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Crown Vic

Crown Vic

Right and Wrong Isn't Always Black and White

2019110 minRMidcredits score: 58th percentile of all films
Director
Joel Souza
Starring
Thomas Jane, Luke Kleintank, Josh Hopkins, David Krumholtz

One memorable night in the life of veteran patrol officer Ray Mandel and his trainee, ambitious rookie cop Nick Holland in the LAPD's Olympic Division. With two cop killers on the loose and hunting for more targets, Mandel and Holland must contend with a city about to boil over, as well as Jack VanZandt, an unhinged rogue cop out for payback running wild in their patrol zone.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Crown Vic?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Crown Vic streaming on Hulu, Pluto TV (free), Prime Video (free) and The Roku Channel (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Crown Vic?

Crown Vic earns 6 badges, led by Guilty pleasure and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Content

Reception

Is Crown Vic worth watching?

Crown Vic's Midcredits score is the 58th percentile of all films, from 14K ratings across 6 sources. 56% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

58th percentile

Better received than 58% of films

60th percentile among Crime58th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)53rd
Approval (how many liked it)61st

62 /100

53rd percentile of all films

55th percentile among Crime54th percentile among 2010s

Critics 47 · Audience 63

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.6 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

56% liked it

61st percentile of all films

61st percentile among Crime61st percentile among 2010s
56% rated it 7–1044% rated it 1–6

Critics 62% · Audience 72%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

91st percentile

14K ratings across platforms

88th percentile among Crime91st percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 44% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$3.6M
Opening weekend$2.5K
Domestic gross$3.9K
Worldwide gross$3.9K

Returned 0.0× its budget — 6th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A character-driven police drama leaning on genre conventions with solid performances.

Fans praised

  • Thomas Jane's grizzled veteran performance
  • Strong acting from both leads and cast
  • Realistic atmosphere and police procedural details

Detractors panned

  • Generic script full of cop movie clichés
  • Cheap, low-budget production values and technical errors
  • Abrupt, unsatisfying ending

What stands out

Acting78

Thomas Jane praised as standout; leads and supporting cast solid

Atmosphere72

Gritty, tense, and realistic night patrol feel

CharactersDivisive65

Veteran/rookie dynamic works but some find tropes stereotypical

PacingDivisive55

Some dull patches in the middle; overall keeps attention

DialogueDivisive55

Realistic police codes but some lines feel terrible

Plot and story50

Familiar one-night patrol structure; uninspired and pedestrian

Originality30

Heavily derivative of Training Day and End of Watch

Ending25

Abrupt and unsatisfying; leaves viewer with blue balls

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 25 points higher than women.

US vs non-US

Preferred by Non-US Viewers

Non-US viewers scored it 11 points higher than US viewers.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Critics vs users 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is Crown Vic like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense, never lets up and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseThrilling
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Hardboiled · 1% of films: Terse, unsentimental, noir-inflected.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film is a grounded, earnest look at police work, playing its material without irony.
The rideThe mood is tense and thrilling throughout the night, with the heaviest emotional weight likely building toward the climax.
StructureThe narrative unfolds over a single night shift in linear order.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you contemplating the moral compromises of police work and the cycle of cynicism.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Monster
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1% (this title)
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Inner demon: The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe story follows a police patrol shift where the central threats are both the cop killers on the loose and the main character's own moral compromises.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% (this title) · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsSurvivalLoyalty · 4% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores a police officer's pursuit of cop killers, centering on justice and survival across one intense night.
StanceThe film appears to interrogate justice and the cost of pursuing it, focused on a single officer's perspective.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanIn transitRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Jeffery Alan Jones
SettingA night in Los Angeles, patrolling the streets in a police cruiser.
MusicJeffery Alan Jones provides a tense, atmospheric score to underscore the night's events.

Content guide

Is Crown Vic okay for kids?

R

Crown Vic is rated R: “Rated R for strong violence and pervasive language, disturbing content, sexual references, drug material and brief full nudity” (MPAA). As of March 15, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (87/100), sexual content at moderate (44/100), language at severe (90/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (59/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). Overall it is heavier than 83% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 7 other countries
  • UK15
  • Germany18
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 89% of all filmsHeavier than 83% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 78%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 42%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 90%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 74%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 57%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language, violence, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Crown Vic have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Crown Vic?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Thomas Jane
as Ray Mandel
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Luke Kleintank
as Nick Holland
Josh Hopkins
as Jack VanZandt
David Krumholtz
as Stroke Adams
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Bridget Moynahan
as Tracy Peters
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Scottie Thompson
as Claire
Emma Ishta
as Ally
Devon Werkheiser
as Floyd Stiles
Alex Morf
as Watts
Shiloh Verrico
as Kailey
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Crown Vic?

Movies like Crown Vic include No Man's Land (1987), HIT: The 2nd Case (2022) and Class of '83 (2020). Of the 12 closest matches, most are police procedurals, and all are films about law enforcement.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its subject: justice. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Crown Vic?

1K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: police procedural. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.