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The Manchurian Candidate

Play trailer 2:24 Poster for The Manchurian Candidate R Released Jul 30, 2004 2h 10m Mystery & Thriller Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
79% Tomatometer 208 Reviews 63% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Years after his squad was ambushed during the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco (Denzel Washington) finds himself having terrible nightmares. He begins to doubt that his fellow squad-mate Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber), now a vice-presidential candidate, is the hero he remembers him being. As Marco's doubts deepen, Shaw's political power grows, and, when Marco finds a mysterious implant embedded in his back, the memory of what really happened begins to return.
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The Manchurian Candidate

The Manchurian Candidate

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Critics Consensus

While not the classic its predecessor is, this update is well-acted and conjures a chilling resonance.

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Critics Reviews

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Will Self London Evening Standard Good as the players are, they can't make this hokum remotely believable. Dec 21, 2017 Full Review Nell Minow Common Sense Media Sleek remake is more violent than original. Rated: 4/5 Dec 28, 2010 Full Review David Ansen Newsweek Jonathan Demme's new Manchurian Candidate is a gourmet-popcorn movie--a hugely entertaining thriller shot through with dark shards of agony and paranoia. It takes nothing away from the original while delivering pleasures all its own. Jul 6, 2010 Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site And yet the film as a whole fails to move deeply. One questions whether it will have a profound impact on its viewers. Feb 15, 2021 Full Review Norman Wilner NOW Toronto Demme's 2004 remake, which moved the action into the present day and cast Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber and Meryl Streep in the key roles...tweaked the ending just enough to make things feel even more hopeless. Nov 10, 2020 Full Review Leigh Paatsch Herald Sun (Australia) Disappointing remake of the classic 1962 thriller. Rated: 2/5 Jun 18, 2020 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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David H I'm not sure why we have an obsession with remakes in this country. Even films and series that were originally in English get remade as if to ensure that no American in this decade has to endure dealing with a plot that takes place outside of this decade. *** *** That said, this was a pretty good film. I prefer the original 1962 version, but this one was interesting to watch just to see what they would change. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/13/24 Full Review Nick W Well acted with a satisfying story that is incredibly relevant to modern times. The characters can occasionally lack personality and I think that certain characters are given too much screen time relative to their importance to the plot, however these minor complaints should not detract from the fact that this film is extremely well made Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 07/12/24 Full Review Tibor F Enjoyed it very much. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/14/24 Full Review Bob W One of the big movie disappointments of my life. I'm a fan of the original movie but also a fan of Jonathan Demme and I was hoping for a lively update of the blackly comic, chilling, fascinating original. Instead, author Richard Condon's comic is entirely gone and the movie fails to find a strong replacement for the Cold War paranoia that energized the original. Stick with the 1962 version or the excellent novel. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 09/22/23 Full Review Rob D A super entertaining movie with everybody involved in the conspiracy. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/20/23 Full Review John R The plot is fuel for people who love conspiracy. I love the way the film somehow, while being a political thriller, leaves the political compass of the charaters ambiguous. The performances are phenomenal. Somehow everyone on screen steals the show even very minor characters nat to mention the main players. Never miss a chance to watch it. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/12/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Manchurian Candidate

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Cast & Crew

The Manchurian Candidate

The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Assassination The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Assassination 2:13 The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - The Implant The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - The Implant 2:13 The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Decisions The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Decisions 1:22 The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Father and Daughter The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Father and Daughter 2:10 The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Help Me or Shoot Me The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Help Me or Shoot Me 2:01 The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Dreams The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Dreams 2:13 The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - A Big Bite of Shaw The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - A Big Bite of Shaw 1:23 The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Private Eddie Ingram The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Private Eddie Ingram 1:22 The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Interrogation The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Interrogation 2:10 View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Years after his squad was ambushed during the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco (Denzel Washington) finds himself having terrible nightmares. He begins to doubt that his fellow squad-mate Sergeant Raymond Shaw (Liev Schreiber), now a vice-presidential candidate, is the hero he remembers him being. As Marco's doubts deepen, Shaw's political power grows, and, when Marco finds a mysterious implant embedded in his back, the memory of what really happened begins to return.
Director
Jonathan Demme
Producer
Scott Rudin, Tina Sinatra
Screenwriter
Dean Georgaris, Richard Condon, George Axelrod, Daniel Pyne
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
R (Violence|Some Language)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 30, 2004, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 17, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$65.9M
Runtime
2h 10m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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