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Punch-Drunk Love

Play trailer 2:25 Poster for Punch-Drunk Love R Released Oct 11, 2002 1h 35m Romance Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
79% Tomatometer 199 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Although susceptible to violent outbursts, bathroom supply business owner Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) is a timid and shy man by disposition, leading a lonely, uneventful life -- partly due to the constant berating he suffers from his seven sisters. However, several events transpire that shake up Egan's mundane existence, one of which is falling in love with one sister's co-worker, Lena Leonard (Emily Watson). But the romance is threatened when Egan falls victim to an extortionist.
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Punch-Drunk Love

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Critics Consensus

Odd, touching, and unique, Punch-Drunk Love is also delightfully funny, utilizing Adam Sandler's comic persona to explore the life of a lonely guy who finds love.

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Critics Reviews

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Nell Minow Common Sense Media Odd romantic journey for adults and older teens. Rated: 4/5 Dec 28, 2010 Full Review David Ansen Newsweek It's a romantic comedy on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Nov 1, 2007 Full Review Derek Adams Time Out The film looks good and has its funny moments, but too often one senses Anderson straining to impress... Jun 24, 2006 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy A romantic comedy that operates by the rules of its own self-contained universe. Rated: 3/4 Jun 20, 2023 Full Review Stephen Silver Tilt Magazine There’s also no overestimating how jarring it was at the time for Sandler to appear in a film like this- not only a non-comedy but something with such a weird, unconventional tone and pace (20th anniversary) Rated: 4/5 Nov 8, 2022 Full Review Danielle Solzman Solzy at the Movies Punch-Drunk Love marks an evolution in Adam Sandler's career because it showed that he was capable of more than just the typical comedy fare that he was in at the time. Rated: 4/5 Oct 12, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Griffith J No business looking this good with beautiful/subtle lighting. Strange & random but a warm tone that is just lovely. The screenplay is ridiculous but masterfully crafted. Simple yet uniquely profound with a great score & cast. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/25/24 Full Review julie b Phillip Seymour Hoffman screaming shut up is sensational. Perioooood. Another interesting story by PTA, this is quirky, eerie, romantic, and intense. The movie quickly oscillates between chaos and calm as if you’re right inside Barry’s head, and you never truly know what to expect next.  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/23/24 Full Review Faiz D A dark, unique, surreal and uncommon film with Adam Sandler. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/29/24 Full Review helder f The first part of the movie is just plainly unpleasant. A headache from so many perspectives… to give it some credit, we are somewhat thrown into the chaotic state of this novelty’s salesman. Right among his fears, worries and beliefs. We have a glimpse into the sorts of pressure he gets mostly out his equally chaotic sisters. But again it’s just too unpleasant. The second half has its good moments, but it still doesn’t make up for the unpleasantness of the first part. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/10/24 Full Review Audience Member This movie seems to overall be beloved by movie watchers. Positive ratings across the board, seems to have been well received. So, I was pretty surprised when I found myself really hating it. I always give serious Adam Sandler a chance, but I never am happy with the results. #Spaceman was ok, #UncutGems I found to have some exciting moments, but I just overall found it kinda lame. I think it really unfortunately comes down to Adam Sandler is a super relatable average guy and as a movie watcher, I kinda just don’t care. I feel we don’t want to see an average guy struggling with issues because tbh, we see that in life. There is nothing, in my opinion, overly moving about a socially awkward guy giving too much info to a sex hotline and opening up a series of following events. If anything, it’s just cringy and expected situation. Sure #PunchDrunkLove delivers some nifty camera work but I just kinda felt I watched a autistic man be autistic for 90min. There was a palpable anxiety but again…that’s my 9-5. It’s nothing that exciting but just enough for you to count the days till vacation. Maybe I missed something in the film or potentially even in life that would let me connect with why many people seem to love this movie. Because quite frankly, I thrive with quirky and weird movies quite often, but I did not vibe with this one. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 07/29/24 Full Review Munkhchimeg T Recommended movie for me. Liked the every minute Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/23/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Although susceptible to violent outbursts, bathroom supply business owner Barry Egan (Adam Sandler) is a timid and shy man by disposition, leading a lonely, uneventful life -- partly due to the constant berating he suffers from his seven sisters. However, several events transpire that shake up Egan's mundane existence, one of which is falling in love with one sister's co-worker, Lena Leonard (Emily Watson). But the romance is threatened when Egan falls victim to an extortionist.
Director
Paul Thomas Anderson
Producer
Paul Thomas Anderson, Daniel Lupi, JoAnne Sellar
Screenwriter
Paul Thomas Anderson
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
Production Co
Ghoulardi Film Company, Revolution Films
Rating
R (Strong Language|Scene of Sexual Dialogue)
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 11, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 15, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$17.8M
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby EX, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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