Pusher

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Pusher

Released Aug 18, 2006

1h 46m

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

83%

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18 Reviews

85%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

As a heroin dealer in Copenhagen, Frank (Kim Bodnia) is far from the top but earns good money pushing with a friend (Mads Mikkelsen). When he decides to up the ante, Frank goes to Milo (Zlatko Buric), a drug lord -- except he doesn't have enough money for the heroin. Instead, Milo fronts him the goods upon the condition of immediate repayment. But when Frank goes to make the deal, and the police arrive, he has to ditch the drugs. Now Frank has to find a way to repay Milo if he wants to live.

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

Refn's electrifying debut soon morphs into something far more opaque and unsettling than a mere genre retread.

Rated: B+

Jun 9, 2011

Full Review

Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

The film practically vibrates with youthful aggression, sly humor and gathering tension, hurling itself forward like a junkie toward the next fix.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 2, 2006

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Noel Murray

AV Club

A pulpy, twisty crime story

Rated: B+

Aug 25, 2006

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C.H. Newell

Father Son Holy Gore

Full of resonant themes not simply confined to the crime/drug world.

Rated: 5/5

May 4, 2019

Full Review

Henry Stewart

Brooklyn Magazine

The kind of stuff Miramax used to pump into the Angelika like Fruitopia.

Jun 15, 2016

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Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

Outstandingly well-done for a first-time director with no formal training on a shoestring budget, but something about it is unappealingly typical.

Rated: 7/10

Sep 18, 2011

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Benjamin H

The filmmaking style that director Nicolas Winding Refn and cinematographer Morten Søborg brought to Pusher manages to paint the gritty, dirty and volatile nature of Copenhagen's underworld. In general, this is a well-acted and tense crime film that captivated me from the moment the plot fully kicked in. The film doesn't have the strongest or smoothest start, and a few character decisions could have been handled in a finer way, but nevertheless this is a solidly crafted film that had a great influence on Danish cinema.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/05/25

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Audience Member

One of the best drug dealer movies ever

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/11/25

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Audience Member

All in all not a bad movie, but the plot gets confusing at times. Certain plot points feel overshadowed by the grunginess and anxiety that permeate the movie.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/14/25

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Millie C

Love the Pusher trilogy, With Blood On My Hands is definitely the best however this one is just as good! Phenomenal acting and great tension, anxiety and suspense! Det var så fantastisk nydt det!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/01/25

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Dave G

An absorbing and believable look at seedy characters in untenable situations from a gifted filmmaker. Pusher's projection of authenticity makes me wonder uncomfortably if Refn is only too familiar with the reality of its subject matter.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/07/24

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R 9

A solid crime thriller. 'Pusher' entertained me enough, though the plot did feel a bit repetitive as it felt like it kept 'going around in circles' to me personally. Some of the lighting and editing (as in cuts) choices also made the film feel a little more underwhelming. The cast do well, arguably the film's strongest element. Kim Bodnia makes for a solid lead, though his performance is a tad samey throughout - similar to the aforementioned. Mads Mikkelsen's Tonny sticks out because he is being played by Mads Mikkelsen, the character is OK - underused perhaps, though I may just think that as it's Mads... the whole reason I chose to view this trilogy, to be honest. 6/10 would feel harsh so this 1996 release gets 7/10 from yours truly. I didn't overly enjoy it, though I can't exactly say I disliked it either... probably levels out at watchable.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/24/23

Full Review

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Nicolas Winding Refn

Director

Kim Bodnia

Frank

Zlatko Buric

Milo

Laura Drasbæk

Vic

Slavko Labovic

Radovan

Mads Mikkelsen

Tonny

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Synopsis

As a heroin dealer in Copenhagen, Frank (Kim Bodnia) is far from the top but earns good money pushing with a friend (Mads Mikkelsen). When he decides to up the ante, Frank goes to Milo (Zlatko Buric), a drug lord -- except he doesn't have enough money for the heroin. Instead, Milo fronts him the goods upon the condition of immediate repayment. But when Frank goes to make the deal, and the police arrive, he has to ditch the drugs. Now Frank has to find a way to repay Milo if he wants to live.

Director: Nicolas Winding Refn
Producer: Henrik Danstrup
Screenwriter: Jens Dahl, Nicolas Winding Refn
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Balboa Entertainment
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: Danish
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 18, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.4K
Runtime: 1h 46m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround

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