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Demolition

Play trailer 2:20 Poster for Demolition R Released Apr 8, 2016 1h 41m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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54% Tomatometer 211 Reviews 55% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Grieving investment banker Davis Mitchell (Jake Gyllenhaal) returns to work after losing his beloved wife in a tragic car accident. After writing a letter to complain about a vending machine, Mitchell receives a phone call from Karen (Naomi Watts), a customer service rep from the company. Karen becomes moved by his complete honesty, while Davis finds someone to lend a sympathetic ear. As his new friendship with Karen and her son grows, Mitchell finds the strength he needs to rebuild his life.
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Demolition

Demolition

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Critics Consensus

Demolition benefits from a stellar cast, even if their solid work isn't always enough to prop up a confused story that aims for profundity but too often settles for clichés.

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Critics Reviews

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Dwight Brown National Newspaper Publishers Association Who knows where his displaced emotions will take him? Who cares? Nov 8, 2016 Full Review Sara Michelle Fetters MovieFreak.com Demolition is a cinematic deconstruction of expectation and cliché, all of which results in a moving marvel of self-actualization I think I just might be in love with. Rated: 3/4 Aug 11, 2016 Full Review Wendy Ide Observer (UK) The story of a bereaved man who starts to dismantle household appliances and, later, buildings, the whole movie is a laboured metaphor: we get it, he's falling apart. Rated: 2/5 May 1, 2016 Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia It benefits from a credible performance by Jake Gyllenhaal, but the drama often remains situated in a demolition zone that slowly destroys, with each iteration, the potential of its premise about grief and redemption. [Full review in Spanish] Rated: 5/10 Oct 15, 2024 Full Review JD Duran InSession Film A frustrating experience. There is a lot to appreciate about this film and it had massive potential, but like Dallas Buyer Club, Vallée wasn’t exactly sure where to take the film and it shows. Rated: B- Aug 1, 2024 Full Review Jordan Brooks Vague Visages Neatly tied resolutions and dime-a-dozen aphorisms feel as fleeting and immaterial as a television drama, while any lasting impression must be hard-fought and pried from between the lines of the script. Aug 1, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (348) audience reviews
Audience Member Now I understand what grief means Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/28/24 Full Review Jordan Y It's fun to watch him work through his pain by letting go and destroying everything. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/13/24 Full Review Cody H This movie is confusing and uninspiring. Supposed to be a comedy, which it is not. Maybe the frustration feeling when the story isn’t moving forward, is the idea of the movies writers. There are some good scenes, but the plot is falling apart and the ending doesn’t tell a thing. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 08/10/24 Full Review KB B It was a pretty entertaining film that had an odd demolition scene. Jake Gyllenhaal was excellent as usual. It's definitely worth the watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/02/24 Full Review Y.Anush R It's a great movie with a great plot. But it's not for everyone. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/18/24 Full Review lois b Synopsis : un homme d'affaires à succès perd sa femme lors d'un accident de voiture. Face au choc, son monde se détruit et il doit faire face au deuil. Date : 2015 Durée : 1h41 Note : 15/20. Le deuil est évoqué d'une façon très pertinente et intéressante qui change des célèbres 5 étapes du deuil. Dans ce film, il est plus question de la sidération liée au choc de perdre un être cher. L'écriture du personnage principal est vraiment au petit oignon et le jeu d'acteur de Jake Gyllenhal est phénoménal pour le mettre en valeur. Cependant, je dois noter que les personnages secondaires ne sont que peu ou voir pas du tout développé alors que certains auraient pu être très intéressants. C'est donc un film très centré sur le personnage principal, mais au moins le personnage est bien Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/29/24 Full Review Read all reviews
Demolition

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Grieving investment banker Davis Mitchell (Jake Gyllenhaal) returns to work after losing his beloved wife in a tragic car accident. After writing a letter to complain about a vending machine, Mitchell receives a phone call from Karen (Naomi Watts), a customer service rep from the company. Karen becomes moved by his complete honesty, while Davis finds someone to lend a sympathetic ear. As his new friendship with Karen and her son grows, Mitchell finds the strength he needs to rebuild his life.
Director
Jean-Marc Vallée
Producer
Lianne Halfon, Russell Smith, Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill, Sidney Kimmel, Jean-Marc Vallée
Screenwriter
Bryan Sipe
Distributor
Fox Searchlight
Production Co
Mr. Mudd, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, Black Label Media
Rating
R (Drug Use|Disturbing Behavior|Language|Some Sexual References)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 8, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 3, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.8M
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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