Gran Torino

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Gran Torino

R

Released Jan 9, 2009

1h 57m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

234 Reviews

90%

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250,000+ Ratings

Retired auto worker and Korean War vet Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) fills emptiness in his life with beer and home repair, despising the many Asian, Latino and black families in his neighborhood. Walt becomes a reluctant hero when he stands up to the gangbangers who tried to force an Asian teen to steal Walt's treasured car. An unlikely friendship develops between Walt and the teen, as he learns he has more in common with his neighbors than he thought.

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Critics Consensus

Though a minor entry in Eastwood's body of work, Gran Torino is nevertheless a humorous, touching, and intriguing old-school parable.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

It is a flawed movie, vastly overwritten, with characters pointing things out that we've long worked out for ourselves. Still, the self-referentiality of Eastwood's performance ensures that Gran Torino isn't just absorbing, but also moving.

Aug 29, 2018

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Seeing Eastwood ward off young gangsters was odd... well, but he pulled it off enough.

Rated: B

Sep 12, 2017

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Christine Champ

Film.com

Though the film feels like a requiem, Kowalski's heart is still defiantly beating.

Rated: B+

May 6, 2011

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Jon Arvedon

CBR

Gran Torino is a harrowing glimpse into how, depending on the nature of one's past sins, true redemption can sometimes be fait accompli.

Rated: 9/10

Aug 24, 2025

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Gran Torino is a nuanced picture with incredible heart, humor, and melodramatic themes of acceptance and long-overdue redemption.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 5, 2023

Full Review

Nicholas Oon

Maximum Hype (YouTube)

Its characters find peace through acts of openness, understanding and sacrifice, and it is these arcs that allow the audience to feel a sense of cathartic peace ourselves.

Sep 5, 2021

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Patrick C

This ain't perfect, but it's one hell of an enjoyable and emotional ride. So much fun to be had in reading the intentional and unintentional nods to the Eastwood mythos. A snarl here, a staring down a gun barrel there, a perfectly delivered put down to boot. His character is an interesting one in that it predates by a few years the cultural obsession with 'correct language', the fear of ever perchance offending someone. Well what I take from this fine film is it's not the words you use that matter, it's your actions that count at the end of the day. Eastwood's bitter old Korea vet may not be fully conversant with the PC phrasebook, but he learns to truly love the people he was initially so dismissive of.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

08/15/25

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Christopher R.

Had every opportunity to swing toward something great, and avoided it at all costs for the sake of a white savior fantasy

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

08/07/25

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Diego S

This movie touched my heart man...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/03/25

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Jim N

The performances seem a little wooden and stilted (including Eastwood's); the script and dialogue leave something to be desired, and characters come across as one-dimensional. Nevertheless, the film somehow enlists our empathy enough to carry us forward, and elements are entertaining. Eastwood has built a career on vigilantes, and this is no exception: we, the audience of spectators, feel catharsis in seeing retribution enacted

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

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Benjamin H

With Clint Eastwood's terrific direction and performance alongside some emotionally charged moments, Gran Torino is a decent watch that gets dragged down by its screenwriting which focuses too much on some things and too little on others which does also affect some of the pacing, dramatic weight and character development.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/28/25

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André Ferreira F

Um filme emotivo e com um bom argumento. Peca por talvez demasiadas personagens que não se desenvolvem tanto e por algumas atuações menos boas. (avaliação: 7.5/10)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/12/25

Full Review

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Clint Eastwood

Director

Clint Eastwood

Walt Kowalski

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Bee Vang

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Gran Torino: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Retired auto worker and Korean War vet Walt Kowalski (Clint Eastwood) fills emptiness in his life with beer and home repair, despising the many Asian, Latino and black families in his neighborhood. Walt becomes a reluctant hero when he stands up to the gangbangers who tried to force an Asian teen to steal Walt's treasured car. An unlikely friendship develops between Walt and the teen, as he learns he has more in common with his neighbors than he thought.

Director: Clint Eastwood
Producer: Clint Eastwood, Robert Lorenz, Bill Gerber
Screenwriter: Nick Schenk
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Matten Productions, Malpaso Company, Double Nickel Entertainment, Gerber Pictures
Rating: R (Some Violence|Language Throughout)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 9, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $148.1M
Runtime: 1h 57m

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