Brick

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Brick

R

Released Jan 21, 2005

1h 49m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

142 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

After receiving a frantic phone call from his ex-girlfriend, teenage loner Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) learns that her dead body has been found. Vowing to solve her murder himself, he must infiltrate high-school cliques that he previously avoided. His search for the truth places him before some of the school's roughest characters, leading to a confrontation with a drug dealer known as the Pin (Lukas Haas).

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Critics Consensus

This entertaining homage to noirs past has been slickly and compellingly updated to a contemporary high school setting.

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Victoria Segal

New Statesman

Brick is quotable, clever and cryptic...

Sep 26, 2017

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Sight & Sound

The teens in Rian Johnson's striking debut feature Brick express themselves in jargon that sounds as if lifted straight from the pages of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler.

Sep 28, 2006

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Ben Walters

Time Out

The self-consciously mannered rat-a-tat-tat dialogue also mines a neat overlap between teen slang and noir patois, both of which can be indecipherable to non-initiates.

Jun 24, 2006

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Grant Hermanns

Screen Rant

Rian Johnson's Brick remains one of the most remarkable directorial debuts with his combination of a sharp, energetic script and stylish direction.

Rated: 9/10

Jul 10, 2025

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Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

I'm not particularly into this genre and then putting it in a high school setting was a bit weird. But it was entertaining to watch because it's so nutty. It's a grounded, nutty film.

Rated: 2/5

May 28, 2023

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Brandon Collins

Medium Popcorn

This movie floored me when I first saw it and it still holds up despite some inconsistent performances and pacing. "Brick" made me a lifelong fan of Rian Johnson.

Rated: 4/5

May 28, 2023

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Adam M

Literally every bad user review is straight up wrong. I legit rarely ever say that about taste since taste is subjective but in this case it’s absolutely true. Bitter star wars “fans” and entitled gen zers abound in those comments and they are, as usual, absolutely incorrect. The film is clever, smart, super well written and a fantastic effort for someone’s very first feature film. A classic indie of the best indie film making era complete with one of the better actors of that generation. Masterclass in how to take an otherwise dull setting and find the art and life in it.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/01/25

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THE NASHVILLE I

Definitely feels like watching a brick. Johnson tries so hard to make this feel noir, but the lack of energy and character just kills this movie. It drags…like a brick. The actors are like mannequins, and the story’s just too unfocused and mundane.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

06/13/25

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Trump S

One of the greatest nior detective movies you'll ever see.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/03/25

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Faiz D

Perfect example of a neo-noir film. Truly original edgy and smart.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/13/25

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Jennifer L

Movie Was Ridiculous! Can’t Believe It Got Okay Reviews, Would Rather Pull My Eye Lashes Out One By One, Then Watch 5 Minutes Of This Movie. Supposed To Be High Schoolers, But Every Actor Acted Like They Were Grown Adults. Only Laughs Were When We Were Making Fun Of Movie.. Only Drama Was The Pain Of Watching This, Hoping It Would Get Better…Sadly It NEVER Did!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/18/25

Full Review

Mason M

This ingenious neo-noir thriller succeeds in its writing and execution. Though quite the absurd concept, Johnson makes it believable. And this film's may be most notable for its incrediblely unique camera angles and techniques, melancholy score, and stellar performance from Joseph Gordon-Levitt. This is a thrilling watch and an essential neo-noir of recent years.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/18/24

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Rian Johnson

Director

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Brendan Frye

Lukas Haas

The Pin

Nora Zehetner

Laura Dannon

Noah Fleiss

Tugger

Matt O'Leary

The Brain

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Synopsis

After receiving a frantic phone call from his ex-girlfriend, teenage loner Brendan Frye (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) learns that her dead body has been found. Vowing to solve her murder himself, he must infiltrate high-school cliques that he previously avoided. His search for the truth places him before some of the school's roughest characters, leading to a confrontation with a drug dealer known as the Pin (Lukas Haas).

Director: Rian Johnson
Producer: Ram Bergman, Mark G. Mathis
Screenwriter: Rian Johnson
Production Co: Bergman Lustig Productions
Rating: R (Violent Content|Drug Content)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 21, 2005, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Mar 31, 2006
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.1M
Runtime: 1h 49m

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