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John Q

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John Q

PG-13

Released Feb 15, 2002

1h 58m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

26%

Tomatometer

133 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Story centers on a man whose nine-year-old son is in desperate need of a life-saving transplant. When he discovers that his medical insurance won't cover the costs of the surgery and alternative government aid is unavailable, John Q. Archibald (Denzel Washington) takes a hospital emergency room hostage in a last-ditch attempt to save his child.

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Critics Consensus

Washington's performance rises above the material, but John Q pounds the audience over the head with its message.

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Empire Magazine

Rated: 2/5

Dec 30, 2006

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Jeff Strickler

Minneapolis Star Tribune

A polemic in search of a plot.

Rated: 2/4

Nov 6, 2002

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Steven D. Greydanus

Decent Films

"What John does is heroic, but we don't condone it," one of the film's stars recently said, a tortuous comment that perfectly illustrates the picture's moral schizophrenia.

Rated: D-

May 9, 2002

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...Washington offers up a consistently spellbinding turn that goes a long way towards smoothing over the narrative’s bumps and lulls...

Rated: 3.5/4

Feb 3, 2024

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Justin Brown

Medium Popcorn

I liked this movie but some of the performances like Eddie Griffin threw the tone off a bit. But all in all, Denzel does such a great job in this film and does everything he can to carry it to the finish line.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 20, 2022

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Brandon Collins

Medium Popcorn

Denzel carries this movie on his back, which saves the movie from fully drowning. It should've been a great Denzel movie but because of its flaws, it is just "ok".

Rated: 3/5

Nov 20, 2022

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Gage H

A great movie about a boy who might live or die and what a performance by Denzel Washington

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/28/25

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Drew F

Great movie! Denzel in his prime. Movie will pull at your heart strings. No pun intended.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/19/25

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Amaliya H

Heart wrenching, couldn’t stop sobbing, one of my favourite movies

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/21/25

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Rose C

Absolutely ridiculous plot and a waste of some good actors with unrealistic script and ham overacting.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/24/25

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Audience Member

I can’t watch this movie again because it breaks my heart. But I love Denzel Washington period, let alone in this movie which is heart wrenching and beautiful.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/22/25

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Audience Member

I guess they spent all the money on hiring stars, because they certainly didn't have much left for script or production. Dreadful Ham performances from all, cheesey story, dreary slow pace, terrible camera work, looks like low budget soap. Possibly the worst movie I've seen in a long time.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/13/25

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Nick Cassavetes

Director

Denzel Washington

John Q. Archibald

Robert Duvall

Grimes

James Woods

Dr. Turner

Anne Heche

Rebecca Payne

Eddie Griffin

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Synopsis

Story centers on a man whose nine-year-old son is in desperate need of a life-saving transplant. When he discovers that his medical insurance won't cover the costs of the surgery and alternative government aid is unavailable, John Q. Archibald (Denzel Washington) takes a hospital emergency room hostage in a last-ditch attempt to save his child.

Director: Nick Cassavetes
Producer: Mark Burg, Oren Koules
Screenwriter: James Kearns
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: Evolution Entertainment
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Intense Thematic Elements|Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 15, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 15, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA): $71.0M
Runtime: 1h 58m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, SDDS, DTS-ES, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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