Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
While investigating a young nun's rape, a corrupt New York City police detective, with a serious drug and gambling addiction, tries to change his ways and find forgiveness.
Bad Lieutenant is a raw, uncompromising character study anchored by Harvey Keitel's ferociously committed performance — one of the most nakedly vulnerable and self-destructive portrayals in American cinema. Abel Ferrara's direction strips away genre comfort to deliver something genuinely singular: a Catholic guilt spiral wrapped in neo-noir grime. The plot is thin by design, functioning more as a moral excavation than a traditional narrative, which keeps it from top marks there. The ending, with its anguished confrontation with forgiveness and the lieutenant's fate, is harrowing and thematically resonant. Novelty is high — few films have ever explored addiction, corruption, and Catholic redemption with this level of unflinching honesty and tonal commitment. Cinematography is competent and appropriately grimy but not a standout craft achievement.