The Manchurian Candidate

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2:24

The Manchurian Candidate

R

Released Jul 30, 2004

2h 10m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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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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Critics Consensus

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

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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

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…In 2004, it seemed like a vanilla cop-out for Demme’s updated thriller not to pick political sides, not putting blame on right or left, but on the oligarchical monied elite, but in retrospect, his Manchurian Candidate was on the money….

Rated: 4/5

Mar 8, 2025

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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

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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

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Ams T

Starts of ok, but the pace is painfully slow. After midway it looses its grip, and by the end it’s laughingly stupid. Avoid this and watch the original. Other than Meryl Streep, nothing to write home about.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/13/25

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revolver.0 8

bad directed and over acted laughable cringe even by cod:black ops and alex jones standards

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/30/25

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Stephen C

Success in 2 hours and 10 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Violence and Some Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $65,900,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/20/25

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Chief B

I don't get the negative reviews this movie gets. Haven't watched the original but I like this movie. Also it raises valid questions. Underrated movie!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/30/25

Full Review

Oscar A

Buena, ahora toca ver la original de 1962

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/25

Full Review

Audience Member

The theme is very interesting(sleeper agents trained to kill and forget) but the execution was not that good. The movie is mainly actionless and the mystery basically is reviled in the first 30 minutes.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/25

Full Review

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Jonathan Demme

Director

Denzel Washington

Army Major Ben Marco

Meryl Streep

Eleanor Prentiss Shaw

Liev Schreiber

Raymond Shaw

Jon Voight

Thomas Jordan

Kimberly Elise

Rosie

The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Assassination

2:13

The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - The Implant

2:13

The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Decisions

1:22

The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Father and Daughter

2:10

The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Help Me or Shoot Me

2:01

The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Dreams

2:13

The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - A Big Bite of Shaw

1:23

The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Private Eddie Ingram

1:22

The Manchurian Candidate: Official Clip - Interrogation

2:10

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2:00

The Manchurian Candidate: Trailer 1

2:24

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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, Jonathan Demme, Ilona Herzberg
Screenwriter: Daniel Pyne, Dean Georgaris, George Axelrod, Richard Condon
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Clinica Estetico
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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