Falling Down

Name: Falling Down
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: February 26, 1993
Duration: 113 min
Rating: 56
Cast: Barbara Hershey, Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall

1993

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 536 Ratings

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7.4

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7.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 536 Ratings

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Falling Down

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: February 26, 1993 | R

Starring: Barbara Hershey, Michael Douglas, Robert Duvall

Summary: A day in the life of a laid-off defense worker, estranged from hiswife and young daughter, and driven beyond frustration in an endless traffic jam. After he abandons his car in the middle of the freeway, he crosses the city on foot, leaving behind him an escalating wake of destruction as his sanity crumbles in the face of contemporaryA day in the life of a laid-off defense worker, estranged from hiswife and young daughter, and driven beyond frustration in an endless traffic jam. After he abandons his car in the middle of the freeway, he crosses the city on foot, leaving behind him an escalating wake of destruction as his sanity crumbles in the face of contemporary urbanreality. (Warner Bros.)… Expand

Director: Joel Schumacher

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 113 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Mick LaSalle

A few times every year, Hollywood makes a mistake, violates formula and actually makes a great picture. Falling Down is one of the great mistakes of 1993, a film too good and too original to win any Oscars but one bound to be remembered in years to come as a true and ironic statement about life in our time. [26 Feb 1993, p.D1]

Philip Thomas

While the morality of D-Fens methods are questionable, there's a resonance about his reaction to everyday annoyances, and Michael Douglas' hypnotic performance makes it memorable. Read full review

Peter Travers

Schumacher could have exploited those tabloid headlines about solid citizens going berserk. Instead, the timely, gripping Falling Down puts a human face on a cold statistic and then dares us to look away. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Sure, the viewer who wants to see a tightly-paced thriller with gun-play and emotionally-satisfying moments won't be disappointed, but there is a little more here than simple escapism. Although it takes a number of wrong turns, Falling Down still has the power to disturb. Read full review

Hal Hinson

Douglas again takes on the symbolic mantle of the Zeitgeist. But in Falling Down, he and Schumacher want to have their cake and eat it too; they want him to be a hero and a villain, and it just won't work. Read full review

William Arnold

The film probably should have been a comedy. It would be a lot more cathartic - and a lot more entertaining - to laugh at the grim modern world of Falling Down than it is to have a heavy-handed filmmaker rub our faces in the hopelessness of it all. [26 Feb 1993, p.14]

Mike Clark

Hopped-up Falling Down is a technically proficient grabber that exploits white-male angst while adeptly juggling two stories filmed in contrasting styles. Slick, maybe facile, and with a nasty streak, it is nonetheless 1993's first consistently engrossing movie. [26 Feb 1993, p.1D]

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User Reviews

SamiZ.

Jan 19, 2009

Great movie that acts out all the things you've always wanted to do (well, almost all!).

2 of 3 users found this helpful

IntelligentAndThroughtful

Jul 19, 2009

Phenomenal piece of film-making. The only ones who think this movie is over analyzed are the people who don't understand its depth. How about all of the reviews by white people starting off saying it's a scape-goating white angst revenge film. Supposing that a white man, unlike a Phenomenal piece of film-making. The only ones who think this movie is over analyzed are the people who don't understand its depth. How about all of the reviews by white people starting off saying it's a scape-goating white angst revenge film. Supposing that a white man, unlike a black or hispanic man; would have nothing to be angry about in the first place. Typical BS. The only thing more amazing than this film is the fact that it was allowed to be made in hollywood. Those were the good 'ol days!… Expand

3 of 3 users found this helpful

oblique15

Apr 10, 2013

What is wrong with the critics? They must be the old guys on the golf course scene! This is a Classic movie! I have have watched it over and over and over and over again, this movie never gets old. A whole lot of dark laughs! The character does a lot of things a normal person only wishesWhat is wrong with the critics? They must be the old guys on the golf course scene! This is a Classic movie! I have have watched it over and over and over and over again, this movie never gets old. A whole lot of dark laughs! The character does a lot of things a normal person only wishes they had the guts to do, after putting up with all the crap you face in life.It`s so good I got the DVD today.… Expand

9 of 28 users found this helpful919

grandpajoe6191

Oct 4, 2011

The movie's symbolism and allegory throughout the entire time was too obvious and prominent. However, its still a unpredictable but effective classic that possibly is Joel Schumacher's best film he directed (and also the last one too).

15 of 19 users found this helpful154

kman5473

Oct 19, 2018

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A fairly solid, non-art film about themes that are fairly complex and layered. Foster is a character that is gray; while he is doing things throughout the movie that aren't rational we can't help but empathize to some extent of why he's making the choices that he is making. On the surface, most people today will pry view this as nothing more than enabling white privilege. It's only obvious to me that these individuals did not watch the full movie, nor did the really try to understand what it's about. The big twist at the end is, in fact, Foster realizing he's the bad guy in all this and feeling nothing but remorseful and ashamed for it. This film does not justify Foster, it just depicts it. Whether or not you think Foster is justified says more about you than it does this film. It's a black mirror to look into, but it's necessary and will continue to be relevant and necessary.… Expand

6 of 15 users found this helpful69

geedup

Jul 4, 2012

OK, this is true: the film is not a artsy, photogenic masterpiece where nuance meets a boisterous voice. Rather, it is a fantasy we all wish we could live to some degree. Having a bad day and raging over all objects like they were toy Lego sets.

2 of 13 users found this helpful211

DrBlahBlah

Mar 6, 2021

one of the most offensive and unintentionally hilarious films ever made, this reactionary fantasy is equal parts absurd and deranged.

0 of 24 users found this helpful024

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