Relentless (1989) User Reviews

Judd Nelson's best performance

[ODDBear · 7/10 · 13 September 2004]

A demented serial killer is wrecking havoc on the streets of L.A. It's up to a rookie and a veteran cop to stop him.

Sound familiar? You bet. Yet this film seems to creep up above most other films of the similar genre, thanks in most parts to an unusually effective performance from Judd Nelson. Most of the times I don't particularly like him, but here he fits the bill perfectly.

The supporting performances are also quite good. Robert Loggia plays it straight as the veteran cop and Leo Rossi has never been as appealing as here. Director William Lustic creates a reasonable amount of suspense and keeps things moving at an adequate pace. But mostly, this film will be remembered (by me anyway) as the best Judd Nelson film, and his best performance. He plays a psychopath to a tee.

Has Its Moments, But Sequels Are Better

[ccthemovieman-1 · 6/10 · 5 October 2006]

This crime story has some scary scenes, with an especially memorable one early on with a woman hiding in a clothes dryer. In fact, the first half of this is excellent but it peters out that point with two typical Hollywood clichés of crime movies of the period.

They are: 1 - the good cop (Leo Rossi as "Sam Dietz") going it alone despite the orders of his superior; 2 - the killer going to the good cop's house to kill his family. Too bad it stooped to these obvious story lines because this could have been an outstanding serial-killer movie. As it is, it would up being slightly better- than-average. By the way, what's with Meg Foster's eyes? It looks like they have no pupils. It's eerie to look at that woman's face.

This movie spawned several sequels and the sequels were better and better as they went along.

I liked this movie

[wigz · 7/10 · 18 March 2000]

Judd Nelson rules in this flick. I'm surprised nobody seems to know about this one. If you see in the store, give it a try. I think you'll be entertained. Rossi is pretty good in this too. His banter with Loggia is straight out of a buddy-cop movie encyclopedia, but it works.

Listless thriller contributes nothing new to the genre.

[ChoiBaby · 10 April 1999]

Young Buck (character actor Judd Nelson) is depraved, demented, and mentally disturbed. Rejected from the Los Angeles Police Department on psychological grounds, this young lad has seemingly transformed from a once benign albeit afraid soul, to a psychotic serial killer. Now, Buck goes on an inevitable killing rampage as he picks his victims' names at random from a telephone directory. He calls and informs his victims ahead of time of their demises to-be before he enters their residencies and coerces the victims to participate in their own grisly deaths.

Enter Sam Dietz (Leo Rossi), a tough New York City police detective who's quickly being transferred to the L.A.P.D. Soon enough, Dietz has been assigned to track down this notorious serial killer. Dietz is to work with

his partner, Det. Bill Malloy (veteran actor Robert Loggia), who shows a lot less alacrity and more apathy than his younger counterpart, Det. Dietz. Eventually, as the body count rises, Buck has been dubbed the "Sunset Killer."

RELENTLESS is a tantalizing yet insipid thriller. There are tons of slow moving scenes in this movie, and the film doesn't offer any kind of novelty from the rest of the serial killer movies. Yes, there are profound moments in this movie. For example, the audiences plunge into the mind of Buck, seeing his past life in flashbacks as an abused child who had to partake in rigorous "boot camp" type activities, setup by his own strict father. In fact, Buck is so mentally insane that he often sees images of his late father in the mirror, telling him what to do. Judd Nelson deserves some approbation for tackling the difficult role of a mentally scarred serial mass murderer.

Another aspect of RELENTLESS that made the film slightly worthwhile to watch was the relationship between the two police detectives out to catch Buck, a.k.a. "The Sunset Killer." We see two different worlds conflict with each other as New York native Det. Dietz demonstrates a "let me at him" attitude, with plenty of intensity and anxiousness. On the other hand, Det. Malloy, who's a Los Angeles native feels that Det. Dietz is taking this case way too seriously. Malloy is more laid back, figuring that the press will blow over and the Sunset Killer will eventually disappear. The chemistry between the two police detectives is interesting, with the younger one, Dietz showing more enthusiasm and energy for catching this psycho. Meanwhile his older, more sardonic partner Det. Malloy doesn't want to pull any punches or put too much effort into solving this case. He also thought that many of what Dietz's statements were given were foolish. Malloy is admittedly lazy, letting other people do all the work for him.

RELENTLESS is not a one-of-a-kind thriller. It descends into cliche territory throughout most of this film, especially by the finale. This is not a very exciting movie with no true memorable moments. RELENTLESS is also relentlessly (no pun intended) boring at times, and it may not appeal to many moviegoers unless they have an interest in criminal psychology. Still, RELENTLESS was a satisfactory, though not a terrific effort from director William Lustig (MANIAC, MANIAC COP 2, UNCLE SAM). Although the performances throughout this film were well illustrated and persuasive, they were uninspired. Watching the two detectives argue with each other was fun, and Nelson did his best at portraying a serial killer.

RELENTLESS opened to brisk business at the box office, and it was understandable, due to this film's limited audience appeal. Next time, a thriller movie needs to offer a whole new horizon in order to grab viewers' attention.

RATING: ** out of ****.

Possibly William Lustig's best film

[Jonny_Numb · 7/10 · 10 July 2007]

What at first seems like yet another bleak cop drama/vigilante thriller from William ("earth tones and unappealing locations ONLY, please!") Lustig gradually turns into a fine little sleeper. "Relentless" is robotically assembled in certain aspects (killer strikes; cops consult; quality time with wife and kid (repeat), but the sharp script (by Phil Alden Robinson under a pseudonym), excellent performances, and steady pace help redeem the more trite elements. Leo Rossi and Robert Loggia are two cops assigned to a rash of murders committed by Judd Nelson, the son of a deranged 'hero' cop (played in flashback by Beau Starr), who has just been rejected from the Police Academy on--you guessed it--psychological grounds. There is a definite snap to the banter shared between Rossi and Loggia (the rookie and the jaded veteran), and certain touches, like the high-strung police captain, lend much to the film's intentional humor; the scenes with Rossi and his wife and son are well-handled; and the killer's contrast is appropriately oppressive (Nelson's performance is more about body language and facial expressions than dialog). Lustig once again tries to ape William Friedkin's tough-guy, action-oriented style (Rossi even gets a chance to race against traffic in the third act), and the result is quite successful--"Relentless" is seriously worth a look.

Relentless

[Scarecrow-88 · 7/10 · 6 August 2009]

Buck(Judd Nelson, who is superb)was not successful in his attempt to become a police officer and this failure impacts him in devastating fashion..reported as psychologically unfit, Buck lashes out by choosing random names the same as his in the phone book, killing victims at sunset..he leaves a torn page from the phone book, the victims' names underlined as a calling card, often writing in red as a taunting method to provoke those after him. Recently promoted detective(..from New York), Sam Dietz(Leo Rossi)joins an aging veteran, Bill Malloy(Robert Loggia) drawing the sunset killer murders case. Both detectives will become future targets of Buck, with Dietz's own family in possible danger.

While the plot is rather conventional and familiar in regards to serial killer detective thrillers, what rescues this one from the doldrums is the top notch cast and solid performances. Nelson has a career defining performance as a pitiable nutcase, a tragic victim of a tough upbringing whose hardened cop father was a difficult man, demanding too much. Leo Rossi landed his career character, Detective Dietz, for which he'd portray several more times in other RELENTLESS sequels, squaring off against other lunatic psychos. Dietz is a confident, impatient detective who doesn't like idle waiting, determined to pursue every lead, no matter how unimportant such details might be to others in his field. Loggia is reliable and enjoyable as always, portraying the crusty "old-timer" who at first clashes with his rookie partner, his laid back manner an annoyance to Dietz whose work ethic is completely different. The murders themselves are really disturbing in how Buck methodically(..in a slow, cold-blooded approach, taking his time)eliminates his victims, watching each one slowly die painfully, talking to them as their life slips away. Meg Foster co-stars as Rossi's wife, Carol, making the most of a small role. It's kind of odd seeing a film shot in LA by William Lustig whose films are most often set within the gritty confines of New York City.

Good story that's all

[andiroids-1 · 5/10 · 4 June 2020]

Judd Nelson is brilliant as the unhinged killer in this but the movie is rendered almost unwatchable by the performance of Leo Rossi as the obsessive detective who is on his tail. Arguably the most wooden unwatchable performance I have ever seen in a movie

A run of the mill crime thriller but its good.

[jhpstrydom · 7/10 · 14 September 2009]

RELENTLESS introduces us to Sam Dietz, a policeman whose been promoted to detective, his first case he's assigned is to track down a ruthless serial killer whose been targeting innocent people.

I'm not going to elaborate on the synopsis but what I will say is that this is a good film if you like a good crime thriller, Leo Rossi and Robert Loggia are both very likable in their roles, Judd Nelson was certainly a great choice for the role of the serial killer, you wouldn't say that today but yeah, the direction by William Lustig is definitely rock solid and as you may or may not know his other credits includes films like the MANIAC COP trilogy.

Certainly worth seeing for fans of the genre, it doesn't offer anything in terms of originality but in this case all that doesn't matter when its all nicely done.

"His Father was a Cop" Run of the mill Serial Killer stuff

[callanvass · 5/10 · 10 October 2014]

*SPOILERS*

Make sure you have one thing in mind going into this movie! If you've seen a lot of serial killer movies, there will be no surprises with this one. In all honesty, that's how it was with me. I like Judd Nelson and wanted to see how he did in a very serious role. How was the experience? Pretty much the way I expected. I thought the plot was a tad on the weak side of things. How many times have we seen the story of a young kid with a traumatic childhood growing up to be a freak? It's very clichéd and redundant, thoroughly annoying as well! More originality was needed for this one. I did like the idea of the killer picking off random names in the phone book. I felt that was a nice touch, but they didn't do nearly enough with it. Another issue I have is how incompetent everybody was in the police department! They were disgustingly blasé towards everything and I ended up getting annoyed with it more than anything else. The kills themselves were OK. I liked the strangulation death with a piano wire. I also thought it was cool how he forced the victims to kill themselves. I said earlier that more originality story wise was needed. I will give credit to some of the creativity as far as the death scenes are concerned. I actually didn't mind the first half. It wasn't that great by any means, but it was watchable, and I was enjoying Robert Loggia's crafty performance. Then they did something mind-boggling...they killed Loggia off. My interest wavered big time after that. Leo Rossi is very good at playing a smartass (Halloween 2 comes to mind) , but he can't carry a movie. He's forced to carry much of the second half with Nelson, and he simply can't get it done. I also got tired of his whiny persona at times, too. Judd Nelson is actually pretty good as the serial killer. He's effectively creepy and put his own spin on his character. His intimidating stare gave me the creeps on more than one occasion. It's too bad his career hit the skids and he didn't have a good enough script to work with. Robert Loggia is the best thing about this movie by far! even if his character is stubborn at times. Meg Foster is solid as the wife. The climax drags on and on until it ends with a whimper. I thought the ending was very anti-climatic

They had the potential to make this more than just another serial killer movie. Unfortunately it goes by the wayside and the foolish choices hamper this film far too much for me to give this a full recommendation. It might be worth a look if you have nothing else to do, but even that's pushing it. If anything, see it for Judd Nelson and Robbert Loggia! I expected more from the director of Maniac

5.1/10

"The sickest thing is, his father was a cop."

[lost-in-limbo · 6/10 · 15 May 2011]

I've always noticed the straight-to-video sequels around, but never the original feature. With names like director William Lustig and actors Leo Rossi, Meg Foster and Judd Nelson playing a psycho it was only a matter of time I would eventually come around to it. "Relentless" is a formulaic hoary detective chasing serial killer presentation, which does manage to have its moments of growing unease (the first three murder scenes) and suspense (like the detectives unknowingly meeting their killer) amongst the genre clichés.

After failing to make his way into the police force, by receiving a letter in the mail explaining that he didn't pass the psychological exam. Arthur Taylor turns to serial killing to release out those frustrations, by randomly picking people out of the phone-book. On his first day working for the L.A police department, after transferring from New York; Sam Dietz is put onto the case. Where he clashes with his sardonically experienced partner in the way they go about the police investigation. The murders seem to pile up, but the evidence is lacking.

While it won't win any awards for originality, director Lustig slick handling provides competent flair, the story structure is tidy with occasional bite and the performances are capably brought across. Nelson is truly disquieting as the psychotic Taylor, bringing a wearily unstable feeling with his character's troubled past used as the film's motivation. Strangely in certain sequences his haunting appearance reminded of the killer out of the 1920's silent horror film; "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari". Rossi is good as the brash, if cocky newcomer Sam Dietz and Robert Loggia nails it as his weathered partner. The usual shtick is there between the detectives, as they start off bumpy to eventually find mutual respect. A glowing Meg Foster is rather mesmerizing and well-meaning in her role as Mrs Dietz. The moody music score by Jay Chattaway can be overpowering, but there's a certain saucy, eeriness created that only builds upon the anxiety and tension.

A crisp looking and reasonably appealing late 80s crime thriller.

"I say this guy is seriously f****d up".

Expected more, but it's serviceable enough

[movieman_kev · 5/10 · 15 January 2009]

Judd Nelson stars as Buck Taylor, a psychopath who picks his victims out of the telephone book. New LA detective Sam Dietz (Leo Rossi) and grizzled veteran Sam Malloy (Robert Loggia) are tasked with bringing him down in this thriller from Director William Lustig (Maniac, Vigilante) and writer Phil Robinson (All of Me, Field of Dreams)

With the kind of pedigree and talent of those involved, I was expecting more of this film then what I got. I was hoping for a film that stood out from the vast myriad of serial killer films out there. What I got was more of the same and this film was as interchangeable with all the other average films of it's ilk. The only thing notable whatsoever about this movie was the fine performance that Judd Nelson gave, but it was totally unremarkable otherwise. Not really a bad film, merely one you'll feel like you've seen before.

Eye Candy: Elizabeth Lambert gets topless

My Grade: C+

DVD Extras: Trailers for "Trapped", "Panic Room", & "Secret Window"

Very good movie!

[Movie Nuttball · 10/10 · 25 April 2004]

I thought Relentless is a good film! It has some faces in it such as Robert Loggia, Judd Nelson, Leo Rossi, Meg Foster, Ken Lerner, Edward Bunker, and George 'Buck' Flower! The actors in the film are good especially Loggia and Nelson! Nelson makes a good killer in the film! You never know what this guy it up to! I also like how the movie really focused on him! It allowed decent development on this character and by it doing that it made it really interesting! Leo Rossi played the good guy well. The music especially the main title is very good by underrated composer Jay Chattaway! The action in the film is good and the killings are played out well. There are three sequels to this film. If you like the cast mentioned above and like to see a cool 80s killer movie then watch Relentless!

typical 'serial killer taunts police' movie,(with a bit of a twist)but entertaining with decent performances

[disdressed12 · 7/10 · 3 August 2007]

this would be your typical 'serial killer taunts police'movie except for one small detail.the audience is let in on the identity of the killer pretty much right off the bat.i think this has been done before,so it's not wholly original,but it's still a bit of a change from most of the genre.the way in which the killer selects his victims might be original,but i'm not completely sure.you might think revealing the killer to the viewer very early on would have a negative impact,but it doesn't seem to.anyway,the remainder of the movie consists of the police trying to find out the killer's identity and stop him.we are given bit of background on why he ends up the way he is and it seems plausible,which is nice for a change.Judd Nelson plays the killer and is credible.there are also touches of humour throughout.the movie moves along at a good clip until the ending.the ending is telegraphed throughout the movie, very deliberately,i think,so it won't come as a very big surprise.anyway,i liked the movie.it's not outstanding but it is entertaining and worth the 90 minutes or so of time.

Garbage Story. Serial Killer, 2 cops on case, Cheap Non Original TV movie style. Boring.

[Bababooe · 1/10 · 8 March 2018]

Acting was ok by the two cops. Judd was crap, the material did not help him at all. Screenplay was garbage. This is a boring, clichéd, cheap copied storyline.

Judd as the serial killer, background, father was a cop that got killed, he was abusive to Judd. That's it. Nothing else, no other background, how he lives, where does he get the money to buy all his guns. Nothing, just a dead end, like this movie.

Leo Rossi as the younger cop leaves NY for CA with wife and son. All the family interaction is filler, just so we can feel something for them in the finally when the killer holds them hostage. The little boys acting was garbage. The wife did well, especially at the end.

Here's a questions. Why did the killer start killing now? We don't know. We're given a bunch of nonsense scenes to show how clever the younger cop is. How incompetent the LA cops are. Lots and lots of family nonsense. But the serial killer's motivations. Not much. Only because he was abused by his father. Great. Not.

The first kill was good, strangulation and stabbing. The 2nd with the piano wire was ok. 3rd and 4th were ok. He shoots the older cop.

Judd was just crap in this. What we have is a bunch of filler boring dialogue that add up to nothing. We find out that the LA police are incompetent. NY police detective has experience and wants to act. But then he disobeys orders and puts the psychologist in danger, and fraudulently gets 4 other detectives to help him. Then he puts on the killers father's death jacket on to confuse the killer. Straight up copy from Friday the 13, part 2, when the last surviving girl puts on Jason's mother's sweater to confuse Jason. At that point, we should realize that the writer of this mess should stop writing.

So, freaking stupid.

Another thing. The first victim got a voicemail from the killer, gave the tapes to the cops. After he got killed, days go by, and it's used to identify the killer. This is cheap writing. Here's some advice. Just because you know how to speak, know how to put words down on paper or type does not make you a writer. But apparently if you can complete a story and get some producers to pick up your story, and get a production company to fund the picture and hire a director, actors, crew etc, then you can be called a writer. Congratulations.

As I was watching this mess, I was thinking, the crew and cast involved in setting up and participating in the "film" must have been on autopilot. Nobody stopped to say, this is really stupid. Everybody got paid, so I guess who cares.

This is not the worst movie ever made. There's some decent acting. But zero entertainment value. It's just a filler. Wallpaper. I just saw a Meg Ryan movie "In The Cut", that may be the worst movie ever. Forget Plan 9 from Outer Space.

This film, F, 1 star for effort.

Judd Nelson's best film

[CamaroLuvNgal84 · 3 October 2002]

I am a really big fan of Judd Nelson and he ruled in this movie. He's so good at being the bad guy. Judd plays Buck Taylor, a demented serial killer who picks his victims from a phone book and calls them before he enters their house and kills them. And the victims' names resemble his. And he tears the pages out with the victims' names underlined in red with messages like "catch me if you can" that he leaves on the dead bodies for the police. Buck does these horrid things because his father was abusive and he kills to show his dad that he's good at something. I really enjoyed this movie and it showed how good of an actor Judd is. Great film!

Middling

[Yukster_uk · 6/10 · 31 March 2001]

This film seemed to be put together in a very half-hearted fashion. The visuals were TV style and the script, from 'Field of Dreams's writer, was okay. There was one great bit between the detective and an old man eating prunes, if the rest of the film has matched this it would have been a classic. The cast gamely tried to make the film memorable,with Judd Nelson putting in a quality performance, but the story was too hackneyed. The worst part came with the obligatory T&A insert: Nelson suffocates a topless blonde.

Creepy Beginnings

[refinedsugar · 6/10 · 13 November 2023]

I remember seeing the very effective box for 'Relentless' on store shelves back in the day. You get a good director helming the first title & a cast of known names in a pretty straight laced tale of catching a serial killer. It scores some style points amongst it's predictable nature.

Sam Dietz (Leo Rossi) is an ex-NYC cop in LA who's just been promoted to Detective. He's teamed up with older, more experienced Sgt. Malloy (Robert Loggia) and they butt heads. A mentally unwell son of an ex-cop Buck (Judd Nelson) starts his rampage killing random victims from the phonebook with a taunting handwritten note. Meanwhile Sam has his wife Carol (Meg Foster) to vent to and a young son Corey (Brendan Ryan) eager to hear his dad's job exploits.

Director William Lustig is able to deliver some nice shots that elevate the mood, create tension. Rossi makes for a decent flawed main character. Loggia kinda just goes thru the paces but he's saddled with a cliche role. Nelson is really effective as the killer who's acting out on childhood trauma and physically looks damaged in a scary way. The only issue is the format. It's predictable to the max - idiot / loudmouth police superiors, partners not getting along, murder you can see coming a mile away, nice & tidy ending.

'Relentless' never veers into camp or boring - a tight 90 min runtime helps - but much of what happens is serial killer 101. Ultimately Rossi, Nelson keep it watchable and some unique killer / victim elements remain interesting. Interested to see how the dtv sequels build from here.

You might feel relentless after watching this

[jordondave-28085 · 5/10 · 5 May 2023]

(1989) Relentless THRILLER

The first of 4 movies about demented serial killers, Judd Nelson is psychopath Arthur 'Buck' Taylor, a man who is still scarred as a result of his abusive relationship with his father. The killings begin to start as soon as he gets a rejection letter from a certified shrink where he only goes after the people who have the same name as him which is Arthur Taylor. And leaves his mark by first trying to make it seem like they killed themselves and then planting a phonebook page on top of them with some words scribbled on it. Sam Dietz (Leo Rossi)is the homicide cop assigned to the case who was transferred from station to a new station where police don't work with each other as a result of a lack certified law enforcement officers. And he partners himself up with Homicide cop Bill Malloy (Robert Loggia) who often disputes with Dietz's assumptions and findings. This is the perfect example where much of the police protocols are incompetent, and that the victims don't appear to have any other close relatives or friends. The cops are too thick since their must already been cuckoo evidence around that the Judd Nelson character is not all there as well as his name- never mind the tape recorder. This is incompetent police work at it's best. The other thing I had a problem with is that although Nelson's performance is exceptional, I can't get over the fact that the so-called serial killer would know the victim's place of residence more than the people who live there in such a short time.

Decent thriller, but.....

[TomFarrell63 · 6/10 · 4 September 2022]

... It doesn't feel like a William Lustig movie! The lack of sleaziness is apparent, it's as though he was told to rein it in, and make a Hollywood friendly version of one of his movies!

With a bit more oomph added, this could have been a higher budget 'Maniac' type film. It's easy to watch and the time passes quickly, but for me it all just seemed so tame. Good production values though.

And for me there's one really bad actor in it, who just doesn't seem believable in their role, but I won't name them, I'm sure anyone who watches will come to the same conclusion.. The partnership between the two main cops is good though, and the odd bit of humour here and there lifts the film.

Worth a watch if you can find the DVD for a reasonable price. Once seen though, I don't think it's a film many will revisit.

Not a bad film if your a fan of 70's cop shows.

[mm-39 · 7/10 · 22 January 2023]

Not a bad film if your a fan of 70's cop shows. The old L A, I visited and liked, back in the day when people move to L A is Relentless background. The California vibe, with a New York transplant cop is the story background. Relentless has the formulated detectives plot devices of the old police shows like Police Story, Streets of San Francisco etc! A renegade cop, rookie cop with veteran cop, screaming boss etc are the formulated 70's cop show devices. Red meat for the oldcop show fans like me. Kind of predictable, and formulated! There is a twist. Judd Nelson character is the strong point of Relentless as the audience understands the creation of the killer. A soul less, no confidence, creation of abuse. There is a strong twist with the ending, which is memorable. I like Relentless, it not a standout film but brings back memories of an old forgotten era. An old V H S date night rental, when I was first dating my wife! Very 80's Not great but the veridic from the date night was my wife said just another cop movie, but I liked it. 7 stars.

A solid and satisfying serial killer thriller

[Woodyanders · 8/10 · 13 March 2007]

Cunning, demented and maladjusted psychopath Buck Taylor (a genuinely creepy and credible performance by famed 80's Brat Pack member Judd Nelson) embarks on a brutal killing spree in Los Angeles. He picks folks out of the phone book, helps his victims kill themselves, and leaves sick taunting notes for the cops. It's up to weary, cynical veteran Bill Malloy (a typically fine and crusty portrayal by the always excellent Robert Loggia) and his excitable new eager beaver rookie partner Sam Dietz (winningly played by Leo Rossi) to nab Taylor. Director William Lustig, working from a smart and compact script by Jack T.D. Robinson, keeps the pace rattling along at a constant snappy clip, effectively creates a substantial amount of raw, gritty, gut-wrenching tension and stages the shockingly nasty and ugly murder set pieces with considerable flair. The first-rate supporting cast includes Meg Foster as Dietz's loving wife Carol, Angel Tompkins as a TV reporter, former convict turned crime novelist Edward Bunker as a huffy police superior, John Goff as a sarcastic psychiatrist, Ken Lerner as a smarmy swinger, Roy Brocksmith as a blasé coroner, Beau Starr as Taylor's abusive, overbearing cop father, and George "Buck" Flower as an ornery old coot. The refreshingly complex and engaging well-drawn characters (for example, the semi-pitiable Taylor is the angry and unbalanced toxic product of a harsh upbringing), James Lemmo's glossy, handsome cinematography, the hard-hitting no-nonsense tone, and Jay Chattaway's spooky, rousing, dynamic score further enhance the overall sterling quality of this bang-up little flick.

Good but not great

[mr_pivac1985 · 10 March 2003]

There have been a million wackos on the loose with two determined cops on his trial type of movies, but this one at least tries something new with the murders. They are your standard knifed or strangled variety but the killer doesn't just do it. He makes the victim help out somewhat, by putting the knife, piano wire, etc. into their hands and then forcing them to effectively off themselves.

Judd Nelson rules in this flick. I'm surprised nobody seems to know about this one. If you see in the store, give it a try. I think you'll be entertained. Rossi is pretty good in this too. His banter with Loggia is straight out of a buddy-cop movie encyclopedia, but it works.

The first entry in this series is mediocre. Although it's okay to watch if you have nothing else to do or watch, it really isn't more than that. Resembles a made-for-tv movie.

Give this movie a go, its a pretty good one.

8/10

Bratpacker's Revenge... and surprisingly good!

[Aylmer · 8/10 · 27 January 2016]

This film feels like a dark spin-off of THE BREAKFAST CLUB with Judd Nelson's highly disturbed rebel teenager now a depressed loser haunted by memories of his father, turning to serial killing to add meaning to his life. He crosses over universes into DTV cop movie territory though by running afoul of detective Leo Rossi, who himself is struggling to cope with a transfer from NYC with his wife (an against-typecast supportive and trustworthy Meg Foster), his partner (the always fatherly and reliable Robert Loggia), and his textbook pre-Frank McRae angry yelling stupid chief (played by Bleeding Gums Murphy & ICE PIRATES pimp robot voice, Rod Taylor).

While those expecting the sleaziness of Lustig's earlier MANIAC or the nonstop gritty excitement of his MANIAC COP and VIGILANTE movies will be disappointed, he shockingly turns this cliché'd cop thriller premise into something very watchable. While 80's LA isn't quite as seedy as 80's NYC, Lustig takes the transition in stride and makes excellent use of the environment.

As someone who has lived in Los Angeles for a few years and spent a lot of time along the Sunset Strip, I was delighted to recognize just about every location in the film. Some parts of town have changed a lot in 27 years, while others have not changed at all. So this film works effectively as a time capsule for Los Angelinos.

Lustig keeps the plot zipping along at a brisk pace and gives it just enough of his warped and demented style (coupled with characteristic Jay Chattaway music) to keep even jaded modern audiences interested. However the real selling point here are the performances. Nelson's creepy portrayal of the killer may well be his career highlight and the B-movie veterans like Rossi, Foster, and Frank Pesce all get good scenes in that I hope they put on their show-reels.

The main weakness I feel is some plot confusion regarding Rossi's relationship with his old precinct. At first it feels like he's leaving a job in NYC but then we see him go back there a few times later in the movie, making me wonder if he jumped into a THE FLY-style teleportation chamber off-screen or the writer/director/editor just didn't communicate too well where his old precinct was. It feels like something was lost in the editing, perhaps owing to being cut for time, but the ending could certainly have been more satisfying too had they shown what the fallout was both in the news and at Rossi's workplace after all his loose cannonry.

Although certainly not perfect and an unfortunately forgotten film, RELENTLESS is a wonderful example of how to make a very watchable film out of unoriginal subject matter.

killer on the loose with a twist

[mcfly-31 · 2 October 2000]

There have been a million wacko on the loose with two determined cops on his trial type of movies, but this one at least tries something new with the murders. They are your standard knifed or strangled variety but the killer doesn't just do it. He makes the victim help out somewhat, by putting the knife, piano wire, etc. Into their hands and then forcing them to effectively off themselves. The film goes at a pretty good pace if you like the usual killing and then police work routine. Though only on the job 3 days together, Rossi and Loggia develop a terrific rapore that would've been nice to see continued in future films perhaps. And you also wonder if this is what John Bender (Nelson's character in "The Breakfast Club") would've gone on to if he hadn't had that enlightening day in the library with his schoolmates. This was suprisingly penned by the writer/director of "Field of Dreams"(!), which I found out by accident in some sort of trivia page on the net. An oddity is that despite the fact that two of the lead actors in the film are killed, this spawned 3 sequels! Rossi, the real star of the film (though credited behind Nelson and Loggia because of their fame) went on to do all of the follow ups. Even Ken Lerner, who has one scene and is killed, pops up in part 4! Some will go along with the psychology used in the final scene, others will either be confused or roll their eyes. But all in all a pretty good suspense/slasher/cop/buddy film.

Brilliantly tense thriller

[atchettarry · 10/10 · 18 January 2021]

Best line of the film is an ansaphone message ...

" I called to see if you are home .... I have to kill you .... Tonight.