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Off Limits (1988)

Name: Off Limits
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Released: 1988-03-11
Duration: 102 min
Rating: 5.6
Cast: Willem Dafoe, Gregory Hines, Fred Ward, Amanda Pays, Scott Glenn

Off Limits (1988), directed by Christopher Crowe, starring Willem Dafoe and Gregory Hines.

03/11/1988 BR Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery and Thriller 1h 42m

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Quiz about this movie

Being a cop is tough. But in Saigon, 1968, being a cop is crazy.

Synopsis

McGriff and Albaby are probably doing the worst law enforcement job in the world - they are plain clothes U.S. military policemen on duty in war-time Saigon. However, their job becomes even harder when they start investigating the serial killings of local prostitutes. Their prime suspect is high ranking U.S. Army officer which brings their lives in danger.

David GribbleCinematography
Christopher CroweDirector, Writer
Douglas IboldEditing
Alan BarnetteProducer

About the film

Off Limits is a 1988 action-thriller film set during the Vietnam War starring Willem Dafoe and Gregory Hines and directed by Christopher Crowe. The term "off limits" referred to the area where the original crime took place, an area of Saigon off limits to military personnel. The name of the film was changed to Saigon or Saigon: Off Limits when it was released throughout the rest of the world.

The film marks Willem Dafoe's second Vietnam War film. He was assisted in preparing for this role by Vietnam Veteran and former Counterintelligence Special Agent Ed Murphy. Dafoe had previously starred in Platoon and would go on to play roles in Born on the Fourth of July and Flight of the Intruder. Although set during the war, the tale is more of a mystery than a story about the war.

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Plot

In 1968, Sergeant First Class Buck McGriff and Sergeant First Class Albaby Perkins are two joint services Criminal Investigation Division (CID) agents on duty in war torn Saigon. When a prostitute is found murdered they discover that the prime suspects are high ranking U.S. Army officers. As they investigate they find that there have been a string of at least six murders in the last year, but the previous inquiry was shut down from higher up the chain of command. Investigations lead them to Colonel Dexter Armstrong, but Armstrong rules himself out of inquiries by committing suicide. With the help of a French nun Sister Nicole and their non-commissioned officer in charge, Master Sergeant Dix, they finally close in on their target. As their investigation leads them closer and closer to the murderer, they find their lives are in danger.

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Reception

The movie received a mixed reception. It holds an approval rating of 45% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 11 reviews.

Box office

The movie was not successful at the box office, grossing only $7.2 million. However, it later found its audience on home video and on cable TV, primarily HBO and Showtime.

References

External links

Off Limits at IMDb

Off Limits at Rotten Tomatoes

Off Limits at the TCM Movie Database (archived)

Off Limits at Box Office Mojo

Off Limits at the AFI Catalog of Feature Films

Text from Off Limits (1988 film) on Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Off_Limits_(1988_film)

Trivia

It cost US$ 12 million and grossed US$ 7.2 million in theaters — 0.6 times its budget.
It premiered on March 11, 1988, a Friday.
It runs 1h42 — a typical feature length.
As of September 21, 2026, it is available in Brazil by subscription on Looke.
This film's quiz has 14 questions — enough to play more than once without repeats.

Production

StudiosAmerican Entertainment Partners L.P., 20th Century Fox, Amercent Films
CountriesUnited States
LanguagesEnglish
BudgetUS$ 12,000,000
Box officeUS$ 7,242,035
StatusReleased

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Cast

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Crew

David Gribble Cinematography
Christopher Crowe Director
Douglas Ibold Editing
Alan Barnette Producer
Michael S. Glick Producer
James Newton Howard Original music
Christopher Crowe Writer
Jack Thibeau Writer

Questions about this film

What is Off Limits about?

Off Limits: McGriff and Albaby are probably doing the worst law enforcement job in the world - they are plain clothes U.S. military policemen on duty in war-time Saigon. However, their job becomes even harder when they start investigating the serial killings of local prostitutes. Their prime suspect is high ranking U.S. Army offi…

Who directed Off Limits?

Off Limits was directed by Christopher Crowe in 1988.

Who stars in Off Limits?

The cast of Off Limits includes Willem Dafoe, Gregory Hines, Fred Ward, Amanda Pays and Scott Glenn.

How long is Off Limits?

Off Limits runs for 102 minutes, or 1h42.

How much did Off Limits cost and how much did it make?

Off Limits had a budget of US$ 12,000,000 and took US$ 7,242,035 at the box office.

Where can I watch Off Limits?

Off Limits is available on Looke and Looke Amazon Channel. Availability changes often: the list on this page is the most recent we received.