Skip to content
HOLLYWOOD METRICS
HomeAboutCraftNewsAnalyticsScriptsBooksPricingAPIMCP
Catalog/Drama/The Boost
The Boost poster
C
Average
MASTER SCORE 46.4 / 100
1988·Drama / Romance·1h 35m

THE BOOST

“Imagine having all the power, passion and pleasure money can buy. Now imagine losing them.”

Lenny Brown moves to California to find his fortune in tax shelter investments. When the federal government changes the tax laws, poor Lenny finds himself $700,000 in hock with nowhere to turn. His friend, Joel, introduces him to cocaine to give Lenny that needed "boost". What ensues next is a descent into drug addiction and insanity as Lenny tries to regain control of his life, all the while needing that extra "boost".

Above the Line
Harold Becker·DirectorDarryl Ponicsan·ScreenplayBen Stein·BookHoward Atherton·Director of PhotographyStanley Myers·Original Music ComposerMaury Winetrobe·Editor
Cast
James Woods·Lenny BrownSean Young·Linda BrownJohn Kapelos·Joel MillerSteven Hill·Max ShermanKelle Kerr·RochelleJohn Rothman·NedAmanda Blake·BarbaraGrace Zabriskie·SherylMarc Poppel·MarkFred McCarren·Tom
Full Crew
(26 credits)
Directing· 1
Harold Becker·Director
Writing· 2
Darryl Ponicsan·ScreenplayBen Stein·Book
Camera· 2
Howard Atherton·Director of PhotographyAlexander Witt·Camera Operator
Editing· 1
Maury Winetrobe·Editor
Sound & Music· 1
Stanley Myers·Original Music Composer
Art & Design· 8
Waldemar Kalinowski·Production DesignKenneth Hardy·Art DirectionSusan Becker·Costume DesignCindy Carr·Set DecorationDeborah Figuly·Key Makeup ArtistBill Myer·Special Effects Makeup ArtistJeanne Townsend·Makeup ArtistCinzia Zanetti·Makeup Artist
Production· 10
John Daly·Executive ProducerDerek Gibson·Executive ProducerJulia Phillips·Executive ProducerDaniel H. Blatt·ProducerHarold Becker·Co-Executive ProducerTerry Carr·Co-ProducerMel Howard·Co-ProducerThomas J. Mack·Associate ProducerDarryl Ponicsan·Co-Executive ProducerIlene Starger·Casting
Other Departments· 1
Donna Evans·Stunts
By the Numbers
46.4
OF 100
Master Score
6.1
OF 10
IMDb
40%
CRITICS
Rotten Tomatoes
$785K
ROI -90%
Worldwide Gross
0
Oscar Wins
Where to Watch

THE AVAILABILITY MAP

The canonical record of where this film lives across the streaming map.

Provider Index In Progress

Streaming, rental, and purchase availability for this title is being ingested from the TMDB watch-providers feed and will appear here once the next catalog refresh runs. Until then, the canonical source links below remain the fastest route.

Find on TMDB
Poster DNA

THE VISUAL DECONSTRUCTION

A bespoke vision agent's reading of the design language behind The Boost's key art.

Dominant Palette
3 colors
#A6110E
#2C1E1B
#D9D9D9
Mood
Tense, Dramatic, Serious
Composition
Split
Era
1980s
Visual Style
Photographic

“The poster features a split image with a man's profile on the left and a woman's face looking forward on the right, separated by a jagged, torn white paper reve”

dramathriller
Key Elements
Dollar Bills
Atmosphere
Warm
Color Mood
Mixed
Setting
None Visible
Design Score
7/10
More Like This

THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Neighboring films in the catalog's similarity graph.

Keep Going

THREE WAYS DEEPER

Auteur
AUT
MORE BY HAROLD BECKER

Every catalog entry where Harold Becker is credited as director.

Open
Family
GEN
MORE DRAMA

Top-ranked films inside drama, sorted by master score.

Open
Era
DEC
MORE FROM THE 1980S

The best films of the 1980s, ranked across every available metric.

Open
View on IMDbView on TMDBCatalog
HOLLYWOOD METRICS

The definitive mathematical oracle for cinematic success and creative script intelligence.

74,000+ Films100 Years1.1M+ Reviews
PRODUCT
  • Dashboard
  • Pricing
  • Script Analysis
  • Watch the Demo
  • The Red List
  • News
  • Analytics
  • API
  • MCP Connector
COMPANY
  • About
  • Track Record
  • Trust & Script Privacy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
CONNECT
  • ▶YouTube
  • ◉Instagram
  • ♪TikTok
  • @Threads
  • fFacebook
Get Started Free →
© 2026 Hollywood Metrics. All rights reserved.Powered by bespoke agents and autonomous agentic workflows