
Desperate Measures
Seen it?1998 | 100 min | Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime
Why it’s a Monday Morning Maybe
With just 19% on Rotten Tomatoes, a lukewarm 6.0 out of 10 from audiences and a box office loss, this one could be a tough watch. Keep your phone handy.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans, anyone who likes to be kept guessing and action fans. If you loved 21 Grams, start here. Audiences love it more than critics do: a crowd-pleaser first.
- The mood
- Tense and unsettling, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 40 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: meant for adults.
San Francisco police officer Frank Connor is in a frantic search for a compatible bone marrow donor for his gravely ill son. There's only one catch the potential donor is convicted multiple murderer Peter McCabe who sees a trip to the hospital as the perfect opportunity to get what he wants most: freedom. With McCabe's escape, the entire hospital becomes a battleground and Connor must pursue and, ironically, protect the deadly fugitive who is his son's only hope for survival.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsWeak
19% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesBelow par
6.0 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$14 million worldwide on a $50 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 94K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
More like this
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High SierraSunday Safe BetAnother prison crime drama, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Nowhere to RunWeeknight WatchAnother prison action film, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
Lock UpWeeknight WatchAnother prison crime drama, though it's more of a weeknight watch.
21 GramsSaturday SpecialAnother crime drama, and a Saturday Special.
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Cast & crew
Directed by Barbet Schroeder
- Michael KeatonPeter McCabe
- Andy GarciaFrank Conner
- Brian CoxCaptain Jeremiah Cassidy
- Marcia Gay HardenDr. Samantha Hawkins
- Erik KingNate Oliver
- Efrain FigueroaVargas
- Joseph CrossMatthew Conner
- Janel MoloneySarah Davis
- Richard RiehleEd Fayne
- Tracey WalterMedical Inmate