Rabe, Robert Towne, David Rayfiel
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures, Scott Rudin Productions, Davis Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 30, 1993, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 27, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$157.0M
Runtime
2h 34m
Sound Mix
Surround