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Desperate Measures

“Desperate times call for. . .”

1998 · 1 h 40 min
Directed by Barbet Schroeder · Japan · Contemporary Asian Cinema
ActionDramaThrillerCrime

Where to watch in the United States: Stream: Howdy Amazon Channel · Free: The Roku Channel, YouTube Free, Tubi TV · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home. Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDB; availability changes.

Cast

Michael Keaton Andy Garcia Brian Cox Marcia Gay Harden Erik King Efrain Figueroa

Credits

Written by: David Klass

Plot

San Francisco police officer Frank Connor is in a frantic search for a compatible bone marrow donor for his gravely ill son. There's only one catch the potential donor is convicted multiple murderer Peter McCabe who sees a trip to the hospital as the perfect opportunity to get what he wants most: freedom.

Sinekatalog’s take

A father needs a perfect bone marrow match for his dying son, and the only one is a dangerous prisoner with his own agenda. The premise is strong and the cat-and-mouse is serviceable, though the plot contrivances pile up as it goes.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

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Ratings

IMDb: 6.1 / 10 (19,331 votes)
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.

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