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Trailer

Blue Collar

1978Movie1 h 54 minR

CrimeDrama
82
GreatGoodWatch score
IMDb7.5Metacritic777.5Rotten Tomatoes96%87%

A relentlessly bleak, tense drama movie about society and class and money, with standout performances and world-building.

Good for friends night · thought-provoking · adults

Skip it if you need an uplifting mood

Where to watch

Fingerprint

Not for warmth, uplift or laughs.

Movies with

Story

"Blue Collar" is the American Dream. If you're rich, you can buy it. If you're anything else, you gotta fight for it.

Fed up with mistreatment at the hands of both management and union brass, and coupled with financial hardships on each man's end, three auto assembly line workers hatch a plan to rob a safe at union headquarters.

Feels like

  • Gritty Crime Drama
  • Social Commentary
  • Working Class Struggle
  • Heist Thriller
  • 70s Realism
  • Bleak Outlook
  • Union Corruption
  • Character-Driven
  • Intense

Cast

20 of 20

Crew

Directed by
Paul Schrader
Written by
Paul Schrader, Leonard Schrader
Produced by
Don Guest
Music by
Jack Nitzsche

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

February 10, 1978 · 1 h 54 min · R

Released
February 10, 1978
Runtime
1 h 54 min
Age rating
R
Content
Strong Language, Violence
Genres
Drama, Crime
Original language
English
Made in
United States
Budget
$2 million
Box office
$7 million
Available in
17 countries

Tropes

Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist, Downer Ending, No-Holds-Barred Beatdown +9

  • Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist
  • Downer Ending
  • No-Holds-Barred Beatdown
  • N-Word Privileges
  • Faux Affably Evil
  • Grey-and-Grey Morality
  • Took a Level in Jerkass
  • Embarrassing Nickname
  • Politically Incorrect Villain
  • Cruel and Unusual Death
  • World of Jerkass
  • Cluster F-Bomb

12 of 23 tropes. From TV Tropes.

Q&A

6 questions, like "Where can I stream Blue Collar?"

Questions about Blue Collar

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Where can I stream Blue Collar?

In the United States, you can rent or buy Blue Collar from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. It streams in 2 other countries, but not in the United States.

Is Blue Collar worth watching?

82
GreatGoodWatch score

Yes, it's widely acclaimed, with a GoodWatch score of 82 (IMDb 7.5, Rotten Tomatoes 96%, and Metacritic 77).

Will I feel good after watching Blue Collar?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for bleakness and 8 for melancholy, against 1 for hopefulness.

Is Blue Collar plot-driven or character-driven?

CharactersPlot

Mostly character-driven: it leans on character depth (8 of 10) and dialogue centrality (8 of 10) more than on its plot.

Was Blue Collar a box office hit?

Budget$2 million
Box office$7 million

Yes: it cost about $2 million to make and earned $7 million worldwide, 3.8 times its budget.

What tropes does Blue Collar use?

Sympathetic Inspector AntagonistDowner EndingNo-Holds-Barred BeatdownN-Word PrivilegesFaux Affably EvilGrey-and-Grey MoralityTook a Level in JerkassEmbarrassing NicknamePolitically Incorrect VillainCruel and Unusual DeathWorld of JerkassCluster F-Bomband 11 more

TV Tropes lists 23 tropes for it, including Sympathetic Inspector Antagonist, Downer Ending, and No-Holds-Barred Beatdown.