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Bulworth

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1:44

Bulworth

R

Released May 15, 1998

1h 46m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

69 Reviews

68%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Jay Bulworth (Warren Beatty), a financially ruined senator, is now disillusioned with politics. The forlorn statesman orders a contract killing -- the target himself -- so his family will be able to collect a fortune from his insurance policy. Facing imminent death, a devil-may-care Bulworth speaks his mind in public, forsaking platitudes for honest but controversial observations. But when he falls in love with a hip young woman (Halle Berry), Bulworth urgently rethinks his impending murder.

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Critics Consensus

Star and director Beatty's ambitious take on race and politics in 20th-century America isn't perfect, but Bulworth manages to provide more than its share of thought-provoking laughs.

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Troy Patterson

Entertainment Weekly

Bulworth marks Beatty’s happiest stab at political farce since Shampoo.

Rated: B

Feb 7, 2025

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C+

Sep 7, 2011

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

It's a sharp, brave movie, a little ragged around the edges, but that's to its advantage.

Jun 24, 2006

Full Review

Matthew Rozsa

Democracy at Work (Substack)

Timid politicians shrinks in the face of that danger. Brave leaders acknowledge the danger but, if the stakes are sufficiently high, proceed anyway.

Rated: 3/4

May 23, 2025

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

...has a dynamic, if not revolutionary view of the political world, leavened with jokes and complete with a shock ending...

Rated: 4/5

Jan 4, 2022

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David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

Bulworth is an angry and politically astute film. More than that, it is in many ways a liberating film.

Feb 16, 2021

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Ari V

Holds up very, very well. Special one.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/24/24

Full Review

Van E

This movie is underrated. It's got some stamps from it's time that are sort of absurd, but as far as biting political satire goes, I'm hard pressed to think of a better more current example that isn't just some try-hard nonsense. Bullworth pushes the envelope... in mainly really entertaining ways.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/21/23

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Mark N

Heart, soul and plenty of laughs. A political comedy that's not afraid to draw blood literally to make its point.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/21/23

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Audience Member

Uneventful, nothing was pulling me in

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/23/23

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ryan p

Prime example of just how much better your mediocre pic/performance could benefit with a bit of Joe Don Baker. Vittorio Storaro's saturated candescence oscillates from unremarkable to just plain ugly. Albeit maybe perfect for such an ugly little vanity project? Does not hold up (then or now) — probably why, even The Only Game in Town (1970) has been remastered for home video (HD preservation) and this is still meandering in Warner Bros' MoD 480i archive.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

dave s

Suicidal and on the verge of a nervous breakdown, disillusioned U.S. senator Jay Bulworth makes arrangements for his own assassination in order for his daughter to collect a ten-million-dollar insurance claim. However, things take an awkward turn on the campaign trail when he decides to speak the uncensored truth, shifting his voter base from the powerful and affluent to the poor and disenfranchised. Warren Beatty wrote, produced, directed and starred in Bulworth, a film that starts out a bit frantic, unfocused and noisy but works its way into a nice rhythm once it finds its way. The satire sometimes feels overstated, but it certainly forces the viewer to question whether or not they want their politicians to create their election platforms based on the truth.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Warren Beatty

Director

Warren Beatty

Sen. Jay Billington Bulworth

Halle Berry

Nina

Don Cheadle

L.D.

Oliver Platt

Dennis Murphy

Paul Sorvino

Graham Crockett

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Bulworth: Trailer 1

1:44

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Synopsis

Jay Bulworth (Warren Beatty), a financially ruined senator, is now disillusioned with politics. The forlorn statesman orders a contract killing -- the target himself -- so his family will be able to collect a fortune from his insurance policy. Facing imminent death, a devil-may-care Bulworth speaks his mind in public, forsaking platitudes for honest but controversial observations. But when he falls in love with a hip young woman (Halle Berry), Bulworth urgently rethinks his impending murder.

Director: Warren Beatty
Producer: Warren Beatty, Pieter Jan Brugge
Screenwriter: Warren Beatty, Jeremy Pikser
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: Twentieth Century Fox
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 15, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $26.4M
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Surround

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