Lean on Pete

R

Released Apr 6, 2018

2 hr. 2 min.

Drama

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List

90%

190 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Charley, a teen living with his single father, finds work caring for an aging racehorse named Lean on Pete. When he learns Pete is bound for slaughter, the two embark on an odyssey across the new American frontier in search of a place to call home.

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Critics Consensus

Lean on Pete avoids mawkish melodrama, offering an empathetic yet clear-eyed portrayal of a young man at a crossroads that confirms Charley Plummer as a major talent.

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Georgan G

This drama is honest & heartbreaking. The young actor playing lead, Charlie Plummer, is outstanding, hitting every scene just right. Sadly many aspects of this story are quite realistic.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/29/24

Full Review

Michael O

Good movie until the ending which was so depressing. Not a feel good at all.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/24

Full Review

Alec B

Haigh takes what could easily have been a saccharine and emotionally manipulative story and makes something more honest. This allows the movie to earn it's most powerful moments.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/05/24

Full Review

The Great John A

A good watch if you have the time however I expected the film to be a horse movie but it was just about the boy. I don't think the story really went anywhere after the 1 and a half hour mark. Overall the acting performances are acceptable and the first half was good but afterwards it didn't really go anywhere. I would have liked to have seen a bit more bonding with him the horse and the owner as like a father figure to him but I guess it is okay what we got in the end. So yeah decent watch but expected better. Grade: B

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/23/23

Full Review

Magnus O

I thought I was watching a movie about a horse. Turned out the horse was just part of the set. The other established actors also just have small walk on parts. It is not that Charlie Plummer does a bad job acting; his character is never really developed to the point where I give a *uck. Even his conversation with the horse does not really delve into his psyche. Gotta love what they did for the horse at the end.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/19/23

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Jennifer M

Beautiful movie about an abandoned young boys way home

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/15/23

Full Review

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Andrew Haigh

Director

Charlie Plummer

Charley

Chloë Sevigny

Bonnie

Steve Zahn

Silver

Justin Rain

Mike

Lewis Pullman

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Lean on Pete: International Trailer 1

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Lean on Pete: Trailer 1

2:25

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Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

This is a film that succeeds in holding all its elements in balance - and in doing so, arrives at a depth of feeling that isn't commonplace at all.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 3, 2018

Full Review

Robert Daniels

812filmreviews

And as the film enters into its final third, Plummer is steady and brilliant demonstrating not only Charley's growth, but also how his naivety becomes mixed with darkness.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 27, 2018

Full Review

Philip Kemp

Sight & Sound

For all its sometimes over-episodic structure, Haigh has crafted a quietly affecting coming-of-age journey tale sustained by a central performance that never feels forced or contrived.

May 9, 2018

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Benedict Seal

Vague Visages

Through time and living and learning with these characters, Lean on Pete hits the mark emotionally and reveals itself to be a poised, moving film.

Dec 5, 2023

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Cory Woodroof

For the Win (USA Today)

The film, while at times difficult to watch, effectively uses the atmosphere of horse racing as a plea for empathy in the face of an occasionally uncaring world.

May 19, 2023

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

“Lean on Pete” is a tough watch and sometimes our lone refuge lies in the picturesque landscapes of cinematographer Magnus Nordenhof Jønck.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 23, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Charley, a teen living with his single father, finds work caring for an aging racehorse named Lean on Pete. When he learns Pete is bound for slaughter, the two embark on an odyssey across the new American frontier in search of a place to call home.

Director: Andrew Haigh
Executive Producer: Darren M. Demetre, Lizzie Francke, Vincent Gadelle, Sam Lavender
Screenwriter: Andrew Haigh
Distributor: A24
Production Co: The Bureau
Rating: R (Language and Brief Violence)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English (United Kingdom)
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 6, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 3, 2018
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.2M
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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