The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
Director: Renny Harlin
Starring: Geena Davis, Samuel L. Jackson, Craig Bierko, Brian Cox
Primary genre: Action
Secondary genre: Thriller
The Long Kiss Goodnight is the second (and final) collaboration between Geena Davis and director Renny Harlin after the disastrous performance of their much-maligned but highly entertaining Cutthroat Island a year prior. Although this did not fare any better commercially, it received greater reviews due to its traditional action oriented story, Shane Black’s witty script and Harlin’s slick direction that ultimately made this Kiss a cult classic decades later.
“Everyone knows, when you make an assumption, you make an ass out of “u” and “umption”.”
Davis makes for an imposing hero, switching effortlessly from clueless suburban mom to ruthless killer during an era where female action stars were seen as a cinematic sin. She is helped by a stellar supporting cast and has a spot-on chemistry with Samuel L. Jackson who in the film’s nice twist is the one who needs rescuing most of the time but not at the expense of his sex. You see, The Long Kiss Goodnight was woke before woke was a thing, and even though there will be some detractors who might not like women kicking butt, those who appreciate pure character work will find the dynamic between Davis’ amnesiac sleeper agent and Jackson’s smart-ass detective a delight. Their interactions based solely on their abilities and attributes prohibit Black’s script from denigrating them into mere stereotypes, which so many “progressive” movies did in the late 2010s and early 2020s.
Harlin’s 90s resume was quite impressive on the action front, orchestrating with exquisite mastery bombastic sequences and envelope-pushing stunts. Die Hard 2 (1990), Cliffhanger (1993), Cutthroat Island and Deep Blue Sea (1999) all feature thrilling moments that have stars doing their own stunts, and The Long Kiss Goodnight is no exception. Its pyrotechnics are superb and Harlin clearly relishes framing his then-wife in impossible situations that only a character of her scope can escape from, and their practical-based execution makes the occurring mayhem all the more enjoyable.
The story is bleaker and meaner than anything Black had written up to that point, amplified by some brutal killings, and a psychopathic (and one-dimensional) performance from chief antagonist Craig Bierko that turn the season of joy into one of chaos and nihilism. While the mystery of Samantha - and her alter ego Charlie, is not really compelling with its predictable turns and twists and all the typical villains that you would expect in a shady governmental conspiracy, it is still a vehicle that aims to maximize the cast’s talents for adult-oriented entertainment.
It won’t win any originality awards, but The Long Kiss Goodnight was brave enough to put forward a serious and compelling case for female action roles long before all the Netflix, Marvel, and DC slop attempted to do so. In all honesty, it succeeds, giving us a main character who feels relatable, kicks ass, and is utterly deprived of all the modern toxic traits of filmmaking.
Wisecracking, cult 90s action flick
+Davis is a compelling heroine
+Jackson is killing it
+Dynamic and convincing action
+Hard R-rating
+Harlin is having a blast
-Not that compelling of a mystery
-Boring antagonists