Rush (1991) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

71% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings

Undercover cop Jim Raynor (Jason Patric) is a seasoned veteran. His partner, Kristen Cates (Jennifer Jason Leigh), is lacking in experience, but he thinks she's tough enough to work his next case with him: a deep cover assignment to bring down the notoriously hard-to-capture drug lord Gaines (Gregg Allman). While their relationship turns romantic during the assignment, they also turn into junkies, and will have to battle their own addictions if they want to bring down Gaines once and for all.

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Rush

Critics Reviews

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Rush (1991) | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly Rated: B- Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Rush (1991) | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Angie Errigo Empire Magazine To be really powerful or tragic they need to be a lot less hackneyed and directed with more inspiration than this merely adequate effort. Rated: 2/5 Apr 9, 2008 Full Review Rush (1991) | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Variety Staff Variety Head-swiveling directorial debut of Lili Fini Zanuck lays out a tough masculine scenario [based on Kim Wozencraft's book] in a way that is always emotionally riveting. Apr 9, 2008 Full Review Rush (1991) | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Though well-acted, well-written and well-directed, it's still an unpleasant watch that never gets beyond being routine. Rated: B- Jul 6, 2012 Full Review Rush (1991) | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Film4 Neither glamorising nor moralising, Rush deserves plaudits for its gritty, no-holds-barred take on drugs. The intelligent performances are the icing on the cake. Apr 9, 2008 Full Review Rush (1991) | Rotten Tomatoes (6) TV Guide A melodramatic, if gritty, Hollywood muddle. Rated: 3/4 Apr 9, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ben D Detective Jim Raynor (Jason Patric) appears to have taken the job as an undercover narc to indulge in as many drugs as possible. He’s also super horny and elects Kristen Cates (Jennifer Jason Leigh) fresh out of the police academy to be his partner, a hugely important decision for an undercover agent, because she’s hot. The setup for this story is so poor that it is difficult to overlook. Detectives Raynor and Cates soon become addicted to drugs and each other in the Texas heat. The ancillary characters — Walker (Max Perlich), Willie Red (Special K. McCray), and Will Gaines (Gregg Allman) — that makeup part of the narcotic underground are all excellent parts to the underwhelming whole. How exactly Det. Cates kicks the addiction is never addressed. Moreover, there’s a scene where Det. Raynor pulls a syringe with more bubbles in it than a picnic in July. Perhaps a little research into drug abuse would’ve helped the script. The acting rises above the script, with commendable “body acting” from our co-stars. The shot of Det. Cates driving fucked-up was the cinematic highlight of the movie. Rush is the kind of 1990s action movie with a tinge of subliminal social commentary they don’t make much of anymore. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 09/18/24 Full Review Bahad j In my opinion, the movie uses very good camera and audio visual equipment and the crew members and the filmmakers have played their roles very well. I really liked it. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/12/24 Full Review Lisa L JJL gives a great performance in a not so great movie Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 05/13/24 Full Review Allan C Not quite as good as I remember (and nowhere as great as Gregg Allman's magnificent mane of blond hair), but strong performances by Jason Patrick and Jennifer Jason Leigh as undercover Texas NARCS make the film compelling. The film is also greatly aided by a cast populated with terrific dirtbag characters. Gregg Allman is a standout as the near-mute local drug dealer they are trying to take down, but my favorite dirtbag is an overall-wearing William Sadler as a creepy pill popper who wants to "party" with Leigh in a very uncomfortable scene. But you also get Max Perlich, who I totally forgot about but who seemed to be in everything in the 90s, along with Sam Elliott, and everyone's favorite sweaty redneck Dennis Burkley, who was in everything from WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE to STEWARDESS SCHOOL to classy stuff (still playing a dirtbag) like MASK or THE DOORS. And Special K. McCray is super memorable as a terrifying velour wearing drug dealer who forces Leigh into shooting up, but looking at his filmography, he only ever appeared in two other movies. Overall, the performance by Patrick and Leigh makes the film, but watching a 1990s recreation of the 1970s if also pretty fun, even if the film is a little too "this is your brain on drugs." Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/25/24 Full Review Anthony B I might be being bias, but this movie is a classic in my opinion and always will be. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/11/24 Full Review Mike C This film was deeply disturbing as it was one of the first to really embrace heroin addiction. From what I've read these actors went through hell attempting to truly be in character. Much like "Narc" did which is why Tom Cruise backed and rereleased it. Patrick has a pretty intense way to approach his work....at times to a fault, but not this one Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Lili Fini Zanuck Director Jason Patric Jim Raynor Jennifer Jason Leigh Kristen Cates Sam Elliott Dodd Max Perlich Walker Gregg Allman Gaines
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Synopsis Undercover cop Jim Raynor (Jason Patric) is a seasoned veteran. His partner, Kristen Cates (Jennifer Jason Leigh), is lacking in experience, but he thinks she's tough enough to work his next case with him: a deep cover assignment to bring down the notoriously hard-to-capture drug lord Gaines (Gregg Allman). While their relationship turns romantic during the assignment, they also turn into junkies, and will have to battle their own addictions if they want to bring down Gaines once and for all.

Director
Lili Fini Zanuck

Producer
Richard D. Zanuck

Screenwriter
Peter Dexter

Production Co
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM), Zanuck Company

Rating
R

Genre
Drama, Crime

Original Language
English

Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 16, 2008

Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.6M

Runtime
2h 0m

Sound Mix
Surround
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