The Machinist

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1:45

The Machinist

R

2004

1h 41m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

141 Reviews

83%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Factory worker Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale) suffers from insomnia so severe that his condition has taken its toll on his weight and his mental health. When Trevor unintentionally causes an on-the-job accident that horribly injures a coworker (Michael Ironside), he begins to become even more troubled. Despite a relationship with Stevie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a pretty prostitute, Trevor descends further into paranoia, blaming his problems on an enigmatic figure named Ivan (John Sharian).

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Critics Consensus

Brad Anderson's dark psychological thriller about a sleepless factory worker is elevated by Christian Bale astonishingly committed performance.

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Andrea Gronvall

Chicago Reader

Oct 24, 2011

Until now Bale's screen persona has been defined by a graceful athleticism; here his physicality is repellent, yet he carries the occasionally creaky plot of Scott Kosar's unsettling screenplay to a resonant finish.

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Ian Nathan

Empire Magazine

Apr 1, 2006

3/5

A few scenes into the gloom and you'll have a good idea what is generally up, if not the specifics, making the journey toward the eventual, inevitable twist fairly one-dimensional.

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Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Feb 9, 2006

One can't deny the dubious appeal of the spectacle of the skin-and-bone Bale, quite possibly endangering his health for the sake of his art.

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Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Aug 4, 2024

FIVE STARS

"The Machinist" is a well-crafted psychological thriller about self-deception and tragedy, told against an eerie landscape of terrifying dislocation and isolation. This is one effed up horror movie.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Mar 12, 2013

B+

Film4 Staff

Film4

Oct 24, 2011

3/5

If Nine Inch Nails, Swans and Ministry ever loomed large in the landscape of your imagination, Anderson's gloomy aesthetic may exert a sour but lingering pull.

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Mel A

@inflexible Aug 6, 2026

Amazing film. Watched it many times over many years and still go back to it. The atmosphere is great and the acting is impeccable.

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Josh G

@Parsifal83 Jul 31, 2026

Christian Bale carries this haunting psychological nightmare. The final reveal works, but it has the feel of a particularly grim Twilight Zone episode, for better and worse.

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Simon 1

@Simon869 Jul 10, 2026

schizophrenie ist offensichtlich doch der film ist nicht durchschaubar. top film, muss man doppelt anschauen

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Oliver W

@RT15253620 Jul 9, 2026

Good movie. 8.4/10. We know where the movie is going pretty early on, which is a bit disappointing, because it doesn't build tension or suspense like it could. That being said, it executes on its storyline pretty damn well, with Christian Bale’s astonishing transformation making Trevor’s psychological collapse both convincing and deeply unsettling. A sad, dark watch.

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Oscar T

@ScarfaceRampage Jun 24, 2026

Underrated and Bale’s best performance

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Oaklee D

@ODie63 Jun 22, 2026

A mind bending thriller with a fantastic performance by Christian Bale. This film does a great job of dragging you into its own little twisted world.

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Brad Anderson

Director

Christian Bale

Trevor Reznik

Jennifer Jason Leigh

Stevie

Aitana Sánchez-Gijón

Marie

John Sharian

Ivan

Michael Ironside

Miller

The Butterfly Effect

34%

81%

The Butterfly Effect

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for The Butterfly Effect

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26%

69%

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for Stay

Hide and Seek

12%

50%

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for Hide and Seek

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25%

25%

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Fever

57%

34%

Fever

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Synopsis

Factory worker Trevor Reznik (Christian Bale) suffers from insomnia so severe that his condition has taken its toll on his weight and his mental health. When Trevor unintentionally causes an on-the-job accident that horribly injures a coworker (Michael Ironside), he begins to become even more troubled. Despite a relationship with Stevie (Jennifer Jason Leigh), a pretty prostitute, Trevor descends further into paranoia, blaming his problems on an enigmatic figure named Ivan (John Sharian).

Director: Brad Anderson
Producer: Julio Fernández
Screenwriter: Scott Kosar
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Castelao Producciones S.A., Filmax, Fantastic Factory (Filmax)
Rating: R (Language|Disturbing Images|Sexuality|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 22, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.1M
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Surround

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