Ruthless People (1986): cast, story & where to watch
1986 · Film · ★ 6.6
Released in 1986, Ruthless People is a comedy film directed by Jerry Zucker, running about 93 minutes. “Sam Stone's wife has just been kidnapped... And he doesn't want her back!” — that tagline sets the tone.
What it’s about. A couple, cheated by a vile businessman, kidnap his wife in retaliation—without knowing that their enemy is delighted they did.
Who’s in it. Ruthless People stars Danny DeVito as Sam Stone, Bette Midler as Barbara Stone, Judge Reinhold as Ken Kessler and Helen Slater as Sandy Kessler, among others.
How it landed. With an audience score of 6.6/10, Ruthless People has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response. It went on to earn $71.6M at the box office.
Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads and 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 Ruthless People page.
If you liked it. Fans of Ruthless People tend to enjoy Forrest Gump, Parasite, Life Is Beautiful and Fight Club.
Frequently asked
- Where can I watch Ruthless People (1986)?
- In US, Ruthless People is available to stream on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Prime Video with Ads, and rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies. Availability varies by country — check our where-to-watch page for every region.
- Is Ruthless People worth watching?
- Ruthless People holds an audience score of 6.6 out of 10, and is a strong pick if you enjoy comedy. Reactions are mixed, so it may depend on taste.
- Who stars in Ruthless People?
- Ruthless People stars Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, Helen Slater and Anita Morris.
- When was Ruthless People released?
- Ruthless People was released in 1986, with a runtime of about 93 minutes.