Where can I stream Gene Hackman’s ‘The French Connection’?

William Friedkin’s The French Connection is a staple of 1970s filmmaking and one of the greatest crime movies of the 20th Century. It marked Gene Hackman‘s transition into leading man status, effectively setting him up for a career that would span more than 80 films and five Oscar nominations, of which he won two — including Best Actor for The French Connection.

Tracking the lives and jobs of two New York City cops as they chase a French drug lord, the film was based on Robin Moore’s eponymous 1969 nonfiction book about narcotics detectives Eddie Egan and Sonny Grosso. The two men went on to contribute to The French Connection as advisors, with Egan even landing a speaking role, while Grosso appeared as a background performer.

Hackman played the Egan character, here renamed to Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle. He was ruthless and obsessive, with a curious method of interrogating his “perps” by asking them nonsensical, disorienting questions. Hackman would later muse, in a 2001 TV film about the making of the film, about how, for years after its premiere, people would approach him in the street with one of The French Connection‘s most famous lines, directly plucked from Egan’s repertoire: “Are you still picking your feet in Poughkeepsie?” He was joined on screen by Roy Scheider as Detective Buddy “Cloudy” Russo.

The French Connection was especially appreciated for its depiction of the grittier side of New York City. It adopted a nearly documentary style with minimal lighting, handheld cameras, and tons of improvisation from both the director and his cast. It didn’t hurt that the year they shot it was one of the coldest in the city’s recorded history, and that Egan and Grosso were always on deck to help correct any scene or behavior that stirred too far from the daily reality of drug-chasing cops. Its car chase set piece where Hackman’s Popeye trails a train across town is still revered to this day as one of the best of its kind.

The film was nominated for eight Oscars. It became the first R-rated movie to win Best Picture, adding to Hackman’s Best Actor trophy, as well as wins for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Editing.

Sadly, Hackman, Scheider, and Friedkin have all passed away, leaving behind the legacy they created with the making of a perfect specimen of its genre and its time. The former was found dead in his home in New Mexico alongside his wife and dog on Feb. 26, 2025. He retired from acting in 2004, spending the rest of his active life writing historical fiction novels. He was 95.

How to watch The French Connection

According to JustWatch, the 1971 crime thriller can be purchased or rented in all the usual platforms in the United States, including Amazon Video, Apple TV, Fandango At Home, and Microsoft Store. Alternatively, it is also available to stream with a subscription to the History Channel’s streaming platform, History Vault.

In most European and South American countries, you can find The French Connection on Disney Plus.