Law Abiding Citizen

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2:25

Law Abiding Citizen

R

Released Oct 16, 2009

1h 48m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

26%

Tomatometer

162 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is an honorable family man, until the day his wife and daughter are murdered in a home invasion. He hopes for justice, but a rising prosecutor named Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) cuts a deal with one of the killers in exchange for testimony. Ten years later, that man is found dead and Shelton coolly admits his guilt. Then he hands Rice an ultimatum: Fix the broken legal system or suffer the consequences.

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Critics Consensus

Unnecessarily violent and unflinchingly absurd, Law Abiding Citizen is plagued by subpar acting and a story that defies reason.

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Keith Uhlich

Time Out

It's basically Saw with Gerard Butler as Jigsaw, which means he's as righteous of body as he is of mind.

Rated: 2/5

Jan 6, 2021

Full Review

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

There were surprises, twists and turns and could get graphic at times, but overall the movie was fast-paced, well performed, and kept your attention until the very end.

Rated: B+

Sep 12, 2017

Full Review

Giles Hardie

Sydney Morning Herald

For large portions of Law Abiding Citizen we're not sure who is going to be the winner here, nor who we want to be, and though it won't make for much of a date flick, as far as intelligent action flicks go, it gets two big burly thumbs up.

Rated: 4/5

Jan 30, 2010

Full Review

Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

What we end up with here is about two-thirds of a good film that's regrettably ruined by some poor writing in the third act.

Rated: 3/5

Jul 9, 2025

Full Review

Ezequiel Boetti

EscribiendoCine

Reassuring and too conservative... [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/10

Aug 9, 2024

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Filled with equal parts bloody carnage and plot holes, this vigilante yarn, more concerned with explosions and bloodletting than voicing its potential social commentary, unravels into a disorganized tangle

Rated: 2/4

Aug 30, 2023

Full Review

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shane o

Last 20 min really let this film down . I Mean why didn’t he just go out the door he went in.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/04/25

Full Review

Lewis T

Fast paced, gory, thrilling. Some holes along the way but well worth a watch!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/30/25

Full Review

Kathy D

This is one of the BEST THRILLERS EVER . The devices he comes up with and torture of killer are unreal.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/27/25

Full Review

Lynn K

This is a bit gory in places (eyes shut moments for me) but a clever thriller full of twists. Great cast and well acted. Wouldn’t have watched this based on RT critics reviews if my partner hadn’t already seen it and thought I’d like it. He can’t understand the low score. Very clever.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/21/25

Full Review

Bruno V

I think this film gets too lost in rhetoric about the flawed justice system.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/18/25

Full Review

Tay H

Movies was good till the last 20 minutes then it went down the drain

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/07/25

Full Review

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F. Gary Gray

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Jamie Foxx

Nick Rice

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Law Abiding Citizen: Trailer 1

2:25

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Synopsis

Clyde Shelton (Gerard Butler) is an honorable family man, until the day his wife and daughter are murdered in a home invasion. He hopes for justice, but a rising prosecutor named Nick Rice (Jamie Foxx) cuts a deal with one of the killers in exchange for testimony. Ten years later, that man is found dead and Shelton coolly admits his guilt. Then he hands Rice an ultimatum: Fix the broken legal system or suffer the consequences.

Director: F. Gary Gray
Producer: Lucas Foster, Gerard Butler, Alan Siegel, Mark Gill, Kurt Wimmer, Robert Katz
Screenwriter: Kurt Wimmer
Distributor: Overture Films
Production Co: Warp Films
Rating: R (Rape|Pervasive Language|Strong Bloody Brutal Violence|Torture)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 5, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $73.3M
Runtime: 1h 48m

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