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Jade

Jade

Some fantasies go too far.

199595 minRMidcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Director
William Friedkin
Starring
David Caruso, Linda Fiorentino, Chazz Palminteri, Richard Crenna

When a prominent art dealer is found murdered, the man's death leads to an intriguing investigation steeped in sex, corruption and crime. District Attorney David Corelli gets assigned to the case and discovers that a key suspect is his ex-lover Katrina Gavin, a beautiful psychologist who has settled down with his old friend and peer. As Corelli gets deeper into the case, he uncovers dark secrets with far-reaching implications.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Jade?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Jade to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Jade?

Jade earns 5 badges, led by Overhyped and Box Office Flop.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Jade worth watching?

Jade's Midcredits score is the 21st percentile of all films, from 34K ratings across 6 sources. 26% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

21st percentile

Better received than 21% of films

19th percentile among Crime23rd percentile among 1990s
Acclaim (how much people like it)28th
Approval (how many liked it)17th

55 /100

28th percentile of all films

26th percentile among Crime29th percentile among 1990s

Critics 33 · Audience 57

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

26% liked it

17th percentile of all films

15th percentile among Crime18th percentile among 1990s
26% rated it 7–1074% rated it 1–6

Critics 17% · Audience 42%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 2 noms overall

87th percentile

34K ratings across platforms

84th percentile among Crime82nd percentile among 1990s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 2% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$50M
Opening weekend$4.3M
Domestic gross$9.9M
Worldwide gross$9.9M

Returned 0.2× its budget — 76th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A visually stylish erotic thriller with a great car chase but a messy, derivative script.

Fans praised

  • spectacular car chase through Chinatown
  • Linda Fiorentino's smoldering presence
  • stylish noir cinematography

Detractors panned

  • convoluted, illogical plot
  • lifeless, clichéd dialogue
  • flat, uncharismatic lead performance

What stands out

Effects and spectacleDivisive75

memorable car stunts, flying over hills

CinematographyDivisive70

noirish, stylish, rich production design

AtmosphereDivisive60

dark, lurid, San Francisco backdrop

ActingDivisive55

Fiorentino praised, Caruso panned as wooden

CharactersDivisive35

shallow, unlikable, underdeveloped

Plot and storyDivisive25

convoluted, predictable, full of holes

DialogueDivisive25

hackneyed, unbelievable, laughable

Originality20

basic instinct retread, formulaic

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is Jade like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you can only half-watch.

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

What it asks of you

Your full attention.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadCold
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Melodramatic · 9% of films: Heightened emotion, played large.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its erotic thriller material with a straight face, maintaining a moody, brooding atmosphere throughout.
The rideThe film sustains a consistently tense and uneasy atmosphere driven by murder, blackmail, and betrayals.
StructureThe narrative follows a conventional chronological sequence from the murder discovery through investigation to resolution.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

UnsettlingBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's conclusion leaves the political corruption unpunished and the love triangle unresolved, creating an unsettling and bittersweet aftertaste.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

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).Mystery
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: 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%
  • 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% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% (this title) · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Investigation: A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).

7% of films fit this archetype

with Overcoming the monster underneath

Why this archetypeThe story is driven by the question of who killed Kyle Medford and who Jade is, unfolding through a procedural investigation that uncovers a web of blackmail and political corruption.

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 filmsSelfDeception
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • 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% (this title) · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · 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

Deception · 9% of filmsJustice · 13% of filmsBetrayal · 5% 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 revolves around lies, compromised investigations, and hidden double lives among law, politics, and marriage.
StanceThe film questions the extent of deception within law, politics, and marriage but does not settle a clear moral position.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · James Horner
SettingSan Francisco's political and legal elite, with a beach house for clandestine sex parties.
MusicA moody, synthesized orchestral score that heightens the thriller's suspense and noir atmosphere.

Content guide

Is Jade okay for kids?

R

Jade is rated R: “Rated R for grisly afterviews of murder victims, violence, language and strong scenes of aberrant sexuality” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (90/100), sexual content at intense (72/100), language at severe (83/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (47/100) and frightening material at intense (77/100). Overall it is heavier than 89% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 8 other countries
  • UK18
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland18
  • South Korea18
  • Brazil16
  • Czechia18+
  • Italy18+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 93% of all filmsHeavier than 89% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 84%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 90%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 79%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 61%
Frightening / Intense
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 75%

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

Heavy almost across the board: violence, language, frightening material, and sexual content. 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 Jade have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Jade?

Cast

David Caruso
as David Corelli
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Linda Fiorentino
as Trina Gavin
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Chazz Palminteri
as Matt Gavin
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Richard Crenna
as Governor Edwards
Michael Biehn
as Bob Hargrove
Donna Murphy
as Karen Heller
First film: No prior film role; they had worked in television.
Holt McCallany
as Bill Barrett
David Hunt
as Pat Callendar
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Angie Everhart
as Patrice Jacinto
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Kevin Tighe
as D.A. Arnold Clifford

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Jade?

Movies like Jade include Basic Instinct (1992), Sliver (1993) and Cruising (1980). Of the 12 closest matches, two are films by William Friedkin, and most are investigation stories.

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

Joe Eszterhas wrote 3 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Jade?

1.1K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: lawyer. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.