Cop | Rotten Tomatoes

Cop

R

1988

1h 45m

Crime

Drama

List

83%

Tomatometer

18 Reviews

49%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

Los Angeles police Detective Lloyd Hopkins (James Woods) gets in trouble with his superiors for his insubordinate ways. When Lloyd realizes that he's on the trail of a serial killer, he is told not to pursue the case, but he presses forward anyway, fiercely intent on catching the murderer. Eventually, his investigation leads to a feminist bookstore where he falls for Kathleen McCarthy (Lesley Ann Warren), a beautiful aspiring writer. Can Kathleen help Lloyd solve the case?

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Variety Staff

Variety

A modestly executed, off-target police drama giving actor James Woods another outlet for his compellingly schizophrenic persona.

Mar 26, 2009

Full Review

Time Out

Slickly made, violent, and (intentionally and unintentionally) funny.

Feb 9, 2006

Full Review

Janet Maslin

New York Times

Far and away the best thing about it is Mr. Woods, who served as co-producer and demonstrates a clear understanding of what makes great movie detectives great.

Rated: 3/5

May 20, 2003

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

With a deliriously great final moment, Cop is an excellent Los Angeles neo-noir. Fans of the three main James (Harris, Woods, Ellroy) should definitely take note.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 8, 2020

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

The finale is so unresolved that the film practically insists that the important aspect is the journey, not the outcome.

Rated: 6/10

Aug 31, 2020

Full Review

TV Guide

Woods takes us on a singularly unpleasant ride, but it is always an insightful and fascinating one.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 11, 2011

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Jelisije J

A very good cop movie staring James Woods taking on a serial killer that hunts people who are considered unworthy.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/24

Full Review

Jonas S

I fully admit that giving this movie 4 stars makes me a morally bad person, but gosh-darn-it-all it is just so watchable. Naturally the police work is written by a complete novice and the plot transitions are utterly jarring, but James Woods is hilarious as an unhinged cop that no doubt partially mirrors his actual personality lol. One for the whole family!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/12/23

Full Review

Steve D

Definitely entertaining but the writers seem to have problems with women, which damages the film.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A solid serial killer movie, set in Los Angeles, that is not done in the noir style. The investigation is straightforward and easily followed. As usual, the whole family dynamic and trauma are forced and irrelevant to the structure of the movie. Would have been far better had that been left out.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Awesome !!! Must see 80s movie!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

70s movie in the late 80s. More character studies, slow burn suspense, and unglamorous detective work than spectacle, splash, or 'splosions. A must-see for fans of great writing, acting, subtext, and movies for grown-ass adults.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/18/23

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James B. Harris

Director

James Woods

Lloyd Hopkins

Lesley Ann Warren

Kathleen McCarthy

Charles Durning

Dutch Peltz

Charlie Haid

Delbert "Whitey" Haines

Raymond J. Barry

Captain Fred Gaffney

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Synopsis

Los Angeles police Detective Lloyd Hopkins (James Woods) gets in trouble with his superiors for his insubordinate ways. When Lloyd realizes that he's on the trail of a serial killer, he is told not to pursue the case, but he presses forward anyway, fiercely intent on catching the murderer. Eventually, his investigation leads to a feminist bookstore where he falls for Kathleen McCarthy (Lesley Ann Warren), a beautiful aspiring writer. Can Kathleen help Lloyd solve the case?

Director: James B. Harris
Producer: James B. Harris, James Woods
Screenwriter: James B. Harris
Production Co: Atlantic Entertainment Group, Harris-Woods Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $416.0K
Runtime: 1h 45m

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