Sidney Lumet’s 1990 crime drama Q & A exposes the rot within the police force.

Entertainment · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In this gritty thriller, a young prosecutor uncovers a web of corruption linking a brutal detective to the city's highest legal offices. As he peels back layers of systemic prejudice and violence, he discovers that the truth might cost him his career, his family's legacy, and his own moral compass.

Directed by Sidney Lumet and based on a novel by judge Edwin Torres, Q & A follows Deputy District Attorney Al Reilly as he investigates a suspicious shooting by Mike Brennan, a decorated but corrupt detective. What begins as a routine inquiry into a self-defense claim quickly spirals into a dangerous exploration of the New York City underworld and the institutional rot protecting it. Reilly soon realizes that Brennan is not acting alone; he is a pawn for Kevin Quinn, a powerful prosecutor with ambitions for the state attorney general’s office who is desperate to bury his own criminal past.

The film is defined by its intense, visceral performances. Nick Nolte, who gained 40 pounds for the role, portrays Brennan as a figure of monumental, unwashed brutality, while Timothy Hutton provides a grounded counterpoint as the disillusioned Reilly. Armand Assante also earned praise for his nuanced turn as a crime boss who, despite his profession, operates with a personal moral code. These performances anchor a narrative that critics have described as both a high-stakes police thriller and a profound, often uncomfortable, probe into human secrets and societal prejudice.

Upon its 1990 release, the film drew mixed but largely positive reactions, currently holding an 88% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. While some reviewers, such as those at USA Today, felt the film suffered from narrative overkill and a heavy-handed tone, others like Peter Travers of Rolling Stone lauded it as a combustible, bold return to form for Lumet. The film remains a striking portrait of systemic corruption, challenging the audience to confront the uncomfortable reality that justice is often compromised by the very institutions designed to uphold it.

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