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The International

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The International

R

Released Feb 13, 2009

1h 58m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

57%

Tomatometer

210 Reviews

37%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) joins forces with New York prosecutor Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) to put an end to a powerful bank's funding of terrorism. As they follow the money from Germany to Italy to New York to Turkey, Salinger and Whitman find their own lives are at risk from those who will stop at nothing to protect their interests.

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Critics Consensus

The International boasts some electric action sequences and picturesque locales, but is undone by its preposterous plot.

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Shubhra Gupta

The Indian Express

Whatever happened to the old fashioned spy sagas which had breakneck chases, busty women and non-stop action? Now it's all brooding fellows with sad back-stories.

Apr 26, 2019

Full Review

Deborah Ross

The Spectator

The premise might be timely, but the execution is same old, same old.

Aug 29, 2018

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Samuel Wigley

Sight & Sound

A sure-footed and thrilling sidestep into cinema's mainstream.

Jul 6, 2018

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The International is an occasionally cartoonish gut shot at the banking industry, its heroes white as white and its villains black as black.

Rated: 2.5/4

Dec 6, 2023

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

This altogether self-serious thriller is a timely piece of conspiratorial intimation and multinational economic power and Tom Tykwer’s direction is both sleekly handsome and efficiently anonymous...

Aug 19, 2023

Full Review

Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Assassins are no match for Clive Owen's powerful stare; it's all he ever brings to a gun-toting engagement, and it usually suffices.

Rated: 5/10

Nov 28, 2020

Full Review

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Nigel S

I agree that the audience rating seems surprisingly low. Slightly unsatisfactory ending but definitely a good telly watch!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/04/25

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john h

I really don't understand why this film has such a low rating so far. It's gripping, mostly realistic, well acted, well directed, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. And unlike 95% of Hollywood films you can't see what's coming 15-150 minutes before it happens. How can this be rated lower than any Mission Impossible film for goodness sake? I suppose maybe it's the 'unhappy' ending that some people don't like.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/22/25

Full Review

Magnus A

Good writer and director, large and high quality cast. Some questionable casting - Clive Owen is not an action star and maybe let him shave and wash once in a while? Dreary disjointed and ultimately pointless movie.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/25

Full Review

Audience Member

Lackluster, there are better action movies out there

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

12/24/24

Full Review

Zeljko L

Fully agree with Daniel Q. Excellent movie and so close to being a documentary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/15/24

Full Review

Daniel Q

Rotten tomatoes rated it as a preposterous plot! That's because they are owned by the same people who this film is criticizing. This movie should be on the documentary category, for precision on its plot.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/14/24

Full Review

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Tom Tykwer

Director

Clive Owen

Louis Salinger

Naomi Watts

Eleanor Whitman

Armin Mueller-Stahl

Wilhelm Wexler

Ulrich Thomsen

Jonas Skarssen

Brian F. O'Byrne

The Consultant

The International: Official Clip - Can't Fight the Bank

2:32

The International: Official Clip - Bugged House

2:03

The International: Official Clip - Two Snipers

2:51

The International: Official Clip - Museum Ambush

2:42

The International: Official Clip - Market Chase

2:54

The International: Official Clip - Museum Shootout

3:26

The International: Official Clip - Hunting the Killer

2:46

The International: Official Clip - Assassin Detectives

2:43

The International: Official Clip - Cyanide Poisoning

2:11

The International: Official Clip - Mafia Justice

2:13

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Synopsis

Interpol agent Louis Salinger (Clive Owen) joins forces with New York prosecutor Eleanor Whitman (Naomi Watts) to put an end to a powerful bank's funding of terrorism. As they follow the money from Germany to Italy to New York to Turkey, Salinger and Whitman find their own lives are at risk from those who will stop at nothing to protect their interests.

Director: Tom Tykwer
Producer: Charles Roven, Richard Suckle, Lloyd Phillips
Screenwriter: Eric Warren Singer
Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Atlas Entertainment
Rating: R (Sequences of Violence|Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 13, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $25.5M
Runtime: 1h 58m

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