Paycheck

Play trailer

2:25

Paycheck

PG-13

2003

1h 59m

Sci-Fi

Action

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

27%

Tomatometer

151 Reviews

45%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) is a top-notch reverse engineer. Corporations pay him to crack the secrets of their competitors' products. When the job is done, he has his memory of it erased. Rethrick (Aaron Eckhart), head of a company called Allcom, hires Jennings to reverse-engineer a secret government device. After the job, Jennings wakes from the memory erasure to find himself being chased by various agencies. He soon realizes that the fate of the entire world may be in his hands.

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Critics Consensus

Though Dick's short story has an intriguing premise, Woo reduces it to a lot of meaningless chases, shoot-outs, and explosions.

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Neil Norman

London Evening Standard

A rubbish script, terrible acting from all concerned -- including, I regret to say, Uma Thurman -- and Woo's action histrionics uneasily confined to science lab interiors, all conspire to produce a movie of utter redundancy.

Jan 11, 2018

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

This movie just sags, even in the action scenes.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 27, 2010

Full Review

Adam Smith

Empire Magazine

Some remedial script work is in need, and the characters are far from compelling. But the action is up to scratch and it rattles happily along.

Rated: 3/5

Apr 1, 2006

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...an overly slick and mostly mindless actioner...

Rated: 2.5/4

May 18, 2025

Full Review

Kathi Maio

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction

Ben can't, however, make Paycheck into the good movie it might have been. That would have required a director more interested in ideas and less interested in things that go boom...

Feb 28, 2020

Full Review

John A. Nesbit

Old School Reviews

Woo's stylish touches fall flat in this forgettable project

Rated: C-

May 14, 2012

Full Review

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robby m

The critics' consensus is spot-on

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/24/25

Full Review

Guillaume D

Hey, a 90's movie I didn't know! With Uma and, well, Affleck. Might be fun watching! Well, I laughed a few times. Not because it was funny, but because of... everything. Acting, scenario, action scenes, dialogs,everything is just as bas as can be. Ben played in quite many bad flicks; but how could Uma get dragged in this? Time waster.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/18/25

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

07/10/25

Full Review

Korra N

A poor adaptation but a very fun, albeit dumb action thriller.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/06/25

Full Review

Ian R

I couldn't finish this film. Thurman is terrible and so too is the rest of the cast. Affleck is, once again, just being a poseur in a suit. Don't waste your internet data.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

06/11/25

Full Review

Dave G

Solid premise but an awkward script. Hard to follow the convoluted plot. Disappointing performances (for the most part) by all involved - largely thanks to the lacklustre script.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

06/06/25

Full Review

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John Woo

Director

Ben Affleck

Michael Jennings

Aaron Eckhart

Rethrick

Uma Thurman

Rachel Porter

Paul Giamatti

Shorty

Colm Feore

Mr. Wolf

Paycheck: Official Clip - Motorcycle Chase

2:06

Paycheck: Official Clip - Bus Station Chase

1:40

Paycheck: Official Clip - Laboratory Beatdown

2:59

Paycheck: Official Clip - I Sold My Shares?

2:24

Paycheck: Official Clip - Fight the Future

2:44

Paycheck: Official Clip - Train Tracks Confrontation

2:57

Paycheck: Official Clip - Mental Extraction

2:37

Paycheck: Official Clip - The Reverse-Engineer

2:22

Paycheck: Official Clip - Bus Station Shootout

2:46

Paycheck: Official Clip - Shipyard Chase

2:56

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Paycheck: Trailer 1

2:25

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Synopsis

Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) is a top-notch reverse engineer. Corporations pay him to crack the secrets of their competitors' products. When the job is done, he has his memory of it erased. Rethrick (Aaron Eckhart), head of a company called Allcom, hires Jennings to reverse-engineer a secret government device. After the job, Jennings wakes from the memory erasure to find himself being chased by various agencies. He soon realizes that the fate of the entire world may be in his hands.

Director: John Woo
Producer: John Woo, John Davis, Terence Chang, Michael Hackett
Screenwriter: Dean Georgaris
Distributor: Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG
Production Co: Solomon/Hackett Productions, Davis Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Frantic Films, Lion Rock Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Action Violence|Brief Language)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 25, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $53.8M
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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