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THE REWATCHABLES · June 2, 2025

Out for Justice

A 1991 action / thriller / martial arts movie directed by John Flynn—and decision no. 58 in the Hanks–Cruise tape.

ActionThrillerMartial Arts1990sDirected by John Flynn
Out for Justice1991MOVIE
Podcast episode#397No. 408 overall
Movie year19911990s release
Tomatometer23%No. 125 of 128 tracked
Metacritic38View score
Roger Ebert—No review recorded
State of the raceHanks led by 431–27 · 0 ties

FROM THE CONVERSATION

What they said about the movie

The episode treats Out for Justice as the purest, most unhinged Steven Seagal movie: a grimy Brooklyn revenge story driven by Seagal's exaggerated Italian persona, absurd ego, and refusal to take damage. Bill and Kyle admire its pace, bad-guy energy, and memorable set pieces while mocking its stiffness, self-seriousness, and Seagal's off-putting antics.
Based only on this episode’s transcriptTimes approximateSpeakers were clearly identifiedExplore the connections

WHY IT WORKS

What made it rewatchable

  1. 01William Forsythe's Richie is terrifying and entertaining, especially because his scenes feel edited down. About 8 min
  2. 02Seagal's over-the-top Italian Brooklyn performance is bizarre and funny. Opening minutes
  3. 03The pool hall bar fight is the movie's signature set piece, with improvised weapons and nonstop escalations. About 40 min
  4. 04The movie moves quickly because of heavy trimming and montage use, keeping the action constant. About 32 min · medium confidence
  5. 05The opening credits and Arthur Miller quote create a hilarious whiplash from high-minded to trashy. About 16 min

WHAT DID NOT WORK

Their main criticisms

  1. majorSeagal is arrogant, self-involved, and off-putting both on-screen and in the behind-the-scenes stories. About 8 min
  2. moderateThe Bobby-and-Gino emotional relationship scenes are stiff and unconvincing. About 40 min
  3. moderateSeagal's wife character and some supporting beats are weak links, especially in the baseball and family scenes. About 16 min
  4. moderateThe movie's Mob-world logic is flimsy and the gangsters are ineffective. About 1:12
  5. minorSeagal's sports scenes are completely inauthentic, especially the baseball catch. About 16 min

SCENES THEY KEPT COMING BACK TO

Standout moments

Favorite

Opening Arthur Miller quote and pimp attack

The film opens with high-minded Brooklyn prose and quickly smashes into a brutal street beatdown.

Opening minutes
Favorite

Gino's exaggerated Italian introduction

Seagal's 'Gino Folino' persona is absurdly overcooked and funny in the early scenes.

Opening minutes
mixed

Dog adoption and car chase

Gino adopts a puppy and immediately endangers it during a violent chase, which they find both cute and messed up.

Opening minutes
Favorite

Pool hall bar fight

A cue ball wrapped in a towel becomes a signature weapon as Gino dismantles the bar one man at a time.

About 40 min
mixed

Gino confronting Bobby's widow and sister

The movie mixes grief, sexual crudity, and family dysfunction in awkward dialogue scenes.

About 48 min
Favorite

Final shootout and Richie fight

The climax escalates into shotgun carnage and a weapon-strewn final showdown.

About 48 min

WHERE THEY DISAGREED

The biggest debates

They agreed About 8 min

Who should be credited as the movie's true star: Seagal or Forsythe?

Bill Simmons

Forsythe is so good he almost steals the movie, which is why Seagal may have trimmed him.

Kyle Brandt

Forsythe is the best part of the film, and the cuts only make him more intriguing.

They agreed About 8 min

Could Seagal's accidental comedy work better with more self-awareness?

Bill Simmons

Seagal's lack of self-awareness makes the movie funny, but the ego is still appalling.

Kyle Brandt

The movie works because Seagal truly believes every shot should center on him.

They partly agreed About 56 min

Did Seagal really shit himself during a chokeout?

Bill Simmons

Likely possible and maybe true, though unconfirmed.

Kyle Brandt

He believes it 100 percent happened.

Craig Horlbeck

He says he fully believes the story.

They agreed About 1:12

Best lead actor for Gino Folino if recast

Bill Simmons

Tom Hanks would be strong, but possibly too aware.

Kyle Brandt

Tom Cruise would be funnier and more likely to do the accent chaos.

Craig Horlbeck

Cruise wins the choice as the better fit for the movie's absurdity.

15 People discussedActors, directors, writers, and producers
criticalSteven SeagalBill Simmons: Praised as entertaining in this film but mocked for ego, accent, and off-screen behavior. Opening minutes very favorableWilliam ForsytheBill Simmons: Seen as the movie's best supporting force and a terrifying villain. About 8 min favorableJerry OrbachBill Simmons: Praised as a great actor who adds credibility and fun in the sergeant role. About 32 min
favorableJulianne MarguliesBill Simmons: Described as young, talented, and effective in her early role. About 1:04
favorableGina GershonBill Simmons: Liked for her sharp, memorable early scene and chemistry with the movie's tone. About 48 min
favorableShannon WorryBill Simmons: Praised as a strong, funny presence in a small breakout role. About 56 min
neutralJohn FlynnBill Simmons: Discussed mainly for complaining about Seagal's lateness and process. About 1:04
neutralArthur MillerBill Simmons: His quote is used as a very high-minded opening to the trashy film. About 32 min criticalEbertBill Simmons: Mentioned as having disliked the movie and not reviewed it properly in the hosts' view. About 32 min · medium confidence
neutralBob OdenkirkKyle Brandt: Referenced for a story about Seagal demanding to beat up Hans and Franz. About 8 min
neutralGene LeBellBill Simmons: Cited in the story about allegedly choking Seagal unconscious. About 56 min
neutralGeno TorettaBill Simmons: Mentioned only as a possible inspiration for the name Gino Folino. Opening minutes · medium confidence
neutralVinnie ChaseKyle Brandt: Used as the name of a hypothetical award for bad mobsters. About 1:12
neutralDoris BurkeBill Simmons: Imagined as a sportscaster-style voice for the movie's criminal chaos. About 1:12 · medium confidence
neutralJames GandolfiniBill Simmons: Mentioned in a hypothetical casting swap for a Seagal-led Sopranos world. About 1:04 · medium confidence
12 Conversation takesSpeakers shown only where the transcript identifies them
Bill SimmonsLoved it

Out for Justice as a Seagal movie

Frames it as the most purely 'Seagal' movie in the run, and the one he most wanted to cover.

Opening minutes
Kyle BrandtLoved it

Out for Justice

Calls it his favorite Seagal movie because it shows Seagal completely off the leash.

Opening minutes
Bill SimmonsMixed

Steven Seagal's career persona

Admires how absurdly watchable Seagal is while mocking his ego and fake accent.

Opening minutes
Kyle BrandtLoved it

Steven Seagal's star image

Argues Seagal's refusal to be hit and his total control fantasies make him uniquely funny.

About 8 min
Bill SimmonsLoved it

bar fight / pool hall scene

Declares the pool hall sequence the movie's defining set piece and one of his favorite scenes ever.

About 40 min
Kyle BrandtLoved it

pool hall fight

Agrees the pool hall scene is the peak and praises the cue-ball-in-a-towel weapon and escalation.

About 40 min
Bill SimmonsLiked it

opening credits and violence

Likes the Arthur Miller quote followed immediately by the brutal opening attack as a perfect tonal joke.

About 32 min
Kyle BrandtLoved it

William Forsythe

Sees Forsythe as the movie's best element and a great villain who should not have been cut back.

About 8 min
Bill SimmonsDid not like it

baseball catch scene

Thinks the family baseball scene is a disastrous, inauthentic attempt at normalcy.

About 16 min
Kyle BrandtLoved it

Seagal's self-awareness

Argues Seagal's lack of self-awareness is the engine of the movie's entertainment value.

About 8 min
Bill SimmonsLiked it

The movie's pace and runtime

Appreciates the under-90-minute structure and montage compression.

About 32 min
Kyle BrandtLoved it

Out for Justice as entertainment

Calls the film a fun, aggressive throwback that people paid to see in theaters and on cable.

Opening minutes
5 ThemesThe larger ideas in the discussion

Seagal as unintentional comedy

The episode frames Seagal as a deeply un-self-aware star whose excesses create the fun.

About 8 min

Italian-American performance and appropriation

The hosts obsess over Seagal's fake Italian accent and Gino Folino identity.

Opening minutes

Masculine violence as spectacle

The film's fights, threats, and revenge plot are treated as ludicrous but exhilarating.

About 40 min

Ego controlling art

They discuss how Seagal likely cut scenes and controlled the film to protect his image.

About 8 min

Early-90s time capsule

The episode repeatedly situates the film in a specific 1991 Brooklyn aesthetic and music/branding era.

About 8 min
22 Facts and referencesProduction notes and other movies mentioned

Production note

The episode says Out for Justice was the number one movie in America for two straight weeks.

Opening minutes

Production note

It reportedly cost about $14 million and made about $39.6 million.

Opening minutes

Production note

The production allegedly trimmed William Forsythe scenes because Seagal thought Richie was stealing the movie.

About 8 min

Production note

The film's original title was The Price of Our Blood before Warner Brothers required a three-word Seagal title.

About 1:12

Production note

The movie includes an Arthur Miller quote over the opening credits.

About 32 min

Production note

Gino names the dog Caraggio, which they say means courage or bravery.

About 48 min · medium confidence

Production note

The opening bar-fight weapon is a cue ball wrapped in a towel.

About 40 min

Production note

Kyle tells the story of Seagal allegedly demanding to beat up Hans and Franz if he appeared on SNL.

About 8 min

Disputed in the episode

They discuss a long-running rumor that Seagal was choked unconscious and possibly defecated during training on the film.

About 56 min

Cobra

Used as a comparison for stars running wild without restraint.

Opening minutes

The Godfather

The movie's Italian affectations and death framing are repeatedly compared to Godfather scenes.

Opening minutes

The Godfather Part II

Referenced in relation to Dominic Chianese's filmography and mafia-movie pedigree.

About 1:12

48 Hrs.

Mentioned when comparing a bar confrontation and tough-guy comic energy.

About 40 min · medium confidence

Goodfellas

Used to describe Seagal's mob fantasy and the movie's imitation of gangster swagger.

About 1:04

The Sopranos

Used in a hypothetical where Seagal plays Tony Soprano and the cast overlaps.

About 1:04

Dirty Dancing

Referenced as part of Jerry Orbach's respected pre-TV career stretch.

About 32 min

SNL

Referenced through the infamous Seagal hosting episode and an Odenkirk anecdote.

About 8 min

Mission: Impossible

Used as a runtime/pace comparison, with Bill saying montages would help the long new film.

About 32 min · medium confidence

The Rock

Referenced for William Forsythe's good work in an interrogation scene.

About 1:04 · medium confidence

L.A. Gear

A billboard with Joe Montana is singled out as a perfect early-90s image.

About 1:04

Beastie Boys

Their song is cited as a key early-90s needle drop in the film.

About 1:20

World Series of Poker?

No direct reference supplied; omitted to avoid inference.

Opening minutes · low confidence
10 Running jokes and short linesRecurring bits captured from the conversation

Has anyone seen Richie?

Bill and Kyle repeatedly joke that this is the movie's core plot, with Seagal asking around Brooklyn for Richie.

About 8 min

Seagal Italian accent bit

They keep mimicking and dissecting Seagal's wildly inconsistent Italian delivery.

Opening minutes

Cue ball and towel weaponry

They keep returning to the cue ball wrapped in a towel as the ideal improvised action-movie weapon.

About 40 min

Baseball catch impossibility

The hosts mock the family baseball scene and Seagal's inability to look like he has ever held a glove.

About 16 min

Movie dictator / self-awareness bit

Craig and Kyle argue that controlled, ego-driven movie-making creates better unintentional comedy.

About 1:20

Kyle Brandt

“It's full off the leash Segal.”
Opening minutes

Bill Simmons

“Has anyone seen Richie?”
About 40 min

Bill Simmons

“You got the mitt, I got the ball”
About 16 min

Bill Simmons

“It's not going to make me forget”
About 48 min

Kyle Brandt

“You could have killed somebody upstairs.”
About 40 min

MAKE IT A MOVIE NIGHT

Where to watch

UNITED STATES

Checking where Out for Justice is available…

WHAT TO WATCH NEXT

Movies to watch before and after.

Three movies to watch before Out for Justice, and three to watch next.

Finding six movies…Three to watch first and three to watch next.
Includes a Rewatchables episodePosters from TMDB.

ON THE MIC

2 voices made the call

Bill Simmons headshotBill Simmons125 tracked appearances · 56 H / 64 C / 5 ties
Kyle Brandt headshotKyle Brandt20 tracked appearances · 7 H / 13 C

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