Cop Land (1998)
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A small-town sheriff must confront a group of corrupt New York City police officers who have established a lawless stronghold in his community.
The story
In the small town of Garrison, New Jersey, a group of corrupt NYPD officers from the 37th Precinct exploit a legal loophole to live and work outside the city as 'auxiliary transit cops.' They are largely untouchable by internal affairs and are protected by the local sheriff, Freddy Heflin. Heflin, who lost his hearing in one ear years ago, is a man of principle who finds himself in a tense standoff with the corrupt officers. When a tragic incident involving a rookie officer and a pair of teenagers forces the situation to a boiling point, Heflin must decide how far he is willing to go to protect his town and his integrity.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The town of Garrison, New Jersey, is inhabited by a group of corrupt NYPD officers from the 37th Precinct who enjoy immunity from internal affairs. Sheriff Freddy Heflin, who has a partial hearing loss, initially turns a blind eye to their activities. However, tensions rise after a rookie officer, Murray "Superboy" Babitch, accidentally shoots two teenagers. The officers attempt to cover up the crime, but the situation spirals out of control. Heflin eventually discovers the extent of the officers' ties to organized crime and their involvement in drug trafficking. After a series of escalating confrontations, including a shootout at the officers' residence, Heflin ultimately faces off against the corrupt leadership. In the final confrontation, Heflin kills the primary antagonists and survives. Following the events, the corrupt officers are arrested, and Heflin remains the sheriff of Garrison, having regained his hearing in his good ear.
- First release year
- 1997
- Runtime (minutes)
- 105
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- James Mangold
- Writers
- James Mangold · writer
- Cast and characters
- Sylvester Stallone · Sheriff Freddy Heflin; Harvey Keitel · Lieutenant Ray Donlan; Ray Liotta · Officer Gary "Figgsy" Figgis; Robert De Niro · Lieutenant Moe Tilden; Peter Berg · Officer Joey Randone; Janeane Garofalo · Deputy Sheriff Cindy Betts; Robert Patrick · Officer Jack Rucker; Michael Rapaport · Officer Murray "Superboy" Babitch
- Genres
- crime drama; crime thriller
- Themes
- corruption; justice
- Tone and mood
- tense; volatile
- Premise and plot tags
- police drama; crime thriller; small-town conflict
- Reception
- The film received positive reviews and was praised for its cast and performances, particularly Stallone's. It was a commercial success for Miramax, grossing over $60 million.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 75% · scale: percentage · review count: 67; Metacritic · score: 64 · scale: 100 · review count: 21
- Production trivia
- The setting of Garrison is based on the director's hometown of Washingtonville, New York.; The film features music from Bruce Springsteen's 1980 album 'The River'.; A television series adaptation was announced in 2026.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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