Safe House

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Safe House

R

Released Feb 10, 2012

1h 55m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

192 Reviews

63%

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100,000+ Ratings

For the past year, rookie CIA agent Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) has been eager to prove himself while cooling his heels at an inactive South African post. He gets the chance when Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), a turncoat operative, is brought to Weston's safe house for debriefing. But soon after Frost's arrival, mercenaries attack, and Weston and Frost barely escape with their lives. The two men must join forces and try to stay alive long enough to figure out who wants them dead.

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Critics Consensus

Safe House stars Washington and Reynolds are let down by a thin script and choppily edited action sequences.

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Keith Uhlich

Time Out

A first-quarter Hollywood release par excellence. Meaning not.

Rated: 2/5

Aug 24, 2025

Full Review

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Though it's not a premise we haven't seen played out before on the silver screen, Safe House is a movie that sucks you in, guts you, and spits you out at the end.

Rated: B-

Sep 8, 2017

Full Review

Tambay Obenson

Shadow and Act

[Safe House] is utterly predictable stuff, in case you haven't already figured that out by now.

Aug 14, 2017

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Although occasionally exciting, there’s a pointed lack of gamesmanship in the events for a yarn involving spies, coupled with a lackluster quality that fails to leave an impression.

Rated: 2.5/4

Feb 23, 2023

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

I had a great time with “Safe House”, and I don’t penalize it for aiming at a specific mark and hitting it.

Rated: 3.5/5

Aug 25, 2022

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Why do scripters even try to hide the identity of the villain until the end? Given the obviousness in these films, they might as well include a character named Professor Plum, usually found brandishing a lead pipe in the conservatory, and be done with it.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 13, 2021

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David D

A by the numbers spy agency thriller, this time set in South Africa...not sure why. They didn't exactly lean into the location. Might have been due to tax breaks. Everyone puts in the performance expected and you get the result you knew was coming...and most importantly...you were entertained!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

09/05/25

Full Review

Jerod S

Reynolds is in charge of the safe house - and Washington is the elusive Tobin Frost. When the safe house is attacked, the two are at odds but also running from the intelligence community at large.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/23/25

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Brendan K

A little formulaic but good fun. Looked like they were going for a Jason Bourne vibe. Worth a watch.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/14/25

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Audience Member

Movie was alright, fine for a one time watch...

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

05/20/25

Full Review

tim s

This self-contained spy thriller delivers rousing action, with a steely-eyed Denzel Washington and a surprising against-type performance from Ryan Reynolds. As their characters evolve from mistrust to respect, a layer of humanity is added to their dynamic, making their interactions all the more compelling. The film's South African setting is a refreshing change of pace from the typical metropolitan backdrops of London and New York. Overall, Safe House proves that original ideas can still thrive in a landscape dominated by big-budget franchises.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/23/25

Full Review

Korra N

Safe House is a pretty generic spy thriller saved by outstanding performances & breakneck action sequences.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/25

Full Review

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Daniel Espinosa

Director

Denzel Washington

Tobin Frost

Ryan Reynolds

Matt Weston

Vera Farmiga

Catherine Linklater

Brendan Gleeson

David Barlow

Sam Shepard

Harlan Whitford

Safe House: Official Clip - They Want Me Alive

2:28

Safe House: Official Clip - Mercenaries Everywhere

2:43

Safe House: Official Clip - Who Do You Work For?

3:09

Safe House: Official Clip - We Got Him

2:36

Safe House: Official Clip - Housekeeping

2:49

Safe House: Official Clip - I Only Kill Professionals

2:12

Safe House: Official Clip - Pursued By Killers

1:54

Safe House: Official Clip - Dangerous Passenger

1:18

Safe House: Official Clip - Armed Intruders

2:07

Safe House: Official Clip - Bullets Over Shantytown

3:07

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Synopsis

For the past year, rookie CIA agent Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) has been eager to prove himself while cooling his heels at an inactive South African post. He gets the chance when Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), a turncoat operative, is brought to Weston's safe house for debriefing. But soon after Frost's arrival, mercenaries attack, and Weston and Frost barely escape with their lives. The two men must join forces and try to stay alive long enough to figure out who wants them dead.

Director: Daniel Espinosa
Producer: Scott Stuber
Screenwriter: David Guggenheim
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Bluegrass Films
Rating: R (Strong Violence Throughout|Some Language)
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 10, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $126.1M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Datasat, SDDS, Dolby Digital

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