Murder by Numbers

R

Released Apr 19, 2002

2h 0m

Mystery & Thriller

List

30%

128 Reviews

Tomatometer

49%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

The body of a young woman is found in a ditch in the woods of the small California coastal town of San Benito. A tenacious homicide detective (Sandra Bullock) and her new partner (Ben Chaplin) uncover a trail of shrewdly concealed evidence that links two brilliant young men (Ryan Gosling), (Michael Pitt) to a murder.

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Critics Consensus

A predictable police procedural that works better as a character study rather than a thriller.

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Lanfranco C

Sad description of an unhetical world.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/24

Full Review

Simon T

Incredibly tedious non-thriller with literally no surprises or plot twists and an early appearance by Ryan Gosling. How on earth was such a bad screenplay greenlit? Sandra Bullock plays a sexually damaged cop put on a murder case where all clues lead to the actual culprits. It goes nowhere at very great length.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/04/24

Full Review

corinne f

I actually really loved this movie. Great characters and performances, with a surprisingly deep back story for Sandra Bullock.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/03/24

Full Review

Richard D

It's a standard Police tv show episode made into two hours. But way less charm than any criminal minds or CSI episode you have seen. The actors are huge but the camera work is as bland as it can be. The name of the film has nothing to do with the film itself, or it's just referring to the script for how unimaginative the characters are.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/03/24

Full Review

TorQue M

I think this movie is very underrated. I remember watching it closer to when it first released, and not thinking much of it, but I just finished watching it (December 10, 2023) and it is way better than I remember. I find it interesting that the general consensus is that it is predictable, because the murderers are revealed in the opening few scenes. I feel like the ending while not being a twist, was certainly well put together and satisfying. Also, the back story for Bullock's detective is absolutely brilliant, and one I haven't seen before or since. Definitely worth watching!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/11/23

Full Review

James B

i liked it good mystery michael pitt sandra bullock and ryan gosling are great this film has aged its like 20 years old but its worth watching good mystery cop drama.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

07/22/23

Full Review

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Barbet Schroeder

Director

Sandra Bullock

Cassie Mayweather

Ryan Gosling

Richard Haywood

Michael Pitt

Justin Pendleton

Agnes Bruckner

Lisa

Chris Penn

Ray

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

72%

73%

Fracture

TRAILER

for Fracture

56%

41%

Extreme Measures

8%

22%

Lost Souls

39%

43%

Proof of Life

56%

52%

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Namrata Joshi

Outlook

The climax is the biggest letdown...

Rated: 1/4

Jan 3, 2019

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Predictable thriller is definitely not for kids.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 26, 2010

Full Review

Mark Caro

Chicago Tribune

The outline of Murder by Numbers may be familiar, but the filmmakers and Bullock do an expert job of filling in the colors.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 20, 2002

Full Review

Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

Murder By Numberrs never aspires to be anything more than than a big-budget episode of a police procedural, making for a sporadically interesting, but often dull film.

Rated: 2.5/5

Nov 20, 2023

Full Review

Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

Average thriller that achieves its aim of moving star Sandra Bullock a few houses away from her trademark girl-next-door persona.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 20, 2020

Full Review

Debbie Lynn Elias

Behind The Lens

This is a film about obsession - obsession with getting away with murder - obsession with solving a murder - obsession with showing how to elude capture in a murder. Sadly, the audience won't be obsessed with watching it.

Nov 13, 2019

Full Review

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Synopsis

The body of a young woman is found in a ditch in the woods of the small California coastal town of San Benito. A tenacious homicide detective (Sandra Bullock) and her new partner (Ben Chaplin) uncover a trail of shrewdly concealed evidence that links two brilliant young men (Ryan Gosling), (Michael Pitt) to a murder.

Director: Barbet Schroeder
Producer: Sandra Bullock, Jeffrey Stott
Screenwriter: Tony Gayton
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Castle Rock Entertainment
Rating: R (Language|Brief Drug Use|Sex Scene|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 19, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $31.9M
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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