The Program

R

Released Mar 18, 2016

1 hr. 43 min.

Biography

Drama

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List

62%

111 Reviews

Tomatometer

44%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

Journalist David Walsh (Chris O'Dowd) of The Sunday Times investigates famed cyclist Lance Armstrong (Ben Foster) for doping.

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Critics Consensus

Ben Foster's impressive efforts to channel Lance Armstrong are often enough to power The Program past director Stephen Frears' frustrating unwillingness to delve deeper into its real-life story.

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Melissa L

Amazing documentary. Very real and important to watch!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/10/24

Full Review

Simon G

Horrible. Hard to commit to a single compliment about this toilet duck of a movie.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

07/29/23

Full Review

Anthony C

The bedside manner of the doctors in this movie is ridiculous. Lance you have testicular cancer, so we need to chop one off and put you on intensive chemo. Not even a breath between it. Next scene is the surgeon drilling into his skull, erm my testicles aren't there, is that normal? Then as coming out of general anaesthetic they say its either the cancer that wins or you. Total joke, turned off after that

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/22/23

Full Review

isla s

This is an ok biopic. Its a bit bland and not especially exciting as such, for a sports drama but its, you guessed it, ok. I like Chris O'Dowd, so when I heard he was in it, I wanted to see it. I do like a good biopic and character focussed dramas, so this should have been interesting but it felt just a bit too long drawn out and given its got a running time of slightly under an hour and three quarters long, that does say something. However, there is a decent cast, with Dustin Hoffman and the main character played by Ben Foster, who does give a fairly convincing performance. Lance certainly comes across as a cocky, brash sort of guy. Perhaps its because its based on a true story that it feels a bit uncomfortable but usually I'm quite keen and even find films more compelling if I know their based on true stories but in this case, it just didn't quite feel great but it isn't entirely bad - its watchable and with a good cast, just not at all compelling or memorable really. Overall, unsurprisingly, I wouldn't recommend it, no.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I enjoyed this one and the story it told about one of the largest sports icons in the cycling world in the early 2000s as we look into the life of Lance Armstrong and what happened

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/13/23

Full Review

jackson m

Yes, the balance between Walsh's storyline and Armstrong's could be better. The film covers a very wide spread of time and events, but it's fascinating and exquisitely executed. It doesn't have the gutwrenching reveal moment like some scandal biopics have, but nevertheless guys like Dowd, Hoffman and Foster are incredibly magnetic.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Stephen Frears

Director

Ben Foster

Lance Armstrong

Chris O'Dowd

David Walsh

Guillaume Canet

Medecin Michele Ferrari

Jesse Plemons

Floyd Landis

Lee Pace

Bill Stapleton

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The Program: Trailer 1

2:18

The Program: International Teaser Trailer 1

1:31

The Program: International Trailer 1

2:10

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Susan Wloszczyna

RogerEbert.com

The flashily photographed enterprise too often becomes a blur of sound bites and slick aesthetics akin to a Nike commercial.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 18, 2016

Full Review

Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

"The Program" fails to add anything new, or penetrate the soul of so crafty a cheater.

Mar 18, 2016

Full Review

Kate Taylor

Globe and Mail

It never goes deep on what it was that produced the awfulness that is Lance Armstrong.

Rated: 2/4

Mar 18, 2016

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

The Program feels uneven, as though it couldn't decide whether to be a dramatically reenacted exposé of Armstrong's lies or a standard drama.

Rated: 2/4

Apr 18, 2022

Full Review

Ian Brill

Battleship Pretension

The Program could have been an inoffensive and forgettable effort, but is saved by Armstrong and Plemmons providing distinct and competing portrayals of what it really means to "win at all costs."

Apr 13, 2021

Full Review

David Walsh

World Socialist Web Site

The Program is an efficiently told and effectively made work. Frears knows how to direct actors by this time, and there is hardly a false note. The filmmakers treat the Armstrong saga as a modern crime story.

Feb 11, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

Journalist David Walsh (Chris O'Dowd) of The Sunday Times investigates famed cyclist Lance Armstrong (Ben Foster) for doping.

Director: Stephen Frears
Executive Producer: Amelia Granger, Liza Chasin, Olivier Courson, Ron Halpern
Screenwriter: John Hodge
Distributor: Momentum Pictures
Production Co: Anton Capital Entertainment
Rating: R (Language)
Genre: Biography, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 18, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 31, 2016
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

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