The French Connection poster

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Streaming data from JustWatch

The French Connection

1971 · Movie · 104 min
A

MEANRANK

81/100

Averaged across 12 ratings · 444K votes

Every rating

Platform pages last read 30 September 2026. IMDb’s figure comes from IMDb’s own data file, which we re-read about once a month.

Google: Google retired the star ratings it used to show in search results, so this one no longer updates. More on where the numbers come from →

66–97 out of 100

Split

Lowest is Criticker on 66, highest is Rotten Tomatoes critics on 97. Critics average 96, everyone else 78.

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Two tough New York City narcotics detectives stumble onto a lead concerning a massive heroin shipment coming from France. Their investigation becomes a relentless and obsessive pursuit of a sophisticated and elusive French drug smuggler, leading to a dangerous game of cat and mouse.

Details

Based on
The French Connection by Robin Moore
Released
9 October 1971
Country
United States
Language
English, French, Italian
Runtime
104 min
Rated
R
Budget
$1.8M
Box office
$41.2M
Awards
23 wins, 9 nominations

This title elsewhere

Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman

Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle

Roy Scheider

Roy Scheider

Buddy Russo

Fernando Rey

Fernando Rey

Alain Charnier

Tony Lo Bianco

Tony Lo Bianco

Sal Boca

Marcel Bozzuffi

Marcel Bozzuffi

Pierre Nicoli

Bill Hickman

Bill Hickman

Mulderig

Ann Rebbot

Marie Charnier

Awards & nominations

See all 32 →

11 major awards won · 23 wins from 32 nominations across 17 ceremonies

Academy Awards 1971 Best Picture Philip D'Antoni Winner
Academy Awards 1971 Best Director William Friedkin Winner
Academy Awards 1971 Best Actor Gene Hackman Winner
Academy Awards 1971 Best Screenplay – Based on Material from Another Medium Ernest Tidyman Winner
Academy Awards 1971 Best Film Editing Gerald B. Greenberg Winner
Directors Guild of America Awards 1971 Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures William Friedkin Winner
Golden Globe Awards 1971 Best Motion Picture – Drama Winner
Golden Globe Awards 1971 Best Director – Motion Picture William Friedkin Winner
Show all 32 awards across 17 ceremonies

Awards from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA.