Nighthawks Review – The Gritty Stallone Thriller Everyone Forgot

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:08]Nighthawks was released in 1981, directed by Bruce Malmuth, and starring Sylvester Stallone, Billy Dee Williams, and Rutger Hauer. The story follows two New York City cops played by Stallone and Billy Dee Williams who are assigned to track down a dangerous international terrorist played by Rutger Hauer, known as Wulfgar. But what starts as a manhunt quickly turns into a psychological game of pressure, moral decisions, and escalating tension in the streets of New York. What's going on, everyone? Welcome back to Backtrack Cinema, where we rewind the movies that made us. My name is Jason, and I am your judge, jury, and executioner of the channel. And today we're going to be talking about Nighthawks from 1981.

[00:00:53]And honestly, I really love this movie, guys. Uh this is one of those underrated Sylvester Stallone flex. I think everyone's got to see at least just once. It's really not the most action-packed Stallone movie. It's a little different. It's a little bit more, you know, uh slow burn, more methodical. And Stallone has one hell of a beard, man, that even Kurt Russell would be impressed by. The first thing that really impresses me is how gritty it is. I really like the grittiness of this film. It's a little dark and gritty, and and you know, it has you know, it has that New York setting. And New York New York feels like a character in this film. Kind of like it plays more into like the the feeling of the film, more like The French Connection and and films like that. The streets, the noise, the tension. It's plugging into that 70s, early 80s energy into this film. I really like the stripped-back version of Sylvester Stallone here. One of my favorite scenes in the movie is that nightclub scene, man, where Stallone and Billy Dee Williams are looking for this terrorist and Wulfgar with Rutger Hauer and they're in a nightclub scene, dancing, people everywhere and he spots him out of the crowd. His instincts, like those instincts that have kick in.

[00:02:12]And when they spot each other, there's a there's a gunshots go off and it creates all this chaos and then it ends in this street chase. And there's a famous thing where Stallone's got the gun and he's like, "No, he's not clear. He's not clear." That means he won't sacrifice a hostage to kill him and Billy Dee Williams gets hurt here and you know, that's where Stallone's like, "You're all [ __ ] dead!" He starts freaking out. I mean, this is Stallone's an intense character in this, man. I just really love his character in this in this movie. But that moment's pure suspense, it's quiet tension, it really good stuff. And what I really like about this movie is the conflict within Stallone's character of catching this terrorist. They're being trained to stop terrorists, like they bring this guy in from England who's been chasing Wolfgar and they're trying to teach these cops how to you got to think like a terrorist. You they're not going to share your ideals, they're going to sacrifice anybody to get away or to do what they do. You got to do the same thing and Stallone's is is not willing to do that. He's not willing to sacrifice anybody.

[00:03:15]He's not willing to make cold decisions, he's not willing to cross that line and that I just love that moral push and pull, that's what drives the whole film.

[00:03:24]Uh and the ending and you know, I am going to spoil the ending, so here's your spoiler now, guys.

[00:03:30]So, um please stop watching me if you have to, but cuz the ending's great because the way they catch Wolfgar is the way they did it, they foreshadowed at the beginning of the movie. As just street cops, what they do him and Billy Dee Williams, they're the Nighthawks.

[00:03:46]They do they're they work in the middle of the night, they catch these muggers and other drug dealers and stuff by they they pose as old women and and they dress up as um ladies with wigs on and they kind of they they draw like a spider they draw the the criminals in and then they they pounce on them, right? And you know, they they chase them down and it seems to work. They catch Wolfgar like that. Wolfgar goes to go to this the loan's girlfriend's apartment and as the loan gets there and Stallone's dressed up and the guy Wolfgar just sees this this woman doing dishes and he turns around. It's such an iconic moment. It's Stallone. And that's how Stallone catches him, you know, here. He catches catches him with his brains, right? It's such a great ending when I first saw it. And you know, a lot of you probably already know this ending if you've seen ranking lists and stuff with documentaries that has been on like some of the great horror moments cuz some people actually consider this more thriller or horror film. He doesn't beat the villain with something spectacle and over-the-top. It's just simple street cop tactics. And I also got to say that Rutger Hauer really steals the show. Um if you know, he really does have one over Stallone on this. I will say that, man. Rutger Hauer is really good in this movie. Quiet intensity as I like to call it. He's really good. And you know, this those those blue eyes, that blonde hair, man. He's just go to one of his weaknesses in this character is that he likes dancing, he likes women and it almost gets him caught, right? With the what I was talking about the nightclub scene. But he's cold, he's calculated.

[00:05:19]Every scene he just owns owns completely, man. He was such a great character actor. Um Rutger Hauer. But Nighthawks is one of these movies, guys, that's not about big action set pieces.

[00:05:33]It's about tension. It's about character. It has the atmosphere. Any kind of criticism, you know, a lot of people will probably find I don't find it slow, but a lot of people probably would.

[00:05:44]Um and there are some lines that Stallone delivers, I will say that are very dry and very like he just it was just phoning it in almost it seemed like but for the most part like 80% of his performance is great. You know what I mean? And then it relies on that it relies on that great ending and that nightclub scene is just terrific. And you know that moral push and pull like I talked about that's really that's what you're sinking your teeth into in this story. I'm going to give Nighthawks from 1981 solid B.

[00:06:17]So on your next Saturday night movie night if you need some action but you're craving something a little more gritty put Nighthawks on. So that is it guys.

[00:06:25]Thank you for watching this review of Nighthawks. I appreciate you all. It's another Stallone review done man. We have done so many Stallone reviews on this channel. So if you like Sylvester Stallone you like his movies then check out my Sylvester Stallone um review playlist. I'll put it up um on the end card there after the video and all that you know. My name is Jason.

[00:06:47]Thank you for watching. Like, subscribe, all that jazz. Hit the hype points or the hype button.

[00:06:52]Let's get this video growing man. My name is Jason. You've been watching Backtrack Cinema. I'll see you next time and I'll see you in the movies. Cheers.