Q & A

Q & A (1990)

  • 87% of critics liked it
    (23 reviews)

  • 47% of users liked it
    (2,852 ratings)

Following Serpico (1973) and Prince of the City (1981), veteran urban crime film director Sidney Lumet completed a thematic trilogy about New York City police corruption with this noir drama. When New York City cop Mike Brennan (Nick Nolte) shoots an unarmed Hispanic drug dealer in cold blood, he… More

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R,
Directed By
Written By
Sidney Lumet
Genres
Mystery & Suspense, Drama
In Theaters
Apr 27, 1990 Wide
TriStar Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • James Berardinelli, ReelViews

    Q & A is testimony to the validity of the old adage: a good story, when well told, can never be told too many times.

  • Derek Adams, Time Out

    While this tough, fundamentally sound New York thriller has its moments, it's no Prince of the City.

  • Vincent Canby, New York Times

    ''Q and A'' is most memorable for its performances, beginning with Mr. Nolte's.

  • Hal Hinson, Washington Post

    Unfortunately, Lumet isn't the brawny social commentator he would like to be -- he's a Jimmy Breslin manque'.

  • , Entertainment Weekly

    Q&A is a major film by one of our finest mainstream directors. As both a portrait of modern-day corruption and an act of sheer storytelling bravura, it is not to be missed.

Read all 14 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Jim H


    Q&A is a fairly typical Lumet film in the tradition of Prince of the City, Night in Manhattan, and well, everything else since Serpico (with the notable exception of the brilliant Before the Devil Knows You're Dead). In a lot of ways it seems that Lumet got stuck on this… More

  • Lafe F


    Nick Nolte plays a greasy smell bad racist cop, who tries to intimidate Timothy Hutton. Justice is served to the pig.

  • Dean M


    Really dull and silly tale of New York police corruption.

  • Danny R


    A powerful gritty well-acted crime drama, brilliantly directed by Sidney Lumet. About a wet-behind-the ears Assistant D.A. superbly played by Timothy Hutton who is assigned by his boss a smoothly villainous Patrick O'Neal, too investigate a killing of Puerto Rican drug dealer,… More

  • Marcus W


    The acting, the cast, the script, the direction...it's all first class. The problem is that we're supposed to be surprised that politicians are corrupt. There's no shock there. Don't get me wrong, it's a good film, just don't expect to be blown away.

Read all 7 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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Trailers & Clips