Demolition

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2:20

Demolition

R

Released Apr 8, 2016

1h 41m

Comedy

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

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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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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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

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Ümit Enes G

It’s a breath of fresh air to see grief portrayed in such a raw yet beautiful way. From start to finish, Demolition had me glued to the screen even though I hadn’t planned to watch a movie at all. It reminded me of Camus’s The Stranger. Grief is weird. Not in the sense of being unique -many people can relate to Davis- but in how unpredictable and irrational it feels. Honestly, it’s no surprise that critics gave this film poor reviews. It’s clear most of them haven’t experienced a loss deep enough to understand this kind of emotional detachment. This wasn’t a conventional depiction of mourning, and that’s exactly why it was so powerful.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/18/25

Full Review

Scotty R

Anyone who says this is a 'bad' film is a vapid moron and should donate their keyboard and tomato splats to the night school they dropped out of. It's a very pleasing watch.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/14/25

Full Review

Madam D

Grief is different for each person. A happy life is also unique for everyone. I absolutely love the acting in this film, from the entire cast. Gyllenhaal & Watts are especially notworthy.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/08/25

Full Review

thiago s

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/27/25

Full Review

Audience Member

It wasn't good, boring for me...

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

05/26/25

Full Review

Esra Y

It's so Valee and so 2010s. Movie failed to make me care for it's two center characters.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/19/25

Full Review

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Jean-Marc Vallée

Director

Jake Gyllenhaal

Davis Mitchell

Naomi Watts

Karen Moreno

Chris Cooper

Phil

Judah Lewis

Chris Moreno

C.J. Wilson

Carl

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Demolition: Trailer 2

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Demolition: Trailer 1

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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, Black Label Media, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
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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