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The Beach

Play trailer 2:21 Poster for The Beach R 2000 2h 0m Drama Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
21% Tomatometer 122 Reviews 57% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
The desire to find something real -- to connect with something or someone -- is what drives Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio), a young American backpacker who arrives in Thailand with adventure on his mind. Etienne (Guillaume Canet) and Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen) join him on an adventure to "The Beach," a mystical paradise. However, this paradise is less than perfect.
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The Beach

The Beach

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Critics Consensus

Critics say The Beach is unfocused and muddled, a shallow adaptation of the novel it is based on. Points go to the gorgeous cinematography, though.

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Critics Reviews

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Victoria Luxford BBC.com 04/06/2023
3/5
An intriguing mystery with a great soundtrack. I think Leonardo DiCaprio has had such an interesting career, and this is a great example of what he does so well. Go to Full Review
Lisa Alspector Chicago Reader 04/06/2010
A narrative that tries to juggle thriller elements, tons of pop culture imagery, and way too much philosophical baggage. Go to Full Review
David Ansen Newsweek 03/31/2008
The Beach is nothing to write home about, though the landscapes are ravishing. The movie itself is neither fish nor fowl. Go to Full Review
Yasser Medina Cinefilia 06/18/2025
4/10
Despite some visual flourishes and DiCaprio putting some effort into his expressive deliriums, I have a sneaking suspicion that Boyle's exotic adventure is perpetually dull. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Danny Brogan Common Sense Media 04/13/2022
3/5
Sun, sea, and observations on how Richard (a young DiCaprio) survived the world without a smartphone, make this 2000 film a satisfying title to reflect on with families. Go to Full Review
Eddie Harrison film-authority.com 03/30/2022
2/5
the beach featured in The Beach was soon ruined by visitors, a detail that fits in with the reductive, wrong-headedness of the whole enterprise Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Dave K @BilboBagsy 3d the film's pacing was incredibly slow to start with, then incredibly fast for the rest of the film. Leonardo DiCaprio's character takes a descent into madness that takes less than 5 minutes of screen time and happens over a period of 6 weeks. It feels so rushed that it almost feels silly and unbelievable. For me there's far too much time spent locating the island and not enough time spent creating lasting conflicts and tensions between the group. When it finally descends into madness and murder it feels too much too fast. We spend very little time letting characters become psychologically affected by the events that are occurring around them, and far too much time on just a few specific characters. I personally think the story would have been vastly improved by spending more time developing the relationships and conflicts in the group. A missed opportunity to build conflict, tension and suspense earlier; so that the psychological impacts are more prominent and powerful. 4 / 10 See more Julia G @RT15291393 May 1 ich liebe diesen Film, weil er so zärtlich beginnt wie ein Sommerabenteuer, naiv, kindlich, verrückt, und dann wunderbar Vergnügungs- und Harmoniesucht, die ins religiös-spirituelle übersteigert ist aufzeigt… all das was wir so wunderschön verdrängen… fantastisch: das Method Acting von DiCaprio!!! See more Jack K. @jackkelley Feb 18 Great twist on the island concept. Leo and the beautiful sights make the movie a picture into a different world. See more Daryl D @DmacVisuals Jan 12 Lord of Da Flies Adults Edition See more Kevin P @Tirnog2 Nov 8 Massively underrated and misunderstood, this hard to watch both graphgically bloody and beautifully shot movie tells the story of the human condition of desire, in its many forms, and what lengths we will go to to achieve in satisfying them. See more Annie V @Annie265 Oct 22 such an awfull movie one of the worst movies of Leonardo Dicrapio See more Read all reviews
The Beach

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Movie Info

Synopsis The desire to find something real -- to connect with something or someone -- is what drives Richard (Leonardo DiCaprio), a young American backpacker who arrives in Thailand with adventure on his mind. Etienne (Guillaume Canet) and Francoise (Virginie Ledoyen) join him on an adventure to "The Beach," a mystical paradise. However, this paradise is less than perfect.
Director
Danny Boyle
Producer
Andrew Macdonald
Screenwriter
Alex Garland, John Hodge
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Figment Films
Rating
R
Genre
Drama, Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 11, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$39.8M
Runtime
2h 0m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)