36 Years Later, Robert De Niro's Best Action Flick With 95% on RT Drops on Netflix

Martin Brest is a versatile director. His two most famous works have little in common: he is the author of the cult comedy action film Beverly Hills Cop and the director of the Oscar-winning Scent of a Woman.

Midnight Run falls somewhere in between, overshadowed a bit by its more popular brethren. But this dynamic buddy movie in the best tradition of the genre definitely deserves attention – the film has an impressive 95% on Rotten Tomatoes.

What is Midnight Run About?

Jack Walsh is a seasoned professional who was once a police officer and is now a private investigator. His specialty is operations to capture fugitive criminals.

This time, Jack is on the hunt for Jonathan Mardukas, who goes by the nickname The Duke. Mardukas, a humble and intelligent accountant, has stolen $15 million from the Mafia. Jack must capture The Duke, handcuff him, and deliver him by plane from New York to Los Angeles at the appointed time.

For a seasoned bounty hunter, such a task is a mere trifle. But Jack has not taken into account that Mardukas is being hunted by gangsters, the FBI and another bounty hunter. On top of that, Mardukas has a fear of flying, and Jack will have to drive The Duke across the country.

Midnight Run's Greatest Asset is the Chemistry Between De Niro and Grodin

Universal Studios wanted Robin Williams to play the role of Mardukas, and Williams himself wanted to join the project. However, Martin Brest, who was thrilled by the joint auditions of De Niro and Charles Grodin, approved Grodin for the role despite the demands of the producers and the company, and he was right.

There is a real chemistry between De Niro and Grodin that makes watching their misadventures a real pleasure. Midnight Run is a quintessential road movie, with the partners constantly having to overcome obstacles using all available modes of transportation.

Midnight Run is rich in obscene language, incessant cigarette smoke, cheerful blues and rock'n'roll music, unstoppable action, showdowns between corrupt cops and evil bandits.

All this together makes the movie a delightful representative of the good old action movie of the 80s, which you want to watch again and again, dissolving in the dynamic pursuit of a desperate duet of everyone who wants to catch them at any cost.

Midnight Run is Coming to Netflix

And very soon, you will be able to watch Midnight Run on Netflix – the movie will be released on the platform on September 1.