Tequila Sunrise (1988): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1988, Tequila Sunrise is an action, thriller, crime and adventure film directed by Robert Towne, running about 115 minutes. “A business on the line. A friendship on the edge. A woman caught in the middle.” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. In a seaside California town, best friends Mac and Nick are on opposite sides of the law. Mac is a former drug dealer trying to clean up his act, while Nick is a high-profile detective trying to take down a Mexican drug lord named Carlos. Soon Nick's loyalties are put to the test when he begins an affair with restaurateur Jo Ann -- a love interest of Mac's -- unwittingly leading his friend into a police-orchestrated trap.

Who’s in it. Tequila Sunrise stars Mel Gibson as Dale "Mac" McKussic, Michelle Pfeiffer as Jo Ann Vallenari, Kurt Russell as Lieutenant Nick Frescia and Raúl Juliá as Commandante Xavier Escalante, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.0/10, Tequila Sunrise has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $105.9M at the box office.

Where to watch. In US you can rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies and YouTube. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Tequila Sunrise page.

If you liked it. Fans of Tequila Sunrise tend to enjoy The Dark Knight, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Inception and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.