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The Ninth Gate

Play trailer Poster for The Ninth Gate R 2000 2h 13m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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44% Tomatometer 97 Reviews 58% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) specializes in tracking down rare and exotic volumes for collectors. Boris Balkan (Frank Langella) has recently acquired a seventeenth-century satanic text called The Nine Gates- a legendary book written by Satan himself. With The Nine Gates in his possession, Corso soon finds himself at the center of strange and violent goings-on. Not only is his apartment ransacked, it appears that he is being shadowed ferociously by others determined to regain the book.
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The Ninth Gate

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Critics Consensus

Even though the film is stylish and atmospheric, critics say The Ninth Gate meanders aimlessly and is often ludicrous. And despite the advertising, there's hardly any chills.

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Critics Reviews

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Brandon Judell IndieWire Polanski revisits Satan with less than devilish fun. Sep 14, 2012 Full Review Jay Carr Boston Globe The self-immolating and oblivion-bound Ninth Gate is the kind of film that's going to give satanic cults a bad name. Jan 1, 2000 Full Review David Hunter The Hollywood Reporter The film never gets around to illuminating much about the lead character. Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Alan Jones Radio Times This satisfying gothic chiller has moody atmosphere, a stunning score (from Wojciech Kilar) and sinister unease to spare as it leads the viewer up numerous garden paths to a disappointing hallucinatory climax. Rated: 3/5 Nov 11, 2025 Full Review Sean Axmaker Stream on Demand ... full of rumbling menace and deliciously unsettling imagery, but Polanski’s languorous direction and purposefully vague story leaves a film that’s eerie without every becoming thrilling. Oct 11, 2025 Full Review Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh There are a number of promising themes being explored here that feel entirely fresh for the horror genre, yet none of these nuggets of promise are paid off in fulfilling ways, making for a messy experience with glimmers of hope. Rated: 3/5 Sep 20, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Danny W. Horrible pace, horrible music, and an ending that made me throw my remote at the TV. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 11/04/25 Full Review Ryan H. Corso acquires a book written by the devil that can be used to summon them, he's just trying to figure out if the book is forgery or the real deal. This started off interesting but I lost all faith in the movie when the lady died with her tongue out. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/31/25 Full Review Pat E. Great 90’s gothic tale. The tomato score is off on this one. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/18/25 Full Review Sonny W A very good mystery film, could've leant more heavily into the supernatural and darker aspects but overall I found this very engaging and a good watch! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 09/01/25 Full Review Louise C I watched this for a second time, there being a few years since the first viewing. Unfortunately, this did not clarify anything for me. Other reviewers have said what was lacking, and I agree. This is not Roman's best work. Released in 1999, it now seems so weird to have a character chain-smoking all the way through. It became a distraction for me as the film went on. No-one today would smoke like that, in venues that were enclosed. It demonstrates that society's attitudes change over decades. Although the actors portrayed well what the material offered, this particular movie did not deliver a satisfying conclusion. It is long for the quality given. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/21/25 Full Review thiago s Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 07/18/25 Full Review Read all reviews
The Ninth Gate

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Cast & Crew

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Roman Polanski

Director

Johnny Depp

Dean Corso

Frank Langella

Boris Balkan

Lena Olin

Liana Telfer

Emmanuelle Seigner

The Girl

Barbara Jefford

Baroness Kessler

Movie Clips

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The Ninth Gate

The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - Blood Baptism The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - Blood Baptism 2:09 The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - You Should Be More Careful The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - You Should Be More Careful 2:16 The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - The Enigma Is Solved The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - The Enigma Is Solved 2:06 The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - Even Hell Has Its Heroes The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - Even Hell Has Its Heroes 2:03 The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - A Man Whose Loyalty Can Be Bought The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - A Man Whose Loyalty Can Be Bought 2:15 The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - Raise the Devil The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - Raise the Devil 1:55 The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - Why the Devil? The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - Why the Devil? 2:13 The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - The Last Engraving The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - The Last Engraving 2:12 The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - Some Books Are Dangerous The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - Some Books Are Dangerous 2:04 The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - Boris Enters the Ninth Gate The Ninth Gate: Official Clip - Boris Enters the Ninth Gate 2:15 View more videos

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The Ninth Gate

The Ninth Gate (1999) Johnny Depp as Corso and Lena Olin as Liana in Artisan's The Ninth Gate Emmanuelle Seigner as an evasive angelic creature who knows a great deal about The Nine Gates and the people pursuing it in Artisan's The Ninth Gate Frank Langella as Boris Balkan in Artisan's The Ninth Gate Frank Langella as Boris and Johnny Depp as Corso in Artisan's The Ninth Gate Johnny Depp as Corso in Artisan's The Ninth Gate The secret society formed to perpetuate the teachings of The Nine Gates of the Kingdom of the Shadows in Artisan's The Ninth Gate View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Dean Corso (Johnny Depp) specializes in tracking down rare and exotic volumes for collectors. Boris Balkan (Frank Langella) has recently acquired a seventeenth-century satanic text called The Nine Gates- a legendary book written by Satan himself. With The Nine Gates in his possession, Corso soon finds himself at the center of strange and violent goings-on. Not only is his apartment ransacked, it appears that he is being shadowed ferociously by others determined to regain the book.
Director
Roman Polanski
Producer
Roman Polanski
Screenwriter
Arturo Pérez-Reverte, John Brownjohn, Enrique Urbizu, Roman Polanski
Distributor
Artisan Entertainment
Production Co
R.P. Productions, Araba Films, Le Studio Canal +, Orly Films, Live Entertainment, Bac Films, Kino Vision, Via Digital
Rating
R (Violence|Sexuality)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 10, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 26, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$18.7M
Runtime
2h 13m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby Digital, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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