Ruthless People
Seen it?1986 | 94 min | Comedy
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
Critics loved it (93% on Rotten Tomatoes), it made about 7 times its budget and it's still drawing plenty of interest. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who wants a laugh. If you loved The Taking of Pelham One Two Three, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Darkly funny.
- The pace
- Breezy, at 1 hr 34 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Sam Stone hates his wife Barbara so much that he wants her dead. He's ecstatic when she's taken by a duo of kidnappers who want $500,000 ransom in exchange for her life. Fully intending to ignore every one of the kidnappers' demands in the hopes that they do him a favor and murder her for him, the two confused kidnappers have to figure out how they're going get their money, and what they're going to do with the overbearing Barbara.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 78 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
6.6 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$72 million worldwide on a $11 million budget
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 159K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Pulp Fiction
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The Taking of Pelham One Two Three Saturday SpecialAnother kidnapping film.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Directed by Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
- Danny DeVitoSam Stone
- Bette MidlerBarbara Stone
- Judge ReinholdKen Kessler
- Helen SlaterSandy Kessler
- Anita MorrisCarol Dodsworth
- Bill PullmanEarl James Mott
- William G. SchillingChief Henry Benton
- Art EvansLt. Bender
- Clarence FelderLt. Walters
- J.E. FreemanBedroom Killer