Inside Man

Name: Inside Man
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: March 24, 2006
Duration: 129 min
Rating: 76
Cast: Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster

2006

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 39 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 353 Ratings

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7.3

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7.3	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 353 Ratings

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Inside Man

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Movie Details & Credits

Universal Pictures | Release Date: March 24, 2006 | R

Starring: Clive Owen, Denzel Washington, Jodie Foster

Summary: The perfect bank robbery quickly spirals into an unstable and deadly game of cat-and-mouse between a criminal mastermind (Clive Owen), a determined detective (Denzel Washington), and a power broker with a hidden agenda (Jodie Foster). As the minutes tick by and the situation becomes increasingly tense, one wrong move could mean disaster forThe perfect bank robbery quickly spirals into an unstable and deadly game of cat-and-mouse between a criminal mastermind (Clive Owen), a determined detective (Denzel Washington), and a power broker with a hidden agenda (Jodie Foster). As the minutes tick by and the situation becomes increasingly tense, one wrong move could mean disaster for any one of them. … Expand

Director: Spike Lee

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 129 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

100

Ruthe Stein

The thrills in Spike Lee's singularly savvy thriller are in small unexpected moments. Read full review

Marc Savlov

As with all of Lee's films, there's much more going on beneath the surface than is immediately apparent. Read full review

Chris Kaltenbach

It twists in on itself mercilessly, rarely pausing to let the viewers catch up, but that's OK. A movie like this depends on staying at least a step ahead of its audience, and this one surely does. Read full review

David Ansen

The movie crackles with the serio-comic tension of thin-skinned New Yorkers thrown together in a crisis. Read full review

Lawrence Toppman

Go with the flow, and it remains a taut and well-engineered thriller. Poke at plot incongruities, as I was doing literally on the way to the parking lot, and it starts to unravel. Read full review

Jami Bernard

It's got style and charisma to spare, with all the characters acting from fiery reserves of self-interest, including Christopher Plummer as a bank president with a secret in his safe-deposit box. Read full review

William Arnold

A fairly routine heist drama and a never especially believable puzzle film. Read full review

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User Reviews

gracjanski

Mar 26, 2021

I like such intelligent movies, especially when criminals are being shown as smart one. There are many clever elements, that surprise you and making you ask, how the counterpart will react to it.
The actors were great also.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Marshall

Apr 5, 2006

it's more of a 9.3. but i gave it a 9 just because it wasn't totaly perfect. but it was amazing nonetheless! i was so entertained it wasn't even funny. but it kinda of was for some reason. :-] anyways, go see it! def. worth a gander.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Instant_Palmer

Sep 22, 2021

Spike Lee's Engaging A-Team Heist-Film Scores
'Inside Man' engages the viewer from the opening scene through the credits. One of the better Heist films one can watch, with an all-star cast of highly-accomplished actors delivering the goods. Recommended viewing!
No ordinary film maker, LeeSpike Lee's Engaging A-Team Heist-Film Scores
'Inside Man' engages the viewer from the opening scene through the credits. One of the better Heist films one can watch, with an all-star cast of highly-accomplished actors delivering the goods. Recommended viewing!

No ordinary film maker, Lee taps his expertise in film making, applying superior cinematography, editing, and direction skills.

Headlining the film is Denzel Washington as the good guy cop, and Clive Owen as the highly intelligent robber (with the screen-play thankfully avoiding the crazy/insane cliche' Bond movie villain characterization).

"Filling-in" as good as one will find in bank robber caper films are the superior supporting cast performances of Christopher Plummer (who has never delivered anything sub-par in his career), Jodie Foster (effectively playing against her "type"), William Dafoe (over-due for an Oscar), Chiwetel Ejiofor (perfect subtle side-arm detective partner to Denzel), and across the board good performances by the entire supporting ensemble cast.

Lee doesn't try to play out the big surprise ending cliche', but instead allows one to piece things together as the film unfolds, letting us "in" to the narrative piece by piece. This is refreshing and elevates the film overall.

Really hard to find any critical piece missing in the film. Editing and pacing excellent, and even the potentially preposterous story idea works. Yes there are a few "identifying the magician's tricks" moments inside what could have been a perceived as an over the top narrative, but one overlooks those because this is quite the entertaining film and it is put together so well - Witty dialogue delivered by some of the all-time great actors who were perfectly cast on their parts.

Bravo to all concerned… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MarcD.

Mar 24, 2006

Whatever you do, enjoy the movie as it's given to you. Don't hold out for a spectacular ending. Revel in the smallest details. I think this is one of Lee's best directing jobs. And Jodie Foster is excellent. Denzel? Oh yeah.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

WalkenM.

Mar 27, 2006

Though certainly Lee's most mainstream film to date, Inside Man is much more political than most critics are giving it credit for. Ultimately, Lee reveals detective and bank robber as dual protagonists, fighting corporate and government systems that reward corruption, injustice, and Though certainly Lee's most mainstream film to date, Inside Man is much more political than most critics are giving it credit for. Ultimately, Lee reveals detective and bank robber as dual protagonists, fighting corporate and government systems that reward corruption, injustice, and opportunism at every step. Between this, V for Vendetta, and Dave Chappelle's Block Party, I'm feeling revolutionary. Down with the white majority!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

KenG.

May 26, 2006

Film drags too often, and there is definite fat here that could have been cut out. One of the prroblems with Spike Lee is that in the last few years he's allowed himself to become too self-indulgence, in exchange for discipline.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

roughglitter

Jan 21, 2023

Just for the unrealistic video game scene this movie deserves a zero. The movie comes across as something made by a Christian movie production company: very heavy handed with it’s moralizing. Out of all the Spike Lee movies I’ve seen, this is the worst.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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53	#53 Best Movie of 2006
36	#36 Most Discussed Movie of 2006
36	#36 Most Shared Movie of 2006