Running Scared (1986)

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Peter Hyams

Producer:

David Foster, Lawrence Turman

Writer:

Gary DeVore, Jimmy Huston

Release Date:

Jun 27, 1986

Runtime:

1hr 47m

Synopsis

Two street-wise Chicago cops have to shake off some rust after returning from a Key West vacation to pursue a drug dealer who nearly killed them in the past.

Cast

  • Gregory Hines
  • Billy Crystal
  • Steven Bauer
  • Darlanne Fluegel
  • Joe Pantoliano
  • Dan Hedaya
  • Jon Gries
  • Tracy Reed
  • Jimmy Smits
  • John DiSanti

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.2
23.2K
7.3K
5.1K
RATINGS 30 FANS
3.2
  • Jan 23, 2018

    As a society, we were robbed of more Billy Crystal-Gregory Hines team-ups

    396 Likes
    David Sims
    David Sims
    Mar 16, 2018

    This movie should have at least 4 sequels.

    289 Likes
    Patrick Willems
    Patrick Willems
    Dec 26, 2023

    Words cannot truly express how much the Billy Crystal/Gregory Hines roller skating🛼, tank tops🎽, short shorts🩳, west key vacation🌞 montage set to a Michael McDonald song🎶 means to me. I forever wish I had someone who would reenact this with me😍. The height of…

    283 Likes
    Jade talks too much🎅🏻🎄
    Jade talks too much🎅🏻🎄
  •
    Aug 18, 2026

    Love it. It’s an underrated gem. I’d audio tape this and listen to it on my Walkman on the bus. This pairing was genius. The casting was superb. The set pieces are great. Colombian neckties for everyone.

    160 Likes
    Paul Scheer
    Paul Scheer
    Dec 26, 2024

    Play the Billy Crystal/Gregory Hines Key West vacation montage at my funeral.🏝️🛼🛥️🩳🍹 Shine, Sweet Freedom!🤘😎🎶 And the rest of the movie is also the perfect action comedy🔫❄️💥. Annual December 26th rewatch for no reason. A CLASSIC!👍

    179 Likes
    Jade talks too much🎅🏻🎄
    Jade talks too much🎅🏻🎄
    Jun 13, 2025

    What the hell are we doing in Key West? This is as far south we could get without having to speak Spanish.

    156 Likes
    Cellar Door L
    Cellar Door L
  •
    Mar 13, 2021

    quite good for a buddy cop movie i literally hadn't even heard of. bit light on meaningful character work for the leading duo but gregory hines and billy crystal have good chemistry and get a lot of classic dudes rock gags (love the montage of the them vacationing in…

    134 Likes
    Josh Lewis
    Josh Lewis
    Dec 30, 2020

    All I'm saying is this came out almost 9 months before LETHAL WEAPON.* *And BUSTING came out in 1974.

    132 Likes
    matt lynch
    matt lynch
    Aug 20, 2022

    Sometimes you like the players significantly more than you like the play.

    126 Likes
    anna nomaly
    anna nomaly
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Queue Community Reviews

87%
Community 342
❤️ LOVE
21%
👍 LIKE
66%
😐 MEH
12%
👎 DISLIKE
1%
Top Reviews
  • Angie Lankford
    Angie Lankford loved
    Running Scared

    When you think buddy cop action heroes, Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines aren’t at the top, but they should be with this one. Their chemistry is fantastic, and it is pure 80s action joy when they face off against dirtbag drug dealer, Jimmy Smits.👍🏻👍🏻

    4Y
    Edward Kronkvist
    Edward Kronkvist liked
    Running Scared

    Everything you want from a buddy cop movie. Great chemistry, wholesome bro mance moments with a interesting story.

    4M
    Aidan
    Aidan liked
    Running Scared

    dude cops get tons of box

    3Y
View More Popular Running Scared Reviews on Queue

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

49
metacritic
Based on 14 Critics
6.0

USER SCORE (5)

Mixed or average reviews based on 5 Reviews
75

I liked the smaller-scale scenes the best, the ones where Hines and Crystal were doing their stuff.

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Metacritic review by Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
30

Still another, thoroughly depressing demonstration of the extent to which television now dictates the style and the manners of so many of the movies we see in theaters.

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Metacritic review by Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
The New York Times
60

Running Scared's razor-crisp editing (by James Mitchell) shows that you can combine mayhem and laughs. But the action becomes huge, cartoony, out of scale, crushing the warmth Crystal and Hines have built up. And the movie is too long by about 15 minutes, a deadly thought for a comedy.

View full review
Metacritic review by Sheila Benson
Sheila Benson
Los Angeles Times
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Running Scared (1986) (1986) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is Running Scared (1986) (1986)?
The movie is 1hr 47min long.
What's Running Scared (1986) (1986) about?
Two street-wise Chicago cops have to shake off some rust after returning from a Key West vacation to pursue a drug dealer who nearly killed them in the past.
Who's the cast of Running Scared (1986) (1986)?
  • Gregory Hines as Ray Hughes
  • Billy Crystal as Danny Costanzo
  • Steven Bauer as Frank
  • Darlanne Fluegel as Anna Costanzo
  • Joe Pantoliano as Snake
  • Dan Hedaya as Captain Logan
  • Jon Gries as Tony
  • Tracy Reed as Maryann
  • Jimmy Smits as Julio Gonzales
  • John DiSanti as Vinnie
Who's the director behind Running Scared (1986) (1986)?
Peter Hyams directed Running Scared (1986) (1986).
Who produced Running Scared (1986) (1986)?
David Foster and Lawrence Turman produced Running Scared (1986) (1986).