The iconic crime drama that defined a genre, boasting an A-list cast and near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, is set to grace our screens once again on Film 4.

LA Confidential, the cult classic neo-noir thriller released in 1997, features a veritable who’s who of Hollywood. The film stars Kevin Spacey, Russell Crowe, Guy Pearce, Kim Bassinger and Danny DeVito, and has been lauded by critics and audiences alike since its debut.

The plot revolves around three police officers – Detective Lieutenant Exley, portrayed by Guy Pearce, who seeks vengeance for his detective father’s murder; Officer Wendell ‘Bud’ White, played by Russell Crowe, whose former partner is embroiled in a scandal unearthed by Exley; and Detective Sergeant Jack ‘Hollywood Jack’ Vincennes, brought to life by Kevin Spacey, who leaks information to newspaper mogul Sid Hudgens, played by Danny DeVito.

These disparate lives intersect as they strive to crack an unsolved murder case from a downtown Los Angeles coffee shop in the early 1950s. Directed by Curtis Hanson, LA Confidential was a critical and commercial triumph, earning nine Academy Award nominations and winning Best Supporting Actress for Kim Bassinger’s portrayal of high-class escort Lynn Bracken, as well as Best Screenplay.

The film also secured 12 BAFTA nominations and five Golden Globe nods, with Basinger once more claiming the Best Supporting Actress gong, reports <a href=”https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/flawless-crime-drama-almost-perfect-36472174″ rel=”Follow” target=”_self”>the Mirror</a>.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie review aggregation platform, LA Confidential boasts an exceptional 99 per cent rating.

One reviewer praised: “The flawless ensemble…, the masterfully written story, the vibrant yet gritty vision of 1950s LA – most everything clicks in this fittingly cynical and undeniably seductive period crime thriller that still maintains its style and sizzle.”

Another said: “Adapted from a novel said to be unadaptable and set in a genre that has seemed increasingly played out, it brings clarity and life to its art and to life. That’s a pretty good definition of a masterpiece, isn’t it?”.

A third critic added: “L.A. Confidential glistens like a new car, but has the darkened soul of the best film noir in which good men are tempted by bad ideas. This is one of the year’s best films, the thinking person’s detective story.”

Audiences were equally smitten with the picture, hailing it as “an instant classic”.

One devotee said: “L.A. Confidential is, without a doubt, the best film of the ’90s, and one of the best films ever made. Curtis Hanson was a much better director than Speilberg or Tarantino. Great script, the story is riveting, the dialogue is smart and funny, and the characters are written in three if not four dimensions. One can almost forgive the casting of DeVito, who did a good job. There should have been several sequels.”

Another viewer praised: “L.A. Confidential is an incredibly well-acted crime thriller film. It’s rare for a movie to be this well cast, acted, and directed. Director Curtis Hanson plays the audience like a piano with the story and every single frame of the movie, leaving the audience engaged and wanting to know what happens next.”

A third added: “This cast couldn’t be more perfectly cast as Guy Pearce plays the straight man Exley exceptionally well as we see how his penchant for doing the right thing makes him a target for the rest of the cops even as he begins to uncover how far the corruption in this town goes, but Russell Crowe as Bud White is amazing and definitely should’ve gotten a nomination for Best Supporting Actor as he is a rage-fueled cop who has some very shady ways about him but at heart is a good cop with a disdain for men who abuse women. This makes him a perfect counter to Kim Basinger’s Lynn Brackens who ended up winning a Best Supporting Actress Oscar for this film as the classic femme fatale character.”

LA Confidential is on Film 4 at 9pm on Friday, January 2.

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