A Stranger Among Us | Rotten Tomatoes

A Stranger Among Us

PG-13

Released Jul 17, 1992

1 hr. 50 min.

Mystery & Thriller

List

22%

41 Reviews

Tomatometer

39%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A New York policewoman (Melanie Griffith) enters the Hasidic community to investigate a diamond-robbery murder.

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Critics Consensus

A disappointing misfire for director Sidney Lumet, A Stranger Among Us tries to tell a murder mystery and a fish-out-of-water love story, doing a disservice to both.

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Steve D

Didn't really bring anything new to the table but I found it engaging.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

arnold r

I really liked A Stranger Among Us, which I recently rewatched. The comparison, of course, is Witness. In both movies a hardened, cynical cop must live in a closed, tight-knit religious community that rejects mainstream culture, and both are transformed by the experience. Is Harrison Ford a more convincing cop than Melanie Griffith? Of course he is. Ford is more convincing in any macho role than any actor alive. Attractive young woman in law enforcement is a harder role to fill, you can't just be tough, and Griffith isn't supposed to be a super cop, just an ok detective. But both films are less about the whodunit than than the community, Hasidic or Amish, how they deal with the outsider and how the outsider deals with them. Both do that well, with careful attention to details that bring the respective communities alive. Both films get violent towards the end. Witness gives us a triumphal climax, while A Stranger Among Us is more thoughtful, with one scene in particular making a bad guy's comeuppance more real and anything but triumphal. In both films, the outsider cop falls in love with a community member, and both films resolve the situations in similar ways, but Stranger's resolution has more depth and is much more satisfying. If you Liked Witness, give A Stranger a chance.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The plot, dialogue, and acting were all subpar in what was a rare miss, and easily the worst film I have seen so far, from Sidney Lumet. The plot involves Melanie Griffith, as a policewoman, going undercover within a community of Orthodox Jews in an attempt to solve a murder while navigating the NYC diamond district, the mob, and, of course, a romantic connection. Everything about this felt messy as the film starts off as a gritty NYC cop drama, reminiscent of other Lumet films, before turning into a fish out of water comedy as the gentile undercover cop attempts to put the milk in the meat fridge or drops the fully intact fish while preparing a sater meal. Finally we finish off as a romantic drama, where the two lovers from totally opposite worlds need to decide if their connection is strong enough to overcome the vast differences between their lives, a "will they or won't they" scenario for the ages. The most positive takeaway from this for me was the unexpected Gandolfini appearance where a svelte looking James was working a semi passable Brando voice, exhibiting a gravelly whisper with his wise guy character that made me smile. This was an excellent choice for my 13th Lumet film as I wouldn't have felt any unluckier watching any of the 12 previous.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

Fascinating and respectful of the Hassidic community in Brooklyn. Directed by Sidney Lumet- an absorbing movie!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Audience Member

I hate Melanie’s acting but everyone else was pretty good. Still, the movie was so so.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/19/17

Full Review

Audience Member

Decent cop drama. Nothing to phone home about though. The only distinguishing feature is that it shows an inside look at the lives of hasidic Jews. One you don't see often.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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Sidney Lumet

Director

Melanie Griffith

Emily Eden

Eric Thal

Ariel

John Pankow

Levine

Tracy Pollan

Mara

Lee Richardson

Rebbe

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Peter Rainer

Los Angeles Times

A Stranger Among Us isn't emotionally on a much higher level than a Harlequin romance, but Lumet keeps the actors in front of us, and we enjoy watching them.

May 3, 2014

Full Review

Desmond Ryan

Philadelphia Inquirer

[Lumet] may be the quintessential New York director, but A Stranger Among Us argues that he should stay out of Brooklyn.

Rated: 1.5/4

May 3, 2014

Full Review

Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Director Sidney Lumet is obviously fascinated by the Hasidic community, and he displays this fascination by presenting the Jewish characters and settings with affection and respect.

Rated: 3/5

May 3, 2014

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

While Avrech's script, which might as well be a sci-fi film in its depiction of NYPD operations, is mostly at fault, Griffith casts a dubious shadow over the proceedings.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 10, 2020

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

A Stranger Among Us is rife with laughably heavy-handed instances of plot and character development...

Rated: 2/4

Feb 3, 2016

Full Review

Roger Hurlburt

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

A Stranger Among Us is an unwieldy yarn that plays passion against faith and tradition in a most unconvincing manner.

May 3, 2014

Full Review

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Synopsis

A New York policewoman (Melanie Griffith) enters the Hasidic community to investigate a diamond-robbery murder.

Director: Sidney Lumet
Production Co: Propaganda Films, Sandollar Productions, Hollywood Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 17, 1992, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $12.1M
Sound Mix: Stereo

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