Today, Matt & Todd explore the world of organized crime through 1973’s The Friends of Eddie Coyle, directed by Peter Yates and based on the novel by George V. Higgins.Starring:

• Robert Mitchum

• Richard Jordan

• Steven Keats

• Peter Boyle

The Friends of Eddie Coyle is a standout in crime cinema: character-driven, understated, and calmly realistic in its portrayal of Boston’s underworld in the early ’70s. No car chases. No slow motion. No glitz. No orchestral swells or streets of blood. This is just a gritty, day-in-the-life look at hardened veteran criminals who are too far in, with few ways out.

The film opens with Eddie (Mitchum) staring down a 3–5 year sentence in New Hampshire for hijacking a whiskey truck. Desperate to avoid prison, he starts looking for help with the law, crossing paths with some of the most dangerous people in town.

What follows is a gripping tale of crime and consequence.This one’s a masterpiece, plain and simple—and Matt’s favorite crime movie of all time.

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