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In the Loop

Play trailer Poster for In the Loop 2009 1h 46m Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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94% Tomatometer 177 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
During an interview, British Cabinet Minister Simon Foster (Tom Hollander) delivers an off-the-cuff remark that war in the Middle East is unforeseeable. Profane political spin doctor Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) tries to cover up Foster's faux pas, but the ill-conceived comment is picked up by a warmongering American official. Foster is invited to Washington, D.C., where a war of words brews as politicians maneuver, manipulate and deceive each other before a U.N. vote on military action.
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In the Loop

In the Loop

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Critics Consensus

In the Loop is an uncommonly funny political satire that blends Dr. Strangelove with Spinal Tap for the Iraq war era.

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Critics Reviews

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Alonso Duralde TheWrap 10/24/2018
You probably wouldn't want to spend three hours listening to Alan Partridge's drive-time radio broadcast, but this idiotic DJ delivers a solid 90 minutes of cinematic entertainment. Go to Full Review
Deborah Ross The Spectator 08/29/2018
The performances are outstanding, and there are many laugh-out-loud moments as confirmed by the fact that I laughed out loud. Go to Full Review
Ed Koch The Atlantic 01/17/2018
This alleged satire, which received four-star treatment from other critics, left me with a ho-hum and sorry feeling that I had wasted an evening seeing it. Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 09/04/2023
4/4
A durable, smartly-written assemblage of highly quotable material that will continue to be funny no matter how many times you see it. Go to Full Review
Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 04/10/2022
3.5/4
A vicious satire with ice in its veins and poison in its fangs. Go to Full Review
Jason Best Movie Talk 11/24/2020
For all those still seething over the cynical manipulation and mendacity behind Bush and Blair's rush to war in Iraq, Armando Iannucci's blistering political satire In the Loop offers a measure of catharsis. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Ed . Aug 22 F*ing G*d d*mned m*ther f*ing satire of how craven those serving us in government really are. Peter Capaldi's Malcom Tucker character's outrageously off-the-rails performance is hysterically funny for the first 20 minutes but morphs into a one trick pony of a pathetic human being. This would work in a screwball comedy or with a minor character. However, while not a fatal flaw, it is a significant and material one which knocks down the quality of the film by several pegs. What a G* d*ammed f*ing shame! See more Gareth v Jul 10 The master of political satire, Armando Iannucci, has delivered another gem in his take on the politics of the Middle East crisis. Anything that has Malcom Tucker in it is well worth watching. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Jul 3 Funny in 1 hour and 46 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $2,400,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more O g Jun 14 Enjoyable enough but if they hadn't made it you wouldn't miss it. See more Dave S 09/12/2024 When a British politician offers his personal opinion that American military intervention in the Middle East is ‘unforeseeable’, a chaotic chain of events unravel as tension between British and American political power brokers builds. Written and directed by Armando Iannucci, In the Loop will be loved by anyone who appreciated his later works, namely The Death of Stalin and the TV series Veep. It’s got some great performances (especially by Peter Capaldi as the perpetually angry, foul-mouthed government spokesperson) and a fantastic script filled with stinging political satire and often hilarious dialogue. Sure, the handheld camerawork feels a bit erratic and dizzying at times, but that is a small complaint about an otherwise excellent film. See more S R @ScottR 08/17/2024 Some original comedy here with good writing and acting. It must have launched the careers of many of these aspiring actors and led to Veep and others. Despite the bad language it is witty and entertaining despite me being frustrated with the stupidity of the characters. RUS See more Read all reviews
In the Loop

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Movie Info

Synopsis During an interview, British Cabinet Minister Simon Foster (Tom Hollander) delivers an off-the-cuff remark that war in the Middle East is unforeseeable. Profane political spin doctor Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) tries to cover up Foster's faux pas, but the ill-conceived comment is picked up by a warmongering American official. Foster is invited to Washington, D.C., where a war of words brews as politicians maneuver, manipulate and deceive each other before a U.N. vote on military action.
Director
Armando Iannucci
Producer
Kevin Loader, Adam Tandy
Screenwriter
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
BBC
Genre
Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 24, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 27, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.4M
Runtime
1h 46m
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