The Good Shepherd

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The Good Shepherd

R

2006

2h 48m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

172 Reviews

51%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Discreet, idealistic and intensely loyal, Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) finds that service in the OSS and later as a founding member of the Central Intelligence Agency is the perfect career for a man of his talents. His methods become standard operating procedure for the CIA while he combats his counterparts in the KGB. But, as the country slips deeper into the Cold War, Edward finds that dedication to duty above family has a price.

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Critics Consensus

Though ambitious and confidently directed by Robert De Niro, The Good Shepherd is ultimately a tedious drama that holds few surprises and succumbs to self-seriousness.

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

Seems thoroughly conflicted about whether it actually buys what it's selling.

Rated: C+

Jun 27, 2007

Full Review

Brian Tallerico

UGO

In a mystery worthy of the CIA, The Good Shepherd ends up being both too long and too short.

Mar 24, 2007

Full Review

Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

Not a film everyone will like. But those who do will appreciate De Niro's insistence on accurate detail.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 23, 2007

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Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

The more that Edward loses any semblance of humanity—which Damon expertly captures in the stillest, most internalized performance of his career—the more he becomes a representation of America itself.

Rated: 9/10

Sep 22, 2022

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Methodical in its style and intelligent in its execution.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 13, 2021

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Like the very best slow-burn spy games of John le Carre.

Rated: 8/10

Nov 21, 2020

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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

08/23/25

Full Review

T T

Slow movie, has some soapy scenes, not as tight as it could be. But, but...it is still a fascinating omage to the early days of the CIA. Damon plays his role with such restraint it looks boring but look deeper.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/13/25

Full Review

Audience Member

A well constructed intrigue, spanning the psuedo intellectuals from Harvard's secret society pretending to be elite patriots, to the founding of the CIA, their role in the Bay of Pigs and the interactions between the Russians and USA during the cold war. I agree that it goes slow, but that was the nature of the cold war.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/23/25

Full Review

D G

The timeline jumps around but every one still looks the same and they dont explain whats going on and we were just scratching our heads the whole movie and then gave up.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

01/02/25

Full Review

Mark H

I take great offense at pretentious, totally made-up, fully fictional films that nonetheless advertise themselves as being part of history. This is one of those films. And it's nothing but used toilet paper.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

12/17/24

Full Review

Kyle J

Do not waste your time. If you do start watching this movie, FAIR WARNING: it does not get better, EVER.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

04/11/24

Full Review

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Robert De Niro

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Edward Wilson

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Synopsis

Discreet, idealistic and intensely loyal, Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) finds that service in the OSS and later as a founding member of the Central Intelligence Agency is the perfect career for a man of his talents. His methods become standard operating procedure for the CIA while he combats his counterparts in the KGB. But, as the country slips deeper into the Cold War, Edward finds that dedication to duty above family has a price.

Director: Robert De Niro
Producer: Robert De Niro, James G. Robinson, Jane Rosenthal
Screenwriter: Eric Roth
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Morgan Creek Productions, American Zoetrope, Tribeca Productions, Universal Pictures
Rating: R (Sexuality|Language|Some Violence)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $59.9M
Runtime: 2h 48m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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