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State of Play
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Metascore
64 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 36 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.4 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 72 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Russell Crowe
  • Summary: Handsome, unflappable U.S. Congressman Stephen Collins is the future of his political party: an honorable appointee who serves as the chairman of a committee overseeing defense spending. All eyes are upon the rising star to be his party's contender for the upcoming presidential race. Until his research assistant/mistress is brutally murdered and buried secrets come tumbling out. McAffrey has the dubious fortune of both an old friendship with Collins and a ruthless editor, Cameron, who has assigned him to investigate. As he and partner Della try to uncover the killer's identity, McAffrey steps into a cover-up that threatens to shake the nation's power structures. And in a town of spin-doctors and wealthy politicos, he will discover one truth: when billions are at stake, no one's integrity, love or life is ever safe. (Universal Pictures)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 36
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 36
  3. Negative: 1 out of 36
  1. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Rob Calvert
    100
    This is a smart script. There is a wealth of twists, but none of them have to beat you over the head.
  2. New York Magazine (Vulture)
    Reviewed by: David Edelstein
    60
    It's tricky, it's surprising, and it's largely faithful to the original mini-series, but in context it's a nonevent. It's like a time bomb that's never dismantled but never explodes. The movie is good enough that the ending leaves you … not angry, exactly. Unfulfilled.
  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    0
    State of Play is bordered by the states of absurdity and cliché.

See all 36 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. CRL
    10
    This movie is exceptional, and even with its crazy twists it manages to entertain and mystify for its entire running time. The characters are amazingly acted, and most of them knock 'real' straight out of the ballpark, while Russell Crowe delivers an Oscar-worthy performance. Well-written and executed on all fronts, State of Play is a movie I will definitely come back to time and time again.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. WinstonL.
    10
    Russell Crowe is on my Oscar-watch.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. EliasC
    5
    "State of Play' is an American adaptation of a BBC 6 hour mini-series. Hollywood should have left well enough alone. Although the performances of Crowe and Afleck are very good, This version of 'State of Play' is no 'All the President's Men' which it tries at times to emulate. The film unsuccessfully tries to be an adult political thriller. It fails miserably. There is enough of an interesting plot in tis verion that I want to watch the original BBC production. I can only hope that it does not have the same off-the-wall, illogical, and dumb ending, or if it does, that the explanation and logic behind the ending is more understandable than this lame thriller.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 30 User Reviews

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