Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Play trailer

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

PG-13

Released Jan 20, 2012

2h 9m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

44%

Tomatometer

189 Reviews

61%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Oskar (Thomas Horn), who lost his father (Tom Hanks) in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, is convinced that his dad left a final message for him somewhere in the city. Upon finding a mysterious key in his father's closet, Oskar sets out in search of the lock it fits. Feeling disconnected from his grieving mother (Sandra Bullock) and driven by a tirelessly active mind, Oskar has a journey of discovery that takes him beyond his loss and leads to a greater understanding of the world.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close has a story worth telling, but it deserves better than the treacly and pretentious treatment director Stephen Daldry gives it.

Read Critics Reviews

Deborah Ross

The Spectator

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close just doesn't seen to have any point, and is sentimental and banal as well as very, very long.

Aug 31, 2018

Full Review

Nicolas Rapold

Film Comment Magazine

Daldry delivers a surprisingly engaging adaptation of Jonathan Safran Foer's stridently voiced novel about a precocious boy dealing with the death of his father in the terror attacks.

Jun 28, 2013

Full Review

Leah Rozen

TheWrap

In the end, the movie is about healing and coming to understand that some things can't be explained.

Mar 2, 2012

Full Review

Nadia Dalimonte

Next Best Picture

While the subject matter is harrowing and resonates on its own, the film’s depiction of such tragedy as a narrative plot point feels emotionally manipulative.

Rated: 5/10

Jun 15, 2023

Full Review

Amy Thomasson

InSession Film

A movie that had so much going for it, yet made me cringe the entire time I watched it...

Apr 26, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

A very manipulative film, designed for maximum emotional impact in sometimes transparent ways.

Rated: 2.5/4

Feb 23, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Patty A

I personally loved this movie. I'd never heard of either the book nor the movie. The plan now is to read the book. This was a very touching depiction of the loss felt from the great war and the loss people in NYC and around the globe felt that day. There is no comparison in numbers, but loss is loss. The relationship between father and child. Loss of that relationship at any age or circumstance. It stuck a chord with me personally, it may not for you, but give it a chance.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/25

Full Review

Sofie F

I am a big fan of the book, but it seems to me that the movie just took the names of the characters and some elements of the story, without capturing the spirit of the book at all. Very disappointing.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/10/24

Full Review

Audience Member

86/100 The kid's character made me so angry god dammit, but...it's blissful and the story is great and the message is positive...although the story leads up to near nothing.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/09/24

Full Review

Bronwyn D

Unfortunately I couldn't make it past the first 40 mins. It was just too silly/dumb for my taste.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/20/24

Full Review

Adam W

I personally was not in favor of dramatizing something as serious and recent (I know it's over 20 years ago, but 9/11 is very recent in my memory), but I have to give credit where it is due. Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is a powerful story. The acting is superb. Who else but Max von Sydow could pull off a great performance without saying a word? The story pulls you in and you can sympathize with each and every character.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/16/24

Full Review

Meg C

Performances were decent, but a wholly improbable premise and the movie never ended. It was waaaaaay too long, and so many dubious story lines that it made me cringe. Where is the mother during most of the time this boy is at home in apartment? Oh, it turns out she's doing the same hairbrained investigation that her little boy is doing! I'm sure that there's plenty of free time for that! It's a shame this was such a lousy movie, because J. S. Foer is an excellent writer, but this movie could have been shortened and edited substantially.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/17/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Stephen Daldry

Director

Tom Hanks

Thomas Schell

Sandra Bullock

Linda Schell

Thomas Horn

Oskar Schell

Zoe Caldwell

Oskar's Grandmother

Viola Davis

Abby Black

Doubt

79%

78%

Doubt

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Doubt

Moneyball

94%

86%

Moneyball

Watchlist

Fences

92%

75%

Fences

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Fences

Rabbit Hole

86%

72%

Rabbit Hole

Watchlist

The Beaver

63%

55%

The Beaver

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The 10 Worst-Reviewed Best Picture Nominees

Critics Consensus: Tintin, Dragon Tattoo Are Certified Fresh

View more photos

Synopsis

Oskar (Thomas Horn), who lost his father (Tom Hanks) in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, is convinced that his dad left a final message for him somewhere in the city. Upon finding a mysterious key in his father's closet, Oskar sets out in search of the lock it fits. Feeling disconnected from his grieving mother (Sandra Bullock) and driven by a tirelessly active mind, Oskar has a journey of discovery that takes him beyond his loss and leads to a greater understanding of the world.

Director: Stephen Daldry
Producer: Scott Rudin
Screenwriter: Eric Roth
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Scott Rudin Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Emotional Thematic Material|Some Disturbing Images)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 20, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 19, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $31.8M
Runtime: 2h 9m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

Most Popular at Home Now