Detachment

Play trailer

Detachment

Released Mar 16, 2012

1h 37m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

59%

Tomatometer

69 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Henry Barthes (Adrien Brody) is a substitute teacher who shuns emotional connections, and never stays long enough in one district to bond with his students or colleagues. Troubled and lost, Henry lands at a public school where an apathetic student body and disinterested parents have created a frustrated, burned-out group of teachers and administrators. Inadvertently, Henry becomes a role model to his disaffected students and bonds with a teenage runaway who is just as lost as he is.

Watch on Peacock

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Detachment's heart is in the right place, but overall it doesn't offer any solutions to its passionate ranting.

Read Critics Reviews

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

A gripping drama, Detachment offers a gut-wrenching look at the school system, as told by the unsung heroes--the teachers.

Rated: A

Sep 8, 2017

Full Review

Donald Clarke

Irish Times

Detachment has such original energy and is so infused with righteous anger that it proves hard to dismiss.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 15, 2012

Full Review

Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Grappling with the dilapidation of America's school system is fair enough, but the movie is painfully undone by its pretentious poetry of despair.

Rated: 1/5

Jul 13, 2012

Full Review

Sonia Zadurian

CineVue

Detachment clearly has high aspirations, but unfortunately its jumbled narration means that it falls just shy of the mark.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 26, 2019

Full Review

PJ Nabarro

Patrick Nabarro

Tony Kaye's ragged, expressionistic aesthetic may have its detractors but it intuitively suits the wrought scenario of Detachment.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 8, 2019

Full Review

Neely Swanson

Easy Reader (California)

This is imitation Polanski, and not a good imitation at that.

Sep 18, 2017

Full Review

Read all reviews

Iraj B

An important letter to teachers parents and students alike about problems we all face giving us many ways out and many solutions the film ends by giving you that choice by by being detached

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/27/24

Full Review

Susan B

Do not watch this movie if you’re already depressed. The acting was very good, but the only real hope in this movie was at the end. Otherwise, it’s very sad.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

10/12/24

Full Review

will w

Not sure where the plot fall. No highlights and monotone. Very draggy but no character development. I believe some ppl slept during the movie.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/30/24

Full Review

robert r

As a teacher, I must say that it offered no hope. This is what I call a "What-The-Point-of-Living" film. There is no happiness, there is no humor. By the end of the film, you want to commit suicide because if this the world, then it is miserable and really what's the point? As a teacher, I have always managed to see a glimmer of hope somewhere, and I have taught in South Central L.A. The way a student smiles or listen to you. Even ways that they try to get you off subject, by asking you about your past. And sometimes, I break down and tell them what it was like when I was a kid, because sometimes they really want to know. But here, there is no retribution, even when he reunites with the homeless girl he takes in and then turns over to the county, one has to wonder is he doing so only to let her know that she is HIV positive, from the highly suspicious call from her test at the end. So, if you want to be depressed and feel really hopeless, this is the film for you.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

08/04/24

Full Review

lionel n

narration atypique, découpage et flash back ténébreux pour en ajouter à la dramatique , angle et prises de vues de diverses façons ...... les images accentuent l'univers dramatique , j'ai adoré tout cet univers .... j'attendais à la fin des résultats médicaux..... là aussi ..... surprise ! on apprends peu de chacun et pourtant ..... Trés beau film !

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/29/24

Full Review

Les N

A very good view of teenagers.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/12/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Tony Kaye

Director

Adrien Brody

Henry Barthes

Marcia Gay Harden

Carol Dearden

James Caan

Mr. Seaboldt

Christina Hendricks

Ms. Madison

Lucy Liu

Dr. Parker

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Shame

79%

75%

Shame

Watchlist

What Goes Up

14%

31%

What Goes Up

Watchlist

Answers to Nothing

9%

36%

Answers to Nothing

Watchlist

The Beaver

63%

55%

The Beaver

Watchlist

The Master

85%

62%

The Master

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Critics Consensus: 21 Jump Street is Certified Fresh

View more photos

Synopsis

Henry Barthes (Adrien Brody) is a substitute teacher who shuns emotional connections, and never stays long enough in one district to bond with his students or colleagues. Troubled and lost, Henry lands at a public school where an apathetic student body and disinterested parents have created a frustrated, burned-out group of teachers and administrators. Inadvertently, Henry becomes a role model to his disaffected students and bonds with a teenage runaway who is just as lost as he is.

Director: Tony Kaye
Producer: Austin Stark, Benji Kohn, Chris Papavasiliou, Bingo Gubelmann, Greg Shapiro, Carl Lund
Screenwriter: Carl Lund
Distributor: Tribeca Film
Production Co: Paper Street Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 16, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $71.2K
Runtime: 1h 37m

Most Popular at Home Now