Stuart Rosenberg directs Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Melanie Griffiths in this detective thriller where a PI travels to Louisiana to help an old flame being blackmailed.

A belated sequel to Harper, a flick that I’ve never seen. But Newman’s much later Twilight could easily be part of this series in all but name. The bulk of The Drowning Pool is very cool, very chill. Newman acting real suave when meeting heavies, cops and suspects, driving every lady he crosses paths with wild with unrequited passion. It would be very watchable if it were just that. Jaws’ Murray Hamilton makes for an oily Big Bad and jailbait Melanie is all kinds of fun. But there are two stand-out set pieces. One a car jacking by a swamp feels like a shocking lurch into pure horror and then there is the big sustained titular drowning pool escape. My jam.

8

Perfect Double Bill: Harper (1966)

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