Traffic

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Traffic

R

2001

2h 27m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

225 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

A contemporary thriller set in the world of drug trafficking. Traffic evokes the high stakes and high risks of the drug trade, as seen through a series of interrelated stories, some of which are highly personal and some of which are filled with intrigue and danger.

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Critics Consensus

Soderbergh successfully pulls off the highly ambitious Traffic, a movie with three different stories and a very large cast. The issues of ethics are gray rather than black-and-white, with no clear-cut good guys. Terrific acting all around.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Sep 8, 2023

4/4

Soderbergh's film uses a level-headed approach. It watches, it observes, it does not do much editorializing. The hopelessness of anti-drug measures is brought home through practical scenarios, not speeches and messages -- except for a few.

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Stephen Holden

New York Times

Sep 8, 2023

Steven Soderbergh's great, despairing squall of a film, Traffic, may be the first Hollywood movie since Robert Altman's Nashville to infuse epic cinematic form with jittery new rhythms and a fresh, acid-washed palette.

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Stanley Kauffmann

The New Republic

Sep 8, 2023

Benicio Del Toro... has the film actor's state of grace: he charms while he acts, not by trying to charm.

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Matt Soergel

Florida Times-Union

Feb 18, 2026

4/4

Shot almost completely with handheld cameras, with Soderbergh himself at the controls most of the time, Traffic has some of the visceral pop that's largely been missing from movies since Pulp Fiction.

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Ed Bradley

Flint Journal

Feb 18, 2026

4/4

The answers aren't obvious, but it is clear that Soderbergh, who began 2000 with the much-praised Erin Brockovich, has ended it with a better film that is one of the year's finest.

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Noah Berlatsky

Splice Today

Feb 12, 2026

for all its technical virtuosity and noble intentions, the film is predictable, preachy, and tedious.

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Janav S

@TheCoolJ92781 3 days ago

It definitely is complex. I'm a big Soderbergh fan, and I loved how he used the different colors to showcase different narratives. Traffic is a masterpiece of hyperlink cinema (but does not beat Pulp Fiction). I just wish he had connected them more, especially Douglas and del Toro (no spoilers), otherwise I would give it 5 stars. But still an amazing movie!!!

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Mar 1, 2026

Success in 2 hours and 27 minutes. The winner of 2001 Academy Awards for Best Supporting Actor (Benicio Del Toro) and Best Director (Steven Soderbergh).

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Leprechaun K

@LeprechaunKing Dec 1, 2025

Screenplay was well written by Stephen Gaghan, which won the Oscar. However, the directing by Soderbergh was mediocre at best. Cinematography is non-existence (also done by Soderbergh). The movie has the look of a 90's cell phone video. It is still highly questionable on how this movie won Best Director at the Oscars (against Ridley Scott and Ang Lee). Soderbergh's skill as a visual storyteller is debatable. The movie has the look and feel of a TV movie. Some of the performances have a comedic tone and do not blend well with the overall theme. The ending is unsatisfying and seems forced.

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Jack F

@MovieFan111 Nov 19, 2025

Great cast, and a great movie. I don't know what else to say.

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kevenquinlan T

@RT75276071 Jun 24, 2025

Great Movie. Great cast. When Soderberg hits= he hits. Compelling stories and a great testament to the frivolity of the drug war. Even in 2025= still is relevant. Special shout's out to Cheadle and Benny. Why isn't Benny doing whiskey ads? Clothing ads? He's a debonair Mofo, hahaha.

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Max W

@RT65350549 Jun 16, 2025

Very nice watch. This seems a little like a predecessor to Sicario which was not afraid to give the audience what it wanted. Of course, not all stories can end with the good guys winning but this was somewhat disheartening.

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Steven Soderbergh

Director

Michael Douglas

Robert Wakefield

Don Cheadle

Montel Gordon

Benicio del Toro

Javier Rodriguez

Luis Guzmán

Ray Castro

Dennis Quaid

Arnie Metzger

Traffic: Official Clip - A Drug Bust Shootout

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Synopsis

A contemporary thriller set in the world of drug trafficking. Traffic evokes the high stakes and high risks of the drug trade, as seen through a series of interrelated stories, some of which are highly personal and some of which are filled with intrigue and danger.

Director: Steven Soderbergh
Producer: Laura Bickford, Marshall Herskovitz, Edward Zwick
Screenwriter: Simon Moore, Stephen Gaghan
Distributor: Criterion Collection, USA Films
Production Co: Initial Entertainment Group, USA Films, Bedford Falls Productions, Compulsion Inc.
Rating: R (Some Sexuality|Pervasive Drug Content|Strong Language|Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 5, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 10, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $124.1M
Runtime: 2h 27m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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