Criminal

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Criminal

R

2016

1h 53m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

Sci-Fi

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

30%

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136 Reviews

47%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

CIA agent Bill Pope (Ryan Reynolds) dies while traveling to a secret location to meet a hacker who can launch missiles at will. Desperate to find his whereabouts, officials turn to an experimental neurosurgeon who can transfer memories from one brain to another. The guinea pig for the procedure is Jerico Stewart (Kevin Costner), a violent and dangerous death-row inmate. Now gifted with Pope's skills and knowledge, Stewart must race against time to stop a sinister international conspiracy.

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Critics Consensus

Despite the valiant efforts of a game and talented cast, Criminal has little to offer beyond the bare minimum expected by the most undemanding of genre enthusiasts.

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Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

As a movie, there's plenty here to respect. As entertainment, however, this is tough one to enjoy, all of which makes Criminal a vexing spectacle that's hard to watch all the way through to its end.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 11, 2016

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Paul Byrnes

Sydney Morning Herald

It's lazy, corrupt and sleazy filmmaking, the kind of film that's killing the business.

Rated: 2/5

May 18, 2016

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John Nugent

Empire Magazine

We can but pray that scientists invent a procedure to remove the memory of ever watching this film in the first place.

Rated: 1/5

May 11, 2016

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

For a movie that hinges on a soulless man developing feelings, Criminal is noticeably lacking any of its own.

Rated: 1.5/4

Nov 6, 2025

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Colin Biggs

Vague Visages

Regretfully, Criminal makes up for its lack of ideas with blood, guts and even more blood.

Dec 1, 2023

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

A dull, yet star-studded production that feels like a 1990s action movie throwback - complete with over-the-top villains, ruthless violence, and an absurd premise.

Rated: 1.5/4

Apr 15, 2022

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Jonathan K

I liked it! I don't think it's as bad as everyone says. Kevin Costner might not have been the best choice for the role -- he's a little flat, but I think the character is kind of complex to pull off because the depth is mostly internal -- but I warmed up to it. Ryan Reynolds has a small, ancillary role, but it works, especially as the romantic opposite of Gal Gadot and the soul of Costner's character's awakening. It's pretty action-packed and violent, and for a lot of it, I really didn’t know what was going to happen and felt like "what is this". Part of the disorientation is that they were definitely not afraid to kill off characters who, in most movies, would survive. It adds to the unexpected thriller nature. But I'll admit it was hard to buy into the lead character's mental state at first, which maybe is where a lot of the complaints or disconnect arise from, but eventually it settles in. If you can accept the sci-fi pseudoscience angle, it makes for a pretty enjoyable thriller.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/28/25

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Stephanie T

I don't care what anyone says about this movie. I liked it, I enjoyed it and the story was different and touching for a suspense thriller. If you look what their making now in 2025 you would be appreciative for this movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/24/25

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Madam D

Sci fi is one of my favorite genres & this one didn't do badly at all. The acting is well done, esp watching Costner's character develop a heart.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/15/25

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Vee B

TERRIBLE TERRIBLE!! Great cast. AWFUL movie

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/04/25

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D H

Besides wasting Ryan Reynolds and Gary Oldman, what's really criminal is the haircut Kevin Costner had to endure.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/16/25

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todd w

Outstanding suspense action and plot. Not exactly sophisticated or remotely realistic, nonetheless it delivers precisely the value and content you want out of a movie like this.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/07/25

Full Review

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Ariel Vromen

Director

Kevin Costner

Jerico Stewart

Gal Gadot

Jill Pope

Gary Oldman

Quaker Wells

Ryan Reynolds

Bill Pope

Tommy Lee Jones

Dr. Franks

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Synopsis

CIA agent Bill Pope (Ryan Reynolds) dies while traveling to a secret location to meet a hacker who can launch missiles at will. Desperate to find his whereabouts, officials turn to an experimental neurosurgeon who can transfer memories from one brain to another. The guinea pig for the procedure is Jerico Stewart (Kevin Costner), a violent and dangerous death-row inmate. Now gifted with Pope's skills and knowledge, Stewart must race against time to stop a sinister international conspiracy.

Director: Ariel Vromen
Producer: J.C. Spink, Jake Weiner, Matthew O'Toole, Mark Gill, Christa Campbell, Denis Chobanov
Screenwriter: Douglas Cook, David Weisberg
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Benderspink, Campbell Grobman Films, Summit Entertainment
Rating: R (Strong Violence|Language Throughout)
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller, Sci-Fi
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 15, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 12, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.7M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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