The Infernal Machine

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2:14

The Infernal Machine

R

2022

1h 52m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

37%

Tomatometer

19 Reviews

59%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Bruce Cogburn, a reclusive and controversial author of the famed book "The Infernal Machine," is drawn out of hiding when he begins to receive endless letters from an obsessive fan. What ensues is a dangerous labyrinth as Bruce searches for the person behind the cryptic messages, forcing him to confront his past and ultimately reveal the truth behind the book.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

The score is compellingly offbeat, flirting with church bells and what sounds like Tibetan prayer bowls, but the rest of this nervy, sweaty thriller gets a little bogged down in layers of futile intrigue.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 4, 2022

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Leslie Felperin

Guardian

Pearce stays true to form with a performance far more impressive, nuanced and crafted than the film perhaps deserves.

Rated: 3/5

Dec 1, 2022

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Phil Pirrello

AV Club

It’s unfortunate that video stores no longer exist, because The Infernal Machine would thrive as one of those rentals that a store carries only one or two copies of.

Rated: C+

Sep 21, 2022

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John Serba

Decider

Absurdist without being particularly funny or entertaining, The Infernal Machine keeps pulling the rug out from under Cogburn, and therefore us, wholly subscribing to another bit of writerly advice: Torture your protagonist

Aug 5, 2025

Full Review

Jayne Nelson

Radio Times

The screenplay, which starts as a sensible, well-paced cat-and-mouse drama, turns into a carnival of reality-snubbing nonsense in its final act.

Rated: 2/5

Mar 4, 2025

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Victoria Luxford

City AM

a sparse psychological tussle that feels like it’s from another decade, starting strongly but losing steam long before the final chapter.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 16, 2022

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Mark M

Guy Pearce delivers a gripping performance in the taut psychological thriller "The Infernal Machine". The tension builds masterfully as a reclusive author confronts his dark past. Smart, atmospheric, and unpredictable. It keeps you guessing until the final twist. A hidden gem worth discovering. 7 out of 10 🤙 from this guy.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/13/25

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Laurance S.

Pretentious pablum. Long disjointed and boring to a fault

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

10/06/25

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Jeffrey P

Okay execution of psychological mystery that kinda comes apart with its conclusion.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/20/25

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Arthur D

Addresses the reality of some university (not all) professors who are failures in their teaching field but are lusting to be famous in their discipline. Guy does a very good performance. Other actors demonstrate their acting skills very well. Overall, good for a Saturday night in the family room with your partner and some popcorn and beer. If you have kids then wait until they are tucked away for the night.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/08/25

Full Review

Rock M

Outstanding acting and story. Naysayers lack both patience and acceptance of pacing, deadends and head fakes (gotcha!); their egos crushed when their predicted and/or wished for outcomes failed to materialize. Again, enjoyable entertainment.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/24/25

Full Review

Michael G

First, the nitpicking. Filmed in Portugal, doubling rather unsuccessfully/unconvincingly for California. Guy Pearce is (again) terrific but this is another script all based upon a gimmick that doesn't get revealed until act three, at which point you realize there's not much of a point to the story beyond the gimmick. Claptrap hokey Rube Goldberg on steroids ending is measurably worse than the rest of the film, which is quite okay, if one didn't feel cheated by the "so what" that it all turns out to be.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

08/18/25

Full Review

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Andrew Hunt

Director

Guy Pearce

Bruce Cogburn

Alice Eve

Officer Higgins

Jeremy Davies

Elijah Barett

Alex Pettyfer

Dwight Tufford

Iris Cayatte

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The Infernal Machine: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Bruce Cogburn, a reclusive and controversial author of the famed book "The Infernal Machine," is drawn out of hiding when he begins to receive endless letters from an obsessive fan. What ensues is a dangerous labyrinth as Bruce searches for the person behind the cryptic messages, forcing him to confront his past and ultimately reveal the truth behind the book.

Director: Andrew Hunt
Producer: Julian Hicks, Lionel Hicks, Spencer McLaren
Screenwriter: Andrew Hunt
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Moviebox, Liquid Noise Films, Filmology Finance, Dark Dreams Entertainment , Monte Productions
Rating: R (Language and Some Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 23, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 23, 2022
Runtime: 1h 52m

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