Midnight Run

Not every odd couple makes it across the country in one piece. "Midnight Run"—part of The Next Reel's Couples on the Run series—follows Jack Walsh, a burnt-out bounty hunter played by Robert De Niro, as he drags mob accountant Jonathan Mardukas (Charles Grodin) from New York to Los Angeles. Dennis Farina's crime boss, Yaphet Kotto's FBI agent, and a rival bounty hunter are closing in—and the Duke refuses to fly.Pete and Andy dig into a genuine disagreement: Pete thinks De Niro is the weak link, lucky to be surrounded by a cast that carries him—Andy thinks he's exactly right. The real argument is for George Gallo's script—smarter and more emotionally honest than the genre usually allows. We have a great time talking about it, so check it out then tune in—The Next Reel on TruStory FM, when the movie ends, our conversation begins!Find the full episode resources and transcript here.🎬 Watch & DiscoverWatch "Midnight Run": Apple TV | Amazon | LetterboxdTrailerIf You Liked This Conversation, Try These from the Next Reel Family:Couples on the Run series — All eight films in the series, from "It Happened One Night" to "Gun Crazy.""Gun Crazy" — The series' most recent entry: passion and violence as the same impulse, fully formed in Joseph H. Lewis's 1950 film noir."Beverly Hills Cop" — Martin Brest directed this four years before "Midnight Run." Pete and Andy cover it in their Eddie Murphy series."The Blues Brothers" — Pete compares "Midnight Run"'s third-act car chaos to Landis's 1980 film. Pete and Andy covered it as a member bonus in their Great Car Chases series."Awakenings" — De Niro and Robin Williams finally working together, two years after "Midnight Run" and in a very different register.🔓 The movie ends. The conversation goes further. Become a member.🎧 Members get this episode early and ad-free in their private feed—plus every show in The Next Reel family. The Next Reel Family of Film Shows:Cinema Scope: Bridging Genres, Subgenres, and Movements | The Film Board | Movies We Like | The Next Reel | Sitting in the DarkConnect With Us:Web | Letterboxd | Flickchart | Instagram | Bluesky | YouTube | DiscordYour Hosts: Andy | PeteMerch Store | Audible