25th Hour (2002)

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The 25th Hour depicts the last day of freedom for a young man before he begins serving a seven-year jail term for drug dealing. Prowling through the city until dawn with his two close male friends and his girlfriend, he is forced to re-examine his life and how he got himself into his predicament, which leads to a shocking, disturbing finale. (imdb)

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Directed By: Spike Lee

Written By: David Benioff

Starring: Brian Cox, Rosario Dawson, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Anna Paquin, Edward Norton, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Barry Pepper, Tony Devon, Vanessa Ferlito, Levan Uchaneishvili, Michael Genet, Tony Siragusa

Genre: Drama

Country: USA

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25th Hour belongs to 54 collections

1. Roger Ebert: Great Movies (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 80 stars)

2. 21st Century Top 250 (collaborative: moderated by dardan - 49 stars)

3. Jonathan Rosenbaum's Top 1000 Movies (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 38 stars)

4. 24 hour (or less) timeframe (collaborative: moderated by djross - 24 stars)

5. Based on a Book (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 21 stars)

6. They Shoot Pictures' Recommended Viewing (collaborative: moderated by Cinephile - 19 stars)

7. Drugs (collaborative: moderated by iconogassed - 16 stars)

8. Films available in HD (collaborative: moderated by kubricksucks - 13 stars)

9. Doubling The Canon (collaborative - 13 stars)

10. New York (collaborative: moderated by djross - 10 stars)

11. Cinema Discusso Yearly Consensus (2008) (public: PeaceAnarchy - 10 stars)

12. Based On Novel (collaborative: moderated by tathiel - 7 stars)

13. Skandies (collaborative: moderated by toro913 - 7 stars)

14. TSPDT 21st Century's Top 250 Most Acclaimed Films (2010) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 6 stars)

15. List: Taschen (collaborative: moderated by KasperL - 6 stars)

16. TSPDT 21st Century's Top 250 Most Acclaimed Films (2012) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 6 stars)

17. Positive Psychology Films (collaborative - 6 stars)

18. Cinemag's 100 Greatest Movies of the '00s (collaborative: moderated by hristos - 5 stars)

19. Doubling The Canon (2010 update) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 5 stars)

20. Classic CHUD: 100 Movies That Deserve More Love (collaborative: moderated by tinysausage - 5 stars)

21. The AV Club Best Films of the '00s (public: TychoCelchuu - 5 stars)

22. Top 3000 movies with the most votes on IMDb (public: fanfic - 5 stars)

23. cultfilms (public: medium123 - 4 stars)

24. Roger Ebert's 4-Star Movies (collaborative: moderated by KirkJiggler - 3 stars)

25. Aughties Films to See (public: theficionado - 3 stars)

26. Terrific 'Dialogue-Heavy' Films (public: nicolino - 3 stars)

27. TSPDT 21st Century's Top 250 Most Acclaimed Films (2011) (collaborative: moderated by PeaceAnarchy - 2 stars)

28. father-son relationship (collaborative: moderated by livelove - 2 stars)

29. Top 2000 movies with the most votes on IMDb (public: fanfic - 2 stars)

30. my DVDs (collaborative: moderated by Jeb - 1 star)

31. Doubling the Canon (2011 update) (collaborative: moderated by MMAlpha - 1 star)

32. BBC 100 Greatest American Films (collaborative: moderated by jeff_v - 1 star)

33. depressing (collaborative: moderated by livelove - 1 star)

34. film puanlamalarım (collaborative - 1 star)

35. BBC's The 21st Century's 100 Greatest Films (collaborative: moderated by jeff_h - 1 star)

36. Availability: Disney+ and Star Canada (collaborative: moderated by geohawk - 1 star)

37. African-American director (collaborative: moderated by djross - 1 star)

38. Ölmeden Önce İzlenesi (public: Ozancan - 1 star)

39. Metacritic - Generally Favorable Reviews (collaborative: moderated by sengir)

40. NOT YET WATCHED (collaborative: moderated by atoerk)

41. Want to see (collaborative: moderated by veeqdee)

42. Main character is a drug dealer (collaborative: moderated by nauru)

43. Nick Wechsler (producer) (collaborative: moderated by Ag0stoMesmer)

44. Slate: The Black Film Canon (collaborative: moderated by trippingly)

45. Black Reel Award for Outstanding Film Nominees and Winners (collaborative: moderated by Roman_Herbom)

46. My DVDs (public: Kavu)

47. 2002: Year in Review (public: polanski28)

48. Filmspotting Ratings Project: Week 23 (public: PeaceAnarchy)

49. BF-2000 (public: caffe)

50. Bakış Büyüteci (public: Ozancan)

51. My Movie Collection (public: elhenzo)

52. REWATCH (public: AFlickering)

53. My Movies (public: mikemyers)

54. must watch (public: gintokidai)

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All Ratings | With Reviews

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TCI | Percentile | Date Rated | # Stars (Reviews)

Stars	User	Rating
7	nauru	95 _99th
Movies like this are incredibly difficult to make well, and normally they end up being so horribly horribly boring (just some actors talking to each other and not really doing anything). That's why 25th hour is so amazing -- it somehow avoids the pitfalls of terrible navel-gazing dramas (ie. Babel, Lost in Translation) and instead keeps things interesting the entire time. So much nuance, so much to look at and listen to. Definitely Norton's best film.
4	MartinTeller	57 _14th
This is just too all over the place as Lee tries to cram too many ideas into one movie, and subsequently fails to adequately develop any of them.
4	Paxton	79 _85th
A list of scenes I've just barely watched less times than the final speech Brian Cox delivers in this film: the circular glass explosion from the first Matrix, Tom Atkins' speech from Night of the Creeps, any youtube clip of Good Will Hunting, Sharon Stone's chair swivel in Basic Instinct, the To The Pain speech from Princess Bride, Bill Murray's response to "Is this true?" in Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones dealing with getting shot. Scenes I've watched more: Alec Baldwin in Glengarry Glen Ross.
3	leshii	79 _75th
Before it spirals totally out of control at the end in a way that I don't even think Spike Lee intended, this is a tight, smart movie about three friends and the very different paths their lives have taken.
3	Pickpocket	7 _68th
One of Spike Lee's best movies (not saying much). Edward Norton's monologue is great and the rest of the cast is superb. Cool ending and PSH is awesome.
3	Alex Watkins	4 _70th
Something about this movie has stuck with me ever since I watched it. It does a great job of creating a moody, subdued atmosphere - the resigned nature of Brogan and his ultimate fate is communicated through scenes of banal conversation, or unsuccessful attempts to have fun, and it really drew me in. Lee tries to cover a lot of ground, but mostly the focus is on Brogan and his regrets. But I still can't wholly put into words what I loved about this.
3	frederic_g54	9 _90th
(after repeat viewings) A solid film about failure and regret, and the reminder of a life that could have been. Great script and the performances are strong across the board. One of Spike's best.
3	Ocelot	85 _94th
Roger Ebert, in his review of Fargo: "movies like Fargo are the reason I love movies." I'm going to borrow that quote but replace Fargo with 25th Hour. This is both an impeccable snapshot of America at a cultural crossroads and a moving, poignant human drama. MartinTeller says there are too many ideas, but I think there's really just one: This is a movie about hindsight. Failure, loss, betrayal and wasted potential, in all their forms; and how the future is only clear when it's already too late.
3	juntakinte99	95 _90th
There's a great scene near the end of Malcolm X where the hero floats through the streets and talks with people all while contemplating his life. This film is Spike Lee extending that moment for two hours. Credit goes to the actors for nailing the anger that comes with impending doom. It's also a faithful adaptation to the David Benioff novel, which itself resembles a screenplay. And the ending uses elegiac music and editing perfectly. A classic and one of the best films of the 21st century.
2	TripleSH	92 _95th
A powerful story about friendship, relationships, family, and a score of other parts of the human drama. Acted masterfully with some really memorable scenes. It's hard to pick out who shines the most in this cast, as all of the major actors deliver.
2	Moribunny	38 _23rd
Norton quietly drudges through a sentimental, yet bland and unaffecting main story only faintly echoing "The Last Detail", and Hoffman gets an inconsequential subplot that doesn't mesh and fades from memory by the film's bullshit ending. Many years later, David Benioff would co-author the ruination of whatever "Game of Thrones" had going for it. The seeds of his mediocrity are already evident in "The 25th Hour".
2	Zerial	86 _96th
Fantastic look into a drama filled day in the life. Captivating.
2	bedirhankara	91 _97th
This life came so close to never happening.
2	jmarkthespot	95 _98th
My favorite novel all time. Best ending ever, both on film and on page. All the cast is great - it's just a personal favorite that I hope others enjoy as well.
2	SpikyCactus	75 _64th
Top badass moment? Aw, poor doggie. Fortunately, even drug dealers have a soft side and it certainly balances up all the bad press they get. I bet they’re all lentil eating, tree hugging vegans too. Selling drugs is just their way of punishing people for not being perfect, like they are. So anyway, who can tell me if all Americans get 24 hours to party before they go to jail? Edward Norton (the inventor of anti-virus software and the motorbike) does. No cats, chainsaws or decapitations.
1	Magb	75 _50th
Lee tries to do a lot of different things at the same time here, and opinions over whether he succeeds are, unsurprisingly, split. Personally I think the core of the movie is strong enough to keep the various strands reasonably well together, but there's no doubt that some restraint and focus would've gone a long way here. Could've been less preachy, also. Definitely worth seeing, though.
1	whomperize	67 _59th
I like the movie a fair bit, but either you'll like the way it drags or you won't. I didn't, but I was still interested in the directing and the story.
1	robe	80 _84th
Better than expected.
1	ozymandius10	89 _97th
Amazing work all around. The movie looks phenomenal. Norton, Dawson and Cox all turn in great performances. Easily my favorite work from Spike Lee.
1	HalfJapanese	80 _61st
A great film that exceeds the novel upon which it is based.
1	Bojangles	80 _91st
The desert's for startin over...
1	AFlickering	2 _19th
not sure why you'd watch New York, September 10th (cue the funereal strings, ALL of them) when you could be watching Oslo, August 31st or that other NY movie about anna paquin getting with her english teacher (that particular scene might be better in this movie i guess), both of which have the advantage of not being hideously overripe in every way. yall notice how the second monologue cleverly contrasts with the first, or how norton at the end is the dog at the beginning? sheeeeeeeeit
1	Skenkere	75 _71st
Ed Norton's always pretty awesome. It's well acted by basically everyone, especially Norton and Cox, and there really are some great little monologues in here. My only problem with it is that it's a bit all over the place, and kinda wanders around instead of staying focused.
1	Stain	80 _68th
Spike Lee gets his groove back. Well-done drama about believable human beings that try to laugh in the face of impending doom
1	brando814	96 _95th
About as good an adaptation of a novel as I've ever seen, the film is bursting with regret and redemption just as the novel seethed with it. I really loved it.
1	Mini-T	92 _94th
Do I have to say I'm a Edward Norton-fan ? A film not like any other , where there are made 13 in a dozen. Spike Lee did a good job , some scene's will be remebered ( Fuck You-speech )
1	Icarus	91 _91st
This film is all about mood. Lee beautifully weaves together the subdued atmosphere of post-9/11 NYC with the trepidation over Monty's imprisonment, at once looking backward and forward, everything shaded by melancholy. That Monty finds some glimmer of hope in his dim future mirrors the hope we find in NYC through the diverse population of the city. It's easy to point the finger of blame outward, but with the world in such an uncertain place, our best bet is to suck it up and persevere.
1	guddibi	95 _98th
It's in my top-10 list of the best movies.
1	infamous639	100 _87th
Spike Lee's finest hour, a heartbreaking, powerful, moving, and riveting picture that packs a whallop. A devastastingly sad dilemma that ends in a night that will change the lives of all it affects. Edward Norton's finest most mature performance. Unforgettable.
1	andayb	65 _68th
lee crafts a compelling story, conveniently confined in a day, to convey the whole lives of three friends, and the city that made them who they are. aside from the jittery editing, everything seems to click, the chemistry of the leads is good and lee manages to deliver what he intended to deliver. it's a raw, subdued ordeal and not a hollywood drama that one might expect.
1	paulofilmo	24 _2nd
I liked nothing about this film. The direction is terrible. The script is terrible. The acting is terrible. The music is fucking baffling. Lord this film is cheesy. A pain to watch.
1	Vandelay1	80 _89th
Nice Movie
1	Neonman	95 _97th
Somehow successfully marries slick direction with serious post-9/11 content. There's at least a handful of really memorable scenes. UPDATE [15/2/19] This film has nothing but memorable scenes. It's fantastically written, acted, edited, and everything, and is a compelling watch for its 'last day' concept. Scenes like the one overlooking ground zero must have been so arresting to see when this was released.
1	eric-jan	80 _87th
"Yeah, fuck you, too. Fuck me? Fuck you, Fuck you and this whole city and everyone in it. Fuck the panhandlers, grubbing for money, and smiling at me behind my back. Fuck the squeegee men dirtying up the clean windshield of my car - get a fucking job! Fuck the Sikhs and the Pakistanis bombing down the avenues in decrepit cabs, curry steaming out their pores stinking up my day. Terrorists in fucking training. SLOW THE FUCK DOWN! (...)" -in my top movie quotes top 10. GREAT MOVIE.1 word.Norton
1	WWallce4prez	90 _95th
25th Hour is a succinct and moving film about consequence. The things we do have consequences, both good and bad. Every character has this realization at one moment or another, and its a gripping to see how each unfolds. Some brilliant scenes pepper a finely crafted film with knock out performances from the three leads.
1	omgfridge	8 _80th
Found this Spike Lee joint to be highly engaging and well acted. Coherence in the story may jump around at times but its forgiven as at times everything ironically feels so well fitted.
1	paniskalpel	94 _99th
"Fuck the priests who put their hands down some innocent child's pants. Fuck the church that protects them, delivering us into evil. And while you're at it, fuck JC! He got off easy! A day on the cross, a weekend in hell, and all the hallelujahs of the legioned angels for eternity! Try seven years in fuckin Otisville, Jay!" ;]
1	Judge Holden	2 _15th
I don't like Spike Lee and I consider this his second worst movie (after Summer of Sam). The direction is terrible, the characters are obnoxious, and the story is cheesy and cliched. Also, Norton's monologue is one of the worst things I've ever had to sit through.
1	nalmpt	100 _99th
Probably one of my top 3 favourite movies of all time. I saw it 7 or 8 years ago and I watched again last night. It's so powerful, Edward Norton is perfect, but all the cast is also amazing. I can't recommend this movie enough.
1	DavidBlast	70 _65th
The story is comprised of several subplots that have little to do with each other, other than they in a thematic sense deal with loss, longing, anger and despair. '25th hour' is extremely unfocused, which is somehow that strangely befitting for a post-9/11 movie. It is almost as if Spike Lee felt that he needed to say something, even though he wasn't ready to talk about it, and this makes for a strange but never irrelevant experience.
1	jeff_v	86 _96th
I've waited patiently for Lee to knock another one out of the park, and he put it all together here in this study of loss (both on the micro --a man sees his potential snuffed due to his own mistakes, and macro --this is the first fiction film to directly address and live with 9/11) scale) and responsibility in present-day New York City.
1	Rufam	85 _93rd
Director Lee and writer Benioff often tend to push things to excess - in terms of story and dialogue as well as visually. It's a hit-or-miss affair and it works most of the times. There are some truly amazing moments: the scene at the mirror, the monologue from Brian Cox at the end and about everything involving Philip Seymour Hoffman. The characters are realistic and convincing, thanks to an outstanding ensemble cast: Norton, Hoffman and Pepper are all in top form.
1	boofasten	93 _98th
Fantastic.
1	hellboy76	75 _92nd
Script loses its way at times, but the whole thing is held together by the magnetic cast.
1	lazynick	99 _85th
My favorite Spike Lee movie. I love when a movie with no expectations completely blows you away.
1	snallygaster	87 _95th
Early in my second viewing I was sure I'd be downgrading this one significantly, as the unnaturalistic dialogue clashed with how I remembered the film. But it's all in service of an incredibly moving final act. It's not without its flaws; there are some questionable editing choices and I'm not totally on board with some of the performances, but the end result is a solid top-100 for me.
1	maakal	85 _90th
This deserves to be a lot more loved than it is. Edward Norton's first-person rant is astounding.
1	CMonster	80 _69th
It's good up to a point. Then the writing gets in the way. The story is good, but some of the dialogue is over long and some of the dialogue feels like some pretentious short story look-at-how-unique-my-writing-is bullshit that isn't all that unique because it's used in many short stories. I don't not include the bathroom monologue which was great. Everything else was fantastic and made this movie well worth the watch.
1	TashaT	80 _90th
I thought this movie had one of the best endings I have seen. I also liked that it stayed quite true to the book.
1	isaboojum	3 _59th
Well, it's hard out there for a man.
1	myfavchords	88 _93rd
Edward Norton gives another great performance in this film. Rosario Dawson and Phillip Seymour Hoffman are also great in this film. The story is good quality and the ending is interesting.
1	msdstc	88 _91st
Spike Lee and Ed Norton at the top of their game. Amazing scene in the bathroom.
1	LookJabba...	6 _41st
25th Hour is one of my preferred Spike Lee films, but he is a filmmaker who's work I struggle to enjoy. There are undeniable moments of brilliance and for the most part the overall look and feel of the film is impressive. But some of the editing in particular is dreadful and it took me out of the experience. Plot wise it's all over the place and it seems to just wander off with itself. But 25th Hour is elevated by the stellar performances of Norton, Seymour Hoffman, Pepper, Dawson & Cox.
1	jnydam	69 _60th
I find this a very overrated film. I think the acting is very strong but the story is meandering and self indulgent and a little bit ridiculous. There is something odd about a movie so focused on boo hooing a drug dealer living a posh life getting busted for drugs. Equally misplaced were his friends from childhood who seem completely disconnected from his life of crime. Amazing acting in a pointless film without direction
1	satsujin	6 _10th
Horrible. Dragged on endlessly and was really boring.
1	Yiannos	75 _84th
A compelling and honest look at the themes of regret and consequence, Spike Lee presents us with a sobering account of the last 25 hours of freedom in the life of a young man, played brilliantly by Norton, who struggles to accept his fate while tying up loose ends in the final moments leading up to his incarceration. Not all the story elements cohere, and some of the editing choices are distracting, but the performances are great and Lee proves that he can function effectively against type.
1	backwardsuit	83 _86th
The script is huge mess but captures a sense of impending doom and helplessness with striking power. In a way it's the ultimate post 9/11 movie.
1	Armilio	70 _63rd
Very hard to judge. Great idea, great characters, sparks of great dialogs, but sometimes it falls off in the uncanny valley of unnatural dialogs. It keeps it realistic for all its length, showing what the last hours as a free man can look like - the friends, the girlfriend, the father - but then it ends with a long anti-climatic dream sequence. Lee gets in his own way showing off with unneeded frenetic editing, but still gives his touch to a script that could have been filmed in a bland way.
1	Monisit	79 _62nd
I wish this had a stronger more focused script - and maybe a bit better direction. Lee's style seems to be exaggerated here, with some weird editing choices. It doesn't feel like it had much focus, it had some fantastic scenes in it, but it could have been tighter. The story elements don't seem to be wrapped up and sometimes it even feels like it wanders a bit. It still has some excellent moments don't get me wrong, but could have been something even better.
1	kito1	60 _48th
The greatest trick Spike Lee ever pulled, was making me expect a great reveal at the end of this film. Nonetheless, the ride was quite enjoyable.
1	Mist600	86 _72nd
BACK-FILLING WHOLE LOT OF FILMS NOT SEEN FOR A LONG, LONG TIME -> Recall/Scores may be 20-30% off. Not at all offended, grateful actually, if anyone wants 2 drop me a cordial msg if think memory dulled a gem or gave a rosy tint to a clunker. IE. Tell me WHY I am wrong & what U think I should've scored. Love film chat/debate
1	peyrin	75 _69th
Prob the best of Spike's apolitical mainstream joints so far. Unsurprisingly, PSH stole the show.
1	edward	90 _81st
This isn't really a departure from the Norton typecast actor--the unlikely protagonist who's always trying to find the moral solution. No, this film definitely comes with a moral position. However, this is certainly the best script he's had to work with as well as one of the best performances he's given.
1	BruhCringe	66 _41st
Оценка - 67 Общая - 62 Нарратив - 6 Сценарий - 8 Постановка - 6 Целостность - 5.5 Монтаж - 5 Выполнение своей цели - 6 Флоу - 5.5 Личное - 6.5 Атмосфера - 6.5 Эмоции - 5 Актерская игра - 6 Саундтрек - 6 Синематографи - 6 Визуал - 6.5 Звук - 5.5 Продакшн дизайн - 6.5 Костюмы - 7.5 Настроение - 1
1	YSinq	72 _66th
+monologue +Brian Cox
1	MargusTa	63 _50th
Very surprising movie from Spike Lee. My respect to him is back again. Supported by pretty good script from Benioff and talented actors, this movie had a all elements to be something great. But for me its a bit boring.

Average Percentile 62.59% from 5292 Ratings