Payback

Name: Payback
Genre: Action, Thriller, Crime
Released: February 5, 1999
Duration: 100 min
Rating: 46
Cast: Mel Gibson

1999

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 24 Critics

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 158 Ratings

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8.7

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8.7	Your Score
8.7	User Score Universal acclaim based on 158 Ratings

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Payback

Movie Details & Credits

Paramount Pictures | Release Date: February 5, 1999

Starring: Mel Gibson

Summary: A thief plots revenge when he is betrayed by his wife and best friend.

Director: Brian Helgeland

Genre(s): Action, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 100 min

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Awards & Rankings

82	#82 Most Discussed Movie of 1999
61	#61 Most Shared Movie of 1999

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Critic Reviews

100

San Francisco Chronicle - Mick LaSalle

Payback has a completely different spirit from "L.A. Confidential'' -- more wild, more silly -- but it has the same attention to the fine points of plot and character. Read full review

Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert

There is much cleverness and ingenuity in Payback, but Mel Gibson is the key. The movie wouldn't work with an actor who was heavy on his feet, or was too sincere about the material. Read full review

Entertainment Weekly - Owen Gleiberman

Payback is a thriller so mean and degraded it carries a low-down, vicious charge. Sadism is its only real subject, and its only real life as well. Read full review

Rolling Stone - Peter Travers

Payback is a brutally entertaining crime drama that should have been a little more brutal and a little less entertaining. Read full review

Los Angeles Times - Kenneth Turan

Has the makings of that rarest of ventures, an adaptation that is true to the spirit of the original as well as its own time and place. But as Payback wends its way toward its conclusion, its promise dissipates and its pleasures wane. Read full review

The A.V. Club - Keith Phipps

Consider that in “Point Blank,” Lee Marvin walks through the film with the look of a man who's lost his soul. You can see it in his eyes. Look in Gibson's eyes in this one and you'll see soullessness, but it doesn't seem to come from anywhere within his character. Read full review

The New York Times - Stephen Holden

What one word might best describe Payback? How about "loathsome"? Read full review

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User Reviews

Kaprawiec

Sep 5, 2016

This is the story about manhood. Yes, Porter is mean, tough and uterly bad motherf...er. Not in a grotesque steroid Vin Diesel or Dwayne "Rock" Johnson style. You know and they know he would kick both of their buts. Its a shame, that nowadays we have this awfull global metrosexual trend.
OhThis is the story about manhood. Yes, Porter is mean, tough and uterly bad motherf...er. Not in a grotesque steroid Vin Diesel or Dwayne "Rock" Johnson style. You know and they know he would kick both of their buts. Its a shame, that nowadays we have this awfull global metrosexual trend.
Oh well, back to the movie - story is nice, if not a little bit too predictable, performances are excellent, there is some dark comedy. Great noir movie, instant classic in my book.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

SpunkyMonkey

Sep 24, 2012

Never a classic, Payback is just a nice mix of black comedy and action which does it's job well. It includes certain noir elements, such as a grey layering to the visuals and horn layden soundtrack, that help make it different and refreshing enough to stand out, and you also never know quiteNever a classic, Payback is just a nice mix of black comedy and action which does it's job well. It includes certain noir elements, such as a grey layering to the visuals and horn layden soundtrack, that help make it different and refreshing enough to stand out, and you also never know quite what to expect throughout the film either. Not one to have at the top of the viewing list, but one that's worthy of your time.… Expand

2 of 11 users found this helpful29

R.L.

Oct 3, 2009

Let me start off by saying that this movie wasn't half bad, It could have been better but not half bad. Payback is about tough guy Porter who wants just one thing and one thing only, Payback! As the title so justly puts and he wants his money that was taken from him and he'll do Let me start off by saying that this movie wasn't half bad, It could have been better but not half bad. Payback is about tough guy Porter who wants just one thing and one thing only, Payback! As the title so justly puts and he wants his money that was taken from him and he'll do anything and everything to get it back. What I found interesting about this film was the malicious way it was played out it was like an evil little wind up monkey that kept clattering and making noise and irritating yo until you got fed up and just step on the darn thing. Well that's the main plot for the movie, it's meant to zip along at only an 1hr. 34 mins. and it expects you to be entertained by this mess, but a good mess it was. Mel Gibson plays a character he's played a thousand times the macho tough guy with no fear. He played this type in all four Lethal Weapon movies, he played this again in Mad Max 1,2 and 3. So why did he try and see if he could pull it off again? Well becuase he can! And he did! Gibson puts some humanity and somewhat of a soul in an almost soulless character and he does it with such style and grace that it almost makes you want to slap Porter instead of punching him. And that's something, not by much, but something. Brian Helgeland( co-write for L.A. Confidential) tries to play on that moody, devil may care, I'll shoot you if you look at me cross eyed type of Anti-hero and that's all in good but the anti-hero he's created Porter is not somebody you can relate to, or even like for that matter, there were some scenes like I said that you wanted to hit Porter and then there were some scenes that you sympathized with him very well. And there is where this films greatness lies it gives you two sides of the coin to see, on one side the nasty Porter on the other side the kind and loving Porter. It gives you two sides to a very complicated and very world weary man and in my opinion that makes this a good movie. Payback is not action thriller greatness like Lethal Weapon or Die Hard but it does come very close, oh so very close, But the thing is with this movie is that it borders on almost a Noirish type style of cinematography and that up's it appeal to me and who know who else, but in the under lying layers of the film it does have greatness in it it just hasn't been able to tap into it fully but as time goes by this film will become a Mel Gibson classic and a cult classic for that matter. But is Payback a terrible movie? no way! Is movie making magic? Sorry to tell you no, nothing magical about this one but it is great fun to watch play out and follow along. All in all Payback is an almost can't miss action drama, it flows along nice and it delivers it's punches nicely, it doesn't waste your time and it is great, irresistible fun. Payback is a revenge plot you want to be apart of.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Compi24

May 25, 2015

After a clumsily uneventful first act, "Payback" manages to redeem itself with some nostalgically noir-ish tonality and a healthy dose of subverted expectation.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

DavidR.

Apr 1, 2009

This movie is awful. It might have been good if Mel Gibson was still the lovable character from Lethal Weapon. Now that he has become another Hollywood freak, this movie loses all of it's 'charm'.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

RonaldoG.

Mar 31, 2009

This movie is terrible. I turned it off half way through. It is confused about whether or not it is a comedy or a drama, and fails miserably at being both.

0 of 1 users found this helpful

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