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A Most Wanted Man

A Most Wanted Man

2014
Suspense/Thriller
2h 2m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 51.24% from 1076 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(1076)
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Rated 27 Oct 2014
75
54th
The slow burn works except when it becomes listless. The pulse dries up and it grinds to a stop. Still, there is plenty to like from the general performances to the cinematography and the soundtrack. People often talk about how bad endings can derail an otherwise good movie, well here is a great ending that elevates an otherwise mediocre one.
Rated 01 Aug 2014
74
46th
Despite the film's low key tone, the story is compelling, if perhaps overtly anti-American (nothing wrong with that necessarily, just an observation). But the shining force here is, as always, Mr. Hoffman. I immensely enjoyed allowing his awesome acting prowess to sweep over me one last time. For two hours of my life it felt like we hadn't lost him.
Rated 07 Sep 2014
80
59th
Corbijn's directing isn't as sharp as The American, and the entire thing can feel like a compilation of all the different settings and postures in which Phil can smoke cigs. But there's some great scene chewing in this, by people who you don't mind. The accents are a bit distracting, but hey, gotta do what ya gotta do to make the setting work I guess. Robin Wright has found her own as the quintessential bitchcunt. And the ending is powerful, I could see Corbijn taking this gig just to direct it.
Rated 23 Sep 2014
8
78th
PSH out of breath after running just a few yards. I miss him already.
Rated 27 Jul 2014
61
17th
An unremarkable and unmemorable political thriller-drama with no stand-out scenes (unless they're borrowed from other superior films), hardly any characterisation, and easy sub-text. The anti-Americanism towards the end is hilarious given this has American actors playing Germans speaking English in German accents.
Rated 17 Sep 2014
95
94th
Full of quiet irony, with suspenseful moments - it's the most intelligent and satisfying film I've seen in a year, it's also one of the bravest ones. It touches all the issues you'd expect - fundamentalist islamists versus the day to day charitable practice of regular islam, competing visions of how intelligence should work, the chaos in our organisations, but is fundamentally about human betrayal. For me this quiet, miserable, gloomy flick was gloriously fulfilling - I left feeling euphoric.
Rated 04 Sep 2014
3
92nd
A film for adults, who don't expect to see typical spy thriller elements, supported by an intense soundtrack. A Most Wanted Man is about realism in the first place. In fact it feels so realistic at times, partly due to Corbijn's exquisite craftmanship, it feels as if one watches a real op in full effect. Yet again another powerhouse performance by the late P.S. Hoffman, what else is new. I didn't sit on the edge of my seat, rather it was slow burning, in a good way. AMWM is a gripping fine film.
Rated 21 Oct 2014
53
41st
All of its pleasures come from watching great actors do German accents. Hoffman just fills the rooms with his presence. And Hamburg looks wonderful. There's some obvious, plodding terrorist plot too, but I guess that goes with the territory.
Rated 14 Dec 2014
50
25th
The high caliber of actors in this one, like Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright and Willem Dafoe, really lured me in. And they were good - just not enough to make me care about what was going on, which wasn't much. It was slow and boring, and yeah, I just had no interest in the characters or the situation. The film was made well enough - it just wasn't for me.
Rated 08 Aug 2014
75
46th
This movie comes and goes in waves. One moment its gripping and excellent, the next moment its stagnant and boring. Hoffman gives for the most part a great understated performance in his last big screen appearance. Overall the story is intricate and compelling. I guess the main problem here is just Corbijn's directing. He made this film a little too montone and flat for my taste. Also the use of shaky cam was very annoying and largely felt unneeded.
Rated 27 Jul 2014
70
54th
At times tedious and slanted somewhat against the West, but intricate and well told. Not for action junkies.
Rated 14 Sep 2014
35
20th
Before you start filming make sure all the actors know if they are doing accents or not
Rated 05 Dec 2014
3
65th
Less action-packed than I had expected - not a bad thing though. I don't quite understand the english speaking cast forced to put on a german-ish accent instead of real german actors..? However, great performances all around. I am truly going to miss Seymour Hoffman. - Good.
Rated 21 Sep 2014
74
72nd
Pretty good film. There's not that much action throughout the film, and it does have some slow moments, but it's compelling all the way through. Great performances by the cast. Nicely created realistic and at times tense atmosphere. Really liked the ending scene.
Rated 04 Nov 2014
63
54th
Philip is so good at simple acting choices -- the way he smokes to actually try to breathe, the final shots with a loud FUCK in the street, the visit to his favorite bar after things went wrong -- that he truly elevates this. Like Jessica in ZDT, he plays a man-against-institution agent (here, a German one) that must be invisible, find sources and silently ask questions. And like Gary in TTSS, he embraces espionage's need to control chaos and fear -- something that even fiction can't do.
Rated 05 Nov 2014
68
60th
A subtle and well-driven thriller, dark and captivating in its low-key tone. Well acted, especially Hoffman in his last completed movie but lacks the dramatic high-points to make it a really good one.
Rated 18 Mar 2020
65
52nd
A decent if sometimes pedestrian thriller, A Most Wanted Man largely succeeds thanks to Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance and more-artistic-than-average direction from Anton Corbijn. I appreciated how its dealings with its themes is much more nuanced than one might expect, but because of that its pacing can lack more than occasionally.
Rated 21 Nov 2014
75
64th
Refreshing to see a counter-terrorism film not go in the direction you'd expect, or portray characters the government would like you to see. As usual, PSH was captivating.
Rated 27 Aug 2014
70
41st
Very dark, suspenseful and cerebral, which was pretty much what I expected. Normally when I watch Philip Seymour Hoffman films, he was the best thing in them, but his performance was very subdued this time around. The highlight was Willem Dafoe, who has become an even better character actor with age.
Rated 27 Aug 2014
82
78th
Part Chechen & Russian Issa Karpov illegally lands in Hamburg. Is he a terrorist or just a refugee tortured cause he was Muslim? It's Gunther Bachmann's job as German intelligence agent to find the truth & decide the right thing to do. Philip Seymour Hoffman is compelling in his last role, playing against naive young Anabelle Richter (Rachel McAdams) Issa's lawyer trying to protect his rights. Willem Dafoe is great as the conflicted German banker.
Rated 15 Aug 2014
79
48th
Another bleak Le Carre thriller, not on the level of TINKER TAILOR or THE SPY WHO CAME IN, but a compelling and intelligent tale regardless. A Chechen (Grigoriy Dobrygin) who has come illegally to Hamburg finds himself caught between a sympathetic lawyer (Rachel McAdams) and a weary spy (Philip Seymour Hoffman in his last leading role). Anton Corbijn's direction is undistinguished, but the script is solid, the cast does a good job, and the downbeat ending doesn't feel too sadistic.
Rated 17 Aug 2014
84
71st
A great movie about spying and a character study of a broken man whose optimism has been crushed by the necessities of his work, and who can no longer do anything but that, slowly relearning to hope before being crushed, utterly and for a final time. Le Carre is unique: a spy fiction writer who seems to hate spies and what their work entails, yet tenderly shows their humanity
Rated 24 Sep 2014
86
70th
An enthralling political thriller. It's lacking in complexity compared to most of Le Carre's work, yes, but it's utterly captivating nonetheless. Philip Seymour Hoffman's central performance is the film's crowning glory, and one scene of his in particular is outstandingly good.
Rated 24 Feb 2015
65
21st
Philip Seymour Hoffman is a bright spot in an otherwise mediocre movie.
Rated 13 Mar 2015
65
24th
It was alright, but marred by some serious over-acting on the part of PSH.
Rated 24 Dec 2014
70
77th
A Most Wanted Man is a fun spy thriller in an age where getting good spy movies is a rarity. It contains great work by Philip Seymour Hoffman in the leading role, it tells an interesting story that will keep you interested, and its on-location cinematography is often so gorgeous that you'll actually notice how pretty it is. It's not likely to capture your emotions, and it feels very similar to lots of other spy movies, but if you're in need of a spy movie fix, this one will satisfy that craving.
Rated 30 Nov 2014
62
36th
Could have been shorter..
Rated 28 Aug 2015
4
55th
Good golly, does this flick ever take its time to get to that inevitable conclusion.
Rated 17 Feb 2015
40
19th
While technically not bad, with good actors and all, it was really boring as hell.
Rated 22 Oct 2014
64
39th
It kinda plods along and the lame German accents are just, well, lame. Still worth a look at PSH doing what he did best. Not the ending I would have hoped for.
Rated 27 Aug 2018
70
73rd
Smart, dreadful and demanding. I like John le Carré, and this is a good attempt.
Rated 06 Jan 2015
75
26th
Exceptionally well-shot and Philip Seymour Hoffman is quite good, as he always was, but nothing you need to rush out and see.
Rated 27 Jun 2015
68
65th
Sharply written political thriller with a typical solid performance from Hoffman. However the subject matter itself leads to a fairly slow burn, and it will bore many to tears.
Rated 12 Jul 2015
75
30th
Excellent performances by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman and Rachel McAdams, but very gritty and depressing.
Rated 21 Apr 2015
84
77th
A solid, well made spy thriller.
Rated 01 Jul 2018
40
38th
Slow-cooked stereotypes in a Cold War atmosphere.
Rated 10 Jun 2015
82
76th
Well written, obviously from good source material, and expertly directed by Corbijn. Hoffman was superb, as usual.
Rated 20 Feb 2016
55
24th
I watched this movie two years ago, I remember kinda liking it and not much else. The fact that I even forgot to rate this tells me that it probably didn't impress me too much.
Rated 05 Sep 2015
49
9th
Intricate plot. Philip Seymour Hoffman is perfect in the lead role. Following the story takes concentration. I lost interest over time.
Rated 02 Aug 2015
70
64th
Contemplative political thriller with solid performances all round helmed by Hoffman.
Rated 01 Dec 2015
79
54th
I mostly wanted a good ending and I didn't get one. This movie made me miss Philip Seymour Hoffman. He did a great job as the burnt-out spy, just trying to make a difference in the war on terror. Of course, it doesn't help he has to deal with people like Rachel McAdams, that make his spy craft much harder by defending the people he's looking into. Willem Dafoe was also in this movie, but I'm not sure why he was. He didn't really have much to do that a unknown actor could have done...
Rated 01 Dec 2021
90
55th
I’m a sucker for anything with the late P. S. Hoffman, and terrorism and espionage. Hoffman, as usual, makes the character feel authentic, and is surrounded by an A-list cast who all serve to make this an enjoyable slow burn.
Rated 27 Feb 2016
53
68th
#16#, exp3, rw3, story, cast!
Rated 21 Sep 2014
76
43rd
With a stellar cast, respected director, high-concept plot and good production values, this film has no excuses for failing to deliver. The build-up is slow but precise and the intrigue largely works. But as it goes on, all dramatic conflicts resolve too quickly and easily - the script is a real damp squib. Furthermore, every character turns out lifeless and devoid of personality, or impenetrably guarded. Plus, why on earth did they go to the trouble of hiring Daniel Bruhl for this non-role?
Rated 16 Aug 2014
70
14th
Hoffman gives a fine performance filled with weariness, despair and a lot of cigarette smoking, and Wright and Dafoe provide good support. But McAdams is a big pretty hole in the movie screen as usual, and Corbijn's direction is aimless and cannot be saved by the lackluster editing.
Rated 22 Aug 2016
66
74th
John Le Carre plots are a little too involved, a little too convoluted and dense to transfer over to movies. You need a miniseries with the time to allow each plot development to unfold at a natural pace. Otherwise you get something that feels overcrammed, like this. That said, P.S.H.'s great performance carries this film.
Rated 31 Aug 2015
71
50th
This film happily opens fire at the single-term, result driven diplomatic landscape, one that used to be painted with a classical long-game, strategic brush. Hoffman gets away with a pretty believable Merkel impression throughout.
Rated 27 Apr 2019
30
5th
John Le Carré adaptions sure are slow, although I found something to enjoy in Tinker Tailor. A Most Wanted Man is smart and subtle. A bit too subtle, as it feels like it’s aiming to be as unengaging as possible, aside from the admirably ballsy ending. The acting is good, and die hard fans of Spy Thrillers may want to check it out. It’s just a genre that I’m picky with, and this does little to stand out from the crowd.
Rated 23 Oct 2014
65
43rd
Forgettable.
Rated 10 Sep 2016
30
12th
Based on this and THE AMERICAN, this filmmaker seems to specialise in "thrillers" that try to conceal their clichés and conventionality behind a cunning cloak of dreariness and tedium. Some of the dialogue was plain bad. Most of it, actually.
Rated 31 Dec 2016
71
23rd
have seen it, but didn't like it, neither understood
Rated 20 Jan 2015
68
62nd
Not great, but worth seeing for Philip Seymour Hoffman alone.
Rated 10 Oct 2016
78
69th
Like much of Le Carre's work, you have to accept that it's not going to move very fast until the denoument. You just need to wallow in the characters and the actors, and let the plot develop. Corbijn's direction is a class in atmosphere. Just the sound of PSH's wheezy breathing is so evocative.
Rated 02 Aug 2015
66
50th
It's a little slow, but it brings a fresh angle to the spy thriller genre. A typically fantastic performance by PSH--a sad reminder of what we've lost.
Rated 26 Jul 2014
40
35th
One of Philip Seymour Hoffman's final acting turns, A Most Wanted Man, is a mature, measured look at the modern cloak-and-dagger trade in which the primary weapons are surveillance cameras and James Bond is nowhere to be seen. It's a subtle, sometimes slow tale, one in which the most exciting, nerve-wracking scene involves nothing more than the signing of a sheet of paper. (pluggedin.com)
Rated 27 Jan 2015
65
65th
Why Rachel McAdams?
Rated 18 Nov 2019
50
35th
eng; [a most wanted man]; ein tschetschenischer muslim flieht nach hamburg, wo er von verschiedenen anti-terror organisationen erwartet wird - jede mit eigener agenda.; (tragender realismus im film);
Rated 02 Jul 2016
80
68th
2 Juliol 2016 - El Hoffman és gran part de la pel·lícula, fa entrar completament en el lloc i la situació; té gestos gens convencionals que fan molt més vives les típiques converses de pel·lícules d'espies. No han calgut trets per no avorrir. Sembla creïble la lluita entre les diverses forces per dominar. Dramàtica però molt mesuradament, sense excedir-se. L'escena final m'ha impactat. Coses llegides: que es posin d'acord sobre si fer accents o no; no hi ha totalment bons ni dolents
Rated 09 Sep 2015
86
62nd
Amazing acting, a tight,smart political thriller really kept me interested and enthralled. BUT, it is very slow, even for a political thriller, which means this movie isn't for everyone. For me, I could listen to Hoffman read a phone book and be enthralled and this is one of his best (and last) performances in years.
Rated 05 Feb 2015
80
75th
In the right hands, Le Carré's work often translates well onto celluloid. Corbijn has proven to be the right man for the job, keeping a firm grip on the pace and emotion in the film; the final 30 minutes in particular are very well put together.
Rated 13 Apr 2015
56
49th
The last film starring the man who made heroin classy again - Philip Seymour Hoffman. It's rather small spy/war on terror movie, that lacks ambition to be really memorable. It passes the time, but you're in no loss if you skip it altogether.
Rated 03 May 2020
79
75th
One last time of damn good acting by Hoffman. Movie was beautiful slow, love it. Nice to see Dafoe and Wright in it to.
Rated 18 Mar 2020
50
35th
I liked Seymour Hoffman and Dafoe. It was a good movie, but there was something about it that made it forgettable. Maybe it was a lack of action or pace that most spy thrillers have.
Rated 08 Mar 2015
65
73rd
Fairly good spy film.
Rated 02 Mar 2018
66
18th
This film has a good ensemble cast. The pace of the film is really slow with many boring scenes. A more exciting script would have made for a better movie.
Rated 19 Mar 2024
54
14th
It’s a spy thriller. Except it’s not very thrilling. No, I wasn’t expecting a James Bond or Jason Bourne situation where it would be wall-to-wall action. This is mostly just people in suits talking about money laundering or something. And I’m okay with that. But it’s just that the plot moves so damn slowly. It’s not great, but I guess recommended for fans of Phillip Seymour Hoffman or John le Carre.
Rated 02 Jan 2016
69
55th
Kind of felt like a tv show...a spy thriller but with stakes that seem lower than usual. Which is fine, but it did move in pretty much a straight line and didn't have much exciting to say in its characters or story. Hoffmans accent and general demeanour were awesome though
Rated 19 Jun 2015
73
39th
A lot of surfaces to scratch here.
Rated 08 Nov 2014
59
15th
This is a languidly told, yet mostly straightforward tale. McAdams is miscast while Wright caricatures her own "Claire Underwood", but the earnestly modest pursuit of Hoffman's "Günther" to make a safer world is skillfully acted and what easily could've come off as simply aloof & calculating is actually humanistic & relatable. Sadly, it all headed for a merely ok ending, took a turn toward the cliche, then--due to what amounts to little more than a deus ex machina--settled on being simply silly.
Rated 29 May 2015
71
44th
A Most Wanted Man was interesting, but ultimately not overly entertaining or thrilling
Rated 08 Dec 2014
80
55th
The Rachel McAdams character is unrealistically naive (I'm also reasonably sure that hiding a client from a government agency would be a serious ethical violation for a lawyer). Apart from that this is a very good movie.
Rated 23 Nov 2014
86
23rd
not bad! not as amazing/action as most spy movies! even it is very slow, emotional and drama than action or thriller.
Rated 24 Oct 2014
78
33rd
Run of the mill dry political thriller. P Hoff killed it though and kind of interesting to see him in such a dark role for his final film.
Rated 20 Aug 2014
100
51st
a good movie
Rated 16 Aug 2015
76
25th
Good acting. PSH is great, as always. Ultimately boring story, unengaging characters. Underwhelming dénouement.
Rated 24 Nov 2014
80
80th
Everyone does their job well enough, but the end result is a pretty lacklustre affair, for the most part. PSH was good, as always, but all the Hollywood actors running around speaking English with a funny accent was distracting.
Rated 26 Oct 2014
70
50th
What else than decent filmmaking of a more than decent cinema- and photographer. But it's Hoffman who carries the film. What a shame that A Most Waned Man will be his last feat of arms.
Rated 19 Jan 2015
66
59th
Not the most original or surprising story if you're familiar with Le Carré, but it is expertly made (except for a few early, clumsy exposition dumps), beautifully shot and stays confidently low-key and character-focused throughout. Anchored by an award-worthy lead performance from Hoffman, reminding the viewer what a true loss all movie lovers have suffered. Not quite up to the quality of the recent, excellent Tinker Tailor adaptation, but not miles from it either.
Rated 04 Feb 2015
52
37th
It's not bad acting as such. Just annoying characters in a dull movie.
Rated 02 Jan 2020
70
32nd
Even if Le Carre's story seems to be a bit too nuanced and subtle to work completely well as a film, it is still easy to appreciate the melancholic and meditative tone of the film.
Rated 21 Jun 2015
74
63rd
A good, though plodding, political thriller that doesn't reinvent the wheel but is anchored by Philip Seymour Hoffman's last performance. It's a reminder of how much of a force he was, and the hole he left behind.
Rated 17 Aug 2014
90
81st
A modern-day study of terrorism and intelligence-gathering that is as understated as it is dishearteningly pertinent, Anton Corbijn's slow-burning procedural ends on a note that acutely reflects how we feel about it being the bitter end of Hoffman's career.

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