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State of Grace

Play trailer Poster for State of Grace R 1990 2h 14m Crime Drama Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
86% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 82% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Gone for a decade, Terry Noonan (Sean Penn) is welcomed back into the fold in his Irish-American neighborhood in New York City. A one-time street tough, Terry is now an undercover officer targeting crime boss Frankie Flannery (Ed Harris). In the name of duty, Terry rekindles his dormant friendship with Frankie's younger brother, Jackie (Gary Oldman). But as Terry gets closer to his goal, his feelings for the youngest Flannery, his old flame Kathleen (Robin Wright), complicate his mission.
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State of Grace

State of Grace

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Critics Consensus

State of Grace brings an impressive ensemble cast to bear on its epic gangster saga, elevating a largely familiar story with outstanding performances.

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Critics Reviews

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Sheila Benson Los Angeles Times Jan 3, 2012
2/5
Every indulgence, including a two hour and 14 minute running time, is on display. Go to Full Review Variety Staff Variety Mar 26, 2009
A handsomely produced, mostly riveting, but ultimately overlong and overindulgent gangster picture. Go to Full Review Derek Adams Time Out Feb 9, 2006
A hugely impressive piece of work for a young director previously known for his documentary U2 Rattle and Hum. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com May 11, 2025
5/5
… a stone cold classic in its own right…while most gangster films are nostalgic throwbacks to serve an audience of old men, State of Grace updates, recycles and revitalises cliches by firmly setting the narrative in the present, or at least 1990… Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Apr 9, 2025
B
A well-acted, lyrically written and solid thriller. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Feb 9, 2023
3/4
It's (mob) business as usual, elevated by forceful turns by all the principals, particularly Gary Oldman as a twitchy live wire who's fiercely loyal to friends and family. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad Oct 6, 2026 State Of Grace is a *4* star Movie... See more Sitara G @sitara Jul 23, 2026 Like the Godfather triggers testosterone State of Grace triggers melatonin See more Charlie R @CharlieBRM803 Mar 22, 2026 You kind of know where this film is going from about 30 minutes in. Being 36 years old now there have been many plot lines on the same theme. It was good to see the cast assembled all the way down to the short cameos of some familiar faces. It is dark and the music is the same refrain over and over holding down the mood like a funeral dirge. Oldman's performance is like watching his warm up for Leon The Professional released four years later. If you like it, you like it. No points taken away for thinking you've seen many flicks like this one. See more Frans B @FransB Jan 14, 2026 Brilliant, epic. No wonder many movies were modelled on this. Great story, very well written. Whole cast excels in character, Gary Oldman just superb in character here. Visually stunning with great cinematography. Lots of action, twists, suspense, intrigue and emotion. Very entertaining and will remain classic See more thiago s @Thiagostone Dec 13, 2025 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Nano N @Nanonevol Sep 22, 2025 Sean Penn at his peak, I suppose. Oldman shows more charisma and is more fun to watch. The ending was really unbelievable not in a good way. Even the greediest gangster is not going to shoot and kill his own brother point blank. See more Read all reviews
State of Grace

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Cast & Crew

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Phil Joanou

Director

Sean Penn

Terry Noonan

Ed Harris

Frankie Flannery

Gary Oldman

Jackie Flannery

Robin Wright

Kathleen Flannery

John Turturro

Nick

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State of Grace

State of Grace (1990) State of Grace (1990) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Gone for a decade, Terry Noonan (Sean Penn) is welcomed back into the fold in his Irish-American neighborhood in New York City. A one-time street tough, Terry is now an undercover officer targeting crime boss Frankie Flannery (Ed Harris). In the name of duty, Terry rekindles his dormant friendship with Frankie's younger brother, Jackie (Gary Oldman). But as Terry gets closer to his goal, his feelings for the youngest Flannery, his old flame Kathleen (Robin Wright), complicate his mission.
Director
Phil Joanou
Producer
Ned Dowd, Randy Ostrow, Ron Rotholz
Screenwriter
Dennis McIntyre
Production Co
Cinehaus, Rank Organisation, Orion Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama, Action
Original Language
English
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.9M
Runtime
2h 14m
Sound Mix
Surround
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