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The Assassination of Richard Nixon

Play trailer Poster for The Assassination of Richard Nixon R 2004 1h 45m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
67% Tomatometer 128 Reviews 69% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Samuel Bicke (Sean Penn) is a disillusioned salesman whose elaborate views of honesty and morality alienate him from society. He purposely turns away customers, steals from his brother and ruins relationships with his wife (Naomi Watts) and his best friend (Don Cheadle). As Samuel's life spins out of control, he pinpoints Richard Nixon as the man responsible for capitalism and plans to assassinate the president by crashing an airliner into the White House.
The Assassination of Richard Nixon

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Critics Consensus

The Assassination of Richard Nixon struggles to convey deeper meaning, but a fascinating true story and compelling Sean Penn performance are worthy compensations.

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Critics Reviews

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Geoff Pevere Toronto Star 02/04/2005
2/4
It's not just Nixon's shadow that hangs like a cloud over Assassination, it's the shadow of the bummerific era of American movies his regime spawned. Go to Full Review Liam Lacey Globe and Mail 02/04/2005
2.5/4
The idea that assassins are products of their times is intriguing, but The Assassination of Richard Nixon is betrayed by its ambitions and pretensions. Go to Full Review Terry Lawson Detroit Free Press 01/21/2005
2/4
A well-made if relatively uninvolved character study with nothing noteworthy to say. Go to Full Review Alberto Abuín Espinof 06/28/2019
The film delivers a highly enjoyable thing: Sean Penn's portentous performance. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com 04/18/2009
C-
Debut writer/director Neils Mueller (co-writer on "Tadpole") stitches together an ambiguous meditation on the pervasive affects of government corruption during the Nixon Administration that led a Baltimore man to attempt to kill the President by hijacking Go to Full Review Joe Lozito Big Picture Big Sound 07/14/2007
3/4
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Audience Reviews

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Breathe J @SilverScreenSweetheart Jun 29 Inspired by a true story, this film follows Sam Bicke’s (Sean Penn) dissent into madness and his assassination attempt on President Richard Nixon. Drenched in passion, violence, and moral ambiguity, this film is an intense political thriller that will stun audiences. Sean Penn’s breathtaking performance in this film is absolutely remarkable! His facial expressions, tone of voice, physical reactions, and unwavering charisma are demanding of an Academy Award. As brilliant as Robert De Niro was in Taxi Driver, I would say that Sean Penn exceeded De Niro with this performance. And that says a LOT. My only critiques of this film are the pacing, which confusingly bounced between slow and lightning fast, and the other actors (although, to be fair, basically everyone looks dull when starring next to the unbeatable Sean Penn). Overall, this film is strong and definitely exceeded my expectations. Thanks for reading. God bless you, and stay safe. (Call 911 if you’re in an emergency.) See more Paul P @Offgrid99 Apr 26 This is Sean Penn's finest performance, among many. Sam is a truly sympathetic character because Sean is him. A truly sad tale, well told. See more Mikey B @RT95501973 07/07/2025 Penn does a great acting performance. The movie gives a good look at the time period and examination of that era See more GM @Greyzer 02/07/2023 Not only Sean Penn but the great Jack Thompson as well! See more georgan g @RT98616417 06/05/2020 A long, slow burn to radical action. Sad to watch the loser lose everything. See more 03/24/2020 Great to know history, Penn good. It could be better See more Read all reviews
The Assassination of Richard Nixon

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Cast & Crew

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Niels Mueller

Director

Sean Penn

Samuel Byck

Don Cheadle

Bonny Simmons

Jack Thompson

Jack Jones

Michael Wincott

Julius Bicke

Mykelti Williamson

Harold Mann

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The Assassination of Richard Nixon

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Movie Info

Synopsis Samuel Bicke (Sean Penn) is a disillusioned salesman whose elaborate views of honesty and morality alienate him from society. He purposely turns away customers, steals from his brother and ruins relationships with his wife (Naomi Watts) and his best friend (Don Cheadle). As Samuel's life spins out of control, he pinpoints Richard Nixon as the man responsible for capitalism and plans to assassinate the president by crashing an airliner into the White House.
Director
Niels Mueller
Producer
Alfonso Cuarón, Jorge Vergara
Screenwriter
Kevin Kennedy, Niels Mueller
Distributor
ThinkFilm
Production Co
Appian Way, Anhelo Productions
Rating
R (Scene of Graphic Violence|Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 29, 2004, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Apr 26, 2005
Box Office (Gross USA)
$697.8K
Runtime
1h 45m
Sound Mix
Surround