A Most Wanted Man | Rotten Tomatoes

A Most Wanted Man

R

Released Aug 1, 2014

2h 1m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

86%

Tomatometer

197 Reviews

65%

Audience Score

25,000+ Ratings

An escaped militant's (Grigoriy Dobrygin) attempt to claim an inheritance gives a German agent (Philip Seymour Hoffman) the chance to lay a trap for a well-regarded Muslim scholar who is suspected of financing terrorists.

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Critics Consensus

Smart, subtle, and steadily absorbing, A Most Wanted Man proves once again that John le Carre books make for sharp, thoughtful thrillers.

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Gary Thompson

Philadelphia Inquirer

Hoffman's an actor who could do just about anything, but being authentically German is not one of them.

Jan 5, 2015

Full Review

Dana Stevens

Slate

One of the countless sad things about losing Hoffman is the realization that we'll never get to watch him single-handedly elevate an otherwise OK movie again.

Jan 5, 2015

Full Review

Eric Kohn

indieWire

"A Most Wanted Man" allows Hoffman to go out with not only one of his best performances, but one that epitomizes his strengths.

Rated: B+

Jan 5, 2015

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

It’s compelling stuff – crisp and razor sharp.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 19, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The story reveals an overarching theme about the current, pointedly American, post-9/11 approach to spy games, and the more intricate, more persistent, perhaps specifically European alternative.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 5, 2022

Full Review

Jonah Koslofsky

The Spool

A Most Wanted Man is about as drab as it is inessential.

Jun 4, 2021

Full Review

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Jim R

This was an awful movie. Bad accents, slow burn that never really lit, and no reason to truly care for the characters. Do not waste your time.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/19/24

Full Review

Alec C

In the world of espionage, the line between terrorist and turn-coat is very hard to deduce! As Russian spy Gunther Bachmann attempts to recruit informants for terrorist group, the emergence of an enigmatic refugee spurs multiple agencies to find him, he attempts to find him first so that he can go after the bigger fish. A timely story of the paranoia in a world of secrets and lies, as things are not always as they appear!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/14/24

Full Review

James L

A thought provoking drama that stayed with me. Great performances throughout.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/10/24

Full Review

Alec B

The film alternates between interesting and predictable but it thankfully swings more in favor of the former, especially in the ending. The oppressively dull modern architecture that seems to haunt every scene is especially fitting for a Le Carre adaptation and Hoffman's so good it will just end up depressing you.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

11/10/23

Full Review

Thomas V

It is interesting in that this was Phillip Seymour Hoffman's last role and only British accent that I am aware of. Unfortunately, this was not one of his best roles. His acting was there but the story dragged on so much that I find it difficult to keep my attention on this movie. That is why I am giving it a solid 5/10. Definitely watchable but I hoped for much more.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/10/23

Full Review

Matthew P

What a horrible swan song for an American treasure. Dreary, pretentious, slow, unfulfilling, and far less complicated than it presumes to be.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/04/23

Full Review

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Anton Corbijn

Director

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Gunter Bachmann

Rachel McAdams

Annabel Richter

Grigoriy Dobrygin

Issa Karpov

Willem Dafoe

Tommy Brue

Robin Wright

Martha Sullivan

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Synopsis

An escaped militant's (Grigoriy Dobrygin) attempt to claim an inheritance gives a German agent (Philip Seymour Hoffman) the chance to lay a trap for a well-regarded Muslim scholar who is suspected of financing terrorists.

Director: Anton Corbijn
Producer: Stephen Cornwell, Gail Egan, Malte Grunert, Simon Cornwell, Andrea Calderwood
Screenwriter: Andrew Bovell
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Production Co: Potboiler Productions, The Ink Factory, Amusement Park Films
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 1, 2014, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $17.2M
Runtime: 2h 1m

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