Where to watch Ruthless People in the United States
Ruthless People (1986) does not currently have a verified U.S. streaming, rental, or purchase option.
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About
Sam Stone hates his wife Barbara so much that he wants her dead. He's ecstatic when she's taken by a duo of kidnappers who want $500,000 ransom in exchange for her life. Fully intending to ignore every one of the kidnappers' demands in the hopes that they do him a favor and murder her for him, the two confused kidnappers have to figure out how they're going get their money, and what they're going to do with the overbearing Barbara.
This pitch-black comedy subverts the typical kidnapping trope by featuring a husband who is actively rooting for his wife's demise. Watching a criminal duo struggle to execute a murder that the victim's spouse is practically subsidizing creates a chaotic, darkly hilarious friction.
Trailer
Directors
Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
Cast
Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, Helen Slater, Anita Morris, Bill Pullman, William G. Schilling, Art Evans, Clarence Felder, J.E. Freeman
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0 options ranked by value · 🇺🇸 United States
Last verified 3 days ago
Ruthless People
IMDb
6.6/10
RT Critics
93%
Metacritic
Directors
Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker
Cast
Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold, Helen Slater, Anita Morris, Bill Pullman, William G. Schilling, Art Evans, Clarence Felder, J.E. Freeman
0 options ranked by value · 🇺🇸 United States
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businessman · ransom · kidnapping · female lover · dark comedy · santa monica, california
Ruthless People (1986) streaming availability is currently being verified. Availability last verified October 13, 2026.