White Lightning | Rotten Tomatoes

White Lightning

PG

1973

1h 41m

Action

Crime

Drama

List

67%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

61%

Audience Score

1,000+ Ratings

Easygoing Arkansas good ol' boy Gator McKlusky (Burt Reynolds) is serving his second federal prison sentence for running moonshine when he learns his straight-arrow college graduate brother and his girlfriend have been murdered. Eager to take down corrupt county sheriff J.C. Connors (Ned Beatty), whom he suspects is behind his brother's death, Gator agrees to a federal attorney's deal that releases him from prison to infiltrate Connors' underground booze-running business.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Oct 17

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Watch White Lightning with a subscription on Prime Video, rent on Fandango at Home, or buy on Fandango at Home.

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...Joseph Sargent’s film is a solid thriller, building up to an impressive car chase and a very neat ending that show’s Gator’s ingenious escape and almost cost the life of the stunt-driver (Hal Needham)...

Rated: 3/5

Jan 30, 2024

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Standard yahoo fare marginally elevated by good performances and a certain sense of devil-may-care style.

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 10, 2023

Full Review

Christopher Lloyd

The Film Yap

Although it's a bit trashy, White Lightning made Burt Reynolds a star and established his oeuvre of fast cars, bad cops, frisky women and smoldering machismo.

Rated: 3/5

Jun 14, 2021

Full Review

Dick Lochte

Los Angeles Free Press

[Burt] Reynolds settles down to a non-self conscious, easy-going performance that makes you think he might even be worth all that heavy hype.

Dec 31, 2019

Full Review

Fernando F. Croce

CinePassion

Shot through with radiant natural light and Reynolds's scalawag grin

Oct 21, 2010

Full Review

Chuck O'Leary

Fantastica Daily

Burt, moonshine, car chases. What's not to like?

Rated: 3/5

Oct 8, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

Jelisije J

Burt Reynolds takes on a local sheriff who killed his kid brother in this ok southern action flick.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

09/26/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The thing about white lightning is that he only strikes once The late Burt Reynolds stars and the late Ned Beatt Reynolds plays an ex con, Gator for running a moonshine business A corrupt sheriff J.C. Connors kills his brother and it sends him on a path of revenge He goes undercover for the United States treasury regardless of any evidence to legally bring him down This movie is very slow It isn't until and hour and 16 min things start to get moving The car chases are the only real bit of excitement here with a bit of justice served at the end There's better ones like this though

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

08/10/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Its Burt starting to be the movie star he was destine to be. Great supporting cast and really entertaining for a 70's flick

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

Full Review

l g

a movie of its time, and a pretty good one at that.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A Burt Reynolds action movie centered on southern moonshiners. The easily accessible story line and vivid camerawork make it an easy film to watch without having to pay much attention. You can miss 5-10 minutes (here and there) and still get the gist of things. A good movie when you want to take a break from the serious. Millions of Americans have watched these movies; Burt made millions making them.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

scott m

Burt Reynolds plays a good ol' boy moonshiner who is out for blood after a sheriff murders his brother. The story is straight out of the old kung fu movies. It's a cross between 'Smokey and the Bandit' and 'Deliverance'. Both are better movies.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Joseph Sargent

Director

Burt Reynolds

Gator McKlusky

Jennifer Billingsley

Lou

Ned Beatty

Sheriff J.C. Connors

Bo Hopkins

Roy Boone

Matt Clark

Dude Watson

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

White Lightning: Official Clip - Gator's Escape

2:00

White Lightning: Official Clip - Sister Linda's Home of Unwed Mothers

1:58

White Lightning: Official Clip - Car Chase

2:01

White Lightning: Official Clip - My Horny Little Soul

1:58

White Lightning: Official Clip - Sexy Lou's Seduction

2:09

White Lightning: Official Clip - Driving Free

1:49

White Lightning: Official Clip - Big Bear

1:55

White Lightning: Official Clip - Sherry Lynne & Kip

0:55

White Lightning: Official Clip - Prison Break

2:07

White Lightning: Official Clip - Sheriff J.C. Connors

1:57

View more videos

25%

44%

Gator

82%

83%

Charley Varrick

57%

67%

Lone Wolf McQuade

25%

40%

Shamus

80%

73%

The Outfit

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Easygoing Arkansas good ol' boy Gator McKlusky (Burt Reynolds) is serving his second federal prison sentence for running moonshine when he learns his straight-arrow college graduate brother and his girlfriend have been murdered. Eager to take down corrupt county sheriff J.C. Connors (Ned Beatty), whom he suspects is behind his brother's death, Gator agrees to a federal attorney's deal that releases him from prison to infiltrate Connors' underground booze-running business.

Director: Joseph Sargent
Screenwriter: William W. Norton
Production Co: Levy-Gardner-Laven
Rating: PG
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 4, 2016
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Stereo

Most Popular at Home Now