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After Hours
1985 97 min United States of America R 16+
★7.9
Comedy, Thriller, Drama
Director: Martin Scorsese
Trailers
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EN
Description
Desperate to escape his mind-numbing routine, uptown Manhattan office worker Paul Hackett ventures downtown for a hookup with a mystery woman.
Budget:
$4.5M
US Gross:
$10.61M
Worldwide:
$10.61M
Starring
Griffin Dunne
Actor
Rosanna Arquette
Actor
Verna Bloom
Actor
Awards
Cannes Film Festival 1986
— Best Director
Cannes Film Festival 1986
— Palme d'Or
César Awards 1987
— Best International Feature Film
BAFTA 1987
— Best Supporting Actress
Golden Globe 1986
— Best Actor (Comedy or Musical)
Key opinion
After Hours is widely regarded as a unique, surreal, and masterfully paced black comedy that captures a nightmarish vision of 1980s New York. While most critics praise its stylistic execution and its status as a bold experiment in Scorsese's filmography, some viewers find the dark humor cold or the plot too absurd to connect with emotionally.
| Screenplay | The script provides a taut, intricately woven, and unpredictable narrative that effectively drives the protagonist's surreal descent into chaos. | |
| Acting | Griffin Dunne anchors the film with a distinct, physically expressive performance that captures the mounting desperation of his character. | |
| Theme | The film creates a claustrophobic, nightmarish atmosphere that effectively transports the audience into the protagonist’s nocturnal ordeal. | |
| Humor | Opinions on the humor are divided; some find the absurd, cynical tone biting and brilliant, while others argue that the dark comedy lacks warmth, humanity, or actual laughs. | |
| Direction | The direction is a point of contention; supporters celebrate Scorsese's mastery of tone and atmospheric tension, while detractors view it as a self-indulgent or uninspired effort compared to his crime epics. |