Mystery drama

Hammett (1982): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot

Name: Hammett
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Crime
Released: 1982-09-17
Duration: 1 h 37 min
Cast: Elisha Cook Jr., Peter Boyle, R.G. Armstrong, Roy Kinnear, Marilu Henner

Hammett is a 1982 mystery drama directed by Wim Wenders, starring Elisha Cook Jr., Peter Boyle and R.G. Armstrong. It runs 1 hour 37 minutes and earned $42,914 worldwide. Critics gave it 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and 61 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.4/10.

IMDb rating: 6.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 75%
worldwide gross: $42.9K
Metascore: 61

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Released: September 17, 1982
Runtime: 1h 37m (97 min)
Director: Wim Wenders
Genres: Drama , Mystery , Crime
Original language: English
Studio: Warner Bros.
After the credits: No No extra scene

The story

What Is Hammett About?

The premise of Hammett without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

In 1920s San Francisco, Dashiell Hammett, a former Pinkerton detective turned writer, finds himself embroiled in a complex case that blurs the lines between fiction and reality. Recruited to investigate a wealthy family, he uncovers a web of corruption and deceit within the city's criminal underworld. As he delves deeper, Hammett confronts moral compromises and personal risks, questioning his own sense of justice and the power of the truth.

Hammett Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags

neo noir
femme fatale
missing person
detective
prostitute
chinese woman
san francisco california
typewriter
pornography
murder
blackmail
1920s

+38 more

private detective
based on novel
metafiction
old friend
librarian
bar
investigation
dream
voice over narration
coughing
friendship
apartment
cigarette smoking
showdown
confrontation
beating
corpse
betrayal by a friend
character name as title
amateur detective
mentor
betrayed by mentor
corrupt elite
underage prostitution ring
casual racism
blackmail photo
pornographic photo
hard boiled
chinese mafia
asian girl
chinese gangster
pedophile ring
double cross
foreshadowing
psychopathic hitman
casual sexism
private prison
hardboiled mystery

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Cast & crew

Hammett Cast

Elisha Cook Jr. leads the cast, with Peter Boyle and R.G. Armstrong. Directed by Wim Wenders; 10 actors are credited in all.

Director Wim Wenders

Also Starring in Hammett

· 6 more

Ratings

Hammett Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave Hammett 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and 61 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.4/10.

IMDb

6.4 /10
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Rotten Tomatoes

75% Tomatometer

Popcornmeter 62%
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Metacritic

61 Metascore

User score 8.0
See on Metacritic
TMDB

62% User score
See on TMDB

Plot

Hammett Plot Summary

What happens in Hammett from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

Dashiell Hammett, a San Francisco-based writer trying to leave behind his Pinkerton detective days, is drawn back into his former life by a promise of friendship and a debt that must be paid. Set in 1928, the story follows Hammett, known to his librarian neighbor Kit and others as “Sam,” as he wrestles with his daily grind of typing away in a small, shabby apartment, a routine marked by heavy drinking, relentless smoking, and painful coughing fits. The city’s fogged streets and neon glow frame a man who longs for quiet creativity but finds himself pulled toward the shadows of the past.

Full summary

The whole story of Hammett, scene by scene

Read the full summary