Cop

Cop

Year: 1988

Runtime: 110 mins

Language: English

Director: James B. Harris

CrimeThrillerDramaMystery

A relentless homicide detective, obsessed and defiant, becomes convinced that a serial killer is stalking the Hollywood area. Ignoring orders and risking his career, he pursues the murderer with single‑minded determination, putting himself on the edge as the hunt escalates.

Cop (1988) – Spoiler-Free Movie Summary & Plot Overview

Get a spoiler-free look at Cop (1988) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.

In the glossy yet gritty sprawl of Los Angeles, a city that never quite sleeps, a single‑minded homicide detective stalks the thin line between order and obsession. Lloyd Hopkins is a veteran of the LAPD with a reputation for bending the rulebook, a relentless drive that has earned him both admiration and wariness among his peers. When a whisper of a serial killer stalking the Hollywood area reaches his ears, his instinct pushes him to pursue the unknown threat with a ferocity that borders on self‑destruction, even as his superiors warn him to tread carefully.

The film paints a portrait of a man whose professional intensity seeps into his personal life, casting long shadows over his marriage and the eight‑year‑old daughter he strives to protect. His partnership with the seasoned yet weary Dutch Peltz offers a counterpoint—steady, skeptical, and often the voice of reluctant reason. Together they navigate a precinct caught between procedural politics and the raw, chaotic pulse of the streets, all while internal affairs looms as an unseen pressure, ready to judge every deviation from protocol.

Against this backdrop, Los Angeles itself becomes a character: neon‑lit avenues, dimly lit diners, and the undercurrents of a city where fame and darkness coexist. The tone is taut and brooding, laced with moments of cynicism and uneasy humor, reflecting the uneasy balance Hopkins must maintain between his unyielding quest for justice and the personal costs it exacts. As the hunt deepens, the film invites viewers to wonder how far a man will go when his sense of duty collides with his own inner demons, setting the stage for a tense, character‑driven descent into the heart of a city that never lets its secrets stay buried.

Last Updated: December 03, 2025 at 23:52

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies with obsessive detectives like in Cop

Stories of lawmen consumed by a single case, blurring the line between justice and obsession.If you liked the single-minded, self-destructive pursuit in Cop, you'll find similar themes here. This thread collects movies where investigators become consumed by their cases, leading to moral decay, personal ruin, and a blurred line between hunter and hunted in gritty crime stories.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative follows a central investigator who becomes psychologically and emotionally tethered to an unsolved case. The plot is driven by their increasingly reckless methods as they ignore protocol and personal consequences, leading to a climactic confrontation that leaves them permanently scarred, if not outright broken, by the experience.

Why These Movies?

These movies are grouped together because they share a powerful focus on a specific character archetype: the obsessed lawman. The similarity lies in the intense, character-driven journey into moral ambiguity, the high-stakes investigative tension, and the exploration of how justice can become a destructive, personal vendetta.

Gritty neo-noir crime movies like Cop

Dark stories set in corrupt worlds where heroes are flawed and justice is ambiguous.For viewers who enjoyed the dark, morally ambiguous world of Cop, this thread highlights similar neo-noir thrillers. These films share a cynical tone, a fast pace, and heavy emotional weight, featuring flawed protagonists in stories of systemic corruption, violence, and ambiguous justice.

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Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically unfold in a morally compromised world, pitting a flawed protagonist against a corrupt system or a hidden evil. The narrative structure is often a linear investigation that exposes the rot at the core of society, culminating in a climax where victory is pyrrhic and the ending leaves a lasting sense of unease and moral questioning.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here based on their shared neo-noir aesthetic and themes. The key connections are a consistently dark and cynical tone, a focus on moral ambiguity within a corrupt world, fast-paced plots driven by crime and investigation, and an overall feeling of gritty, unvarnished realism with heavy consequences.

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Cop Summary

Read a complete plot summary of Cop, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

Cop Summary

Cop Timeline

Track the full timeline of Cop with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

Cop Timeline

Characters, Settings & Themes in Cop

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Characters, Settings & Themes in Cop

More About Cop

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Cop: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

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Discover movies like Cop that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.