Side Effects

Name: Side Effects
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: February 8, 2013
Duration: 106 min
Rating: 75
Cast: Catherine Zeta Jones, Channing Tatum, Jude Law, Rooney Mara

2013

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 40 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 429 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 429 Ratings

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Side Effects

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Movie Details & Credits

Open Road Films | Release Date: February 8, 2013 | R

Starring: Catherine Zeta Jones, Channing Tatum, Jude Law, Rooney Mara

Summary: A woman turns to prescription medication as a way of handling her anxiety concerning her husband's upcoming release from prison.

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 106 min

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Awards & Rankings

98	#98 Best Movie of 2013
66	#66 Most Discussed Movie of 2013
59	#59 Most Shared Movie of 2013

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Film.com Jordan Hoffman

Feb 26, 2013

He’s taken what, on paper, boils down to an extra ridiculous episode of “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” and passes it off as high cinematic art. Read full review

A.O. Scott

Feb 7, 2013

While the plot may be predictable (and more than a little preposterous) in retrospect, Mr. Soderbergh handles it brilliantly, serving notice once again that he is a crackerjack genre technician. Read full review

Scott Wold

Apr 3, 2018

Unsurprisingly, the substance of a movie genre is again enriched with his latest, masterfully spare and confident effort. Read full review

Michael Phillips

Feb 7, 2013

With Rooney Mara as the woman in question — a poised, tense Manhattanite prescribed anti-anxiety medication by her psychiatrist with newsworthy results — Side Effects finds its ideal performer. Read full review

Ty Burr

Feb 8, 2013

A sleekly clever murder mystery, the film plays as many games with the audience as it does with its characters, and for the majority of the running time — the challenge comes from matching wits with what you’re seeing. Read full review

Andrew O'Hehir

Feb 7, 2013

It’s masterfully shot and edited, with a brooding soundtrack and a mysterious, dreamlike undertow – and, when all is revealed, it’s not even half as interesting as it seems to be. Read full review

Rex Reed

Feb 6, 2013

What it turns out to be is a preposterous puzzle that fails every test under scrutiny, leaving the spectator with a “Huh?” that is meant to be uttered only while chewing gum. Read full review

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User Reviews

movieboy

May 11, 2013

What a great way to go out with the best movie of 2013 I've seen so far. I loved the slowly unraveling serpentine plot that had us thinking it was an expose on Big Pharma and then it twisted in a totally different direction. Great acting too. A modern thriller classic.

0 of 3 users found this helpful03

Brutus54

Mar 17, 2013

Clever plot, good acting. Hard to follow sometimes, and visually a bit unexciting, but pretty entertaining, adult entertainment anyway. Good turns from Jude La and Rooney Mara. Extra marks for not following predictable paths. Less marks for a moderately silly lesbian sub-plot that borderedClever plot, good acting. Hard to follow sometimes, and visually a bit unexciting, but pretty entertaining, adult entertainment anyway. Good turns from Jude La and Rooney Mara. Extra marks for not following predictable paths. Less marks for a moderately silly lesbian sub-plot that bordered on being pointlessly salacious. But still one of the better films of the year, so long as you pay attention to what is going on.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Spangle

Sep 5, 2014

This was a very good and twisty thriller. Steven Soderbergh is great in the director's chair as usual. Jude Law and Rooney Mara are also the two main standouts in this cast, though Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum are also strong in more supporting roles. This one really manages toThis was a very good and twisty thriller. Steven Soderbergh is great in the director's chair as usual. Jude Law and Rooney Mara are also the two main standouts in this cast, though Catherine Zeta-Jones and Channing Tatum are also strong in more supporting roles. This one really manages to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the film with each twist and turn you do not see coming. The writing here is splendid and the way the story is presented by Soderbergh is a major strength for this one. The cinematography is also strong here, as is usually the case in Soderbergh's films. The film does take many twists, some of them easier to figure out than others, but ultimately,it manages to keep things really interesting as this one could easily be categorized as many things; medical thriller, psychological thriller, crime drama, and a little bit of courtroom drama, all of which keep things lively and interesting. Overall, Side Effects is a very well made, low-key, and above all, entertaining film that will leave you more than satisfied.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

ShermtheMan

Feb 24, 2013

Being one of the more story-centric movies this year, Side Effects is an outlier compared to other films like Die Hard, ect. This being said, it is not particularly great in it's storyline or pacing, but it is fun and interesting to finally see a decent movie that relies more on itsBeing one of the more story-centric movies this year, Side Effects is an outlier compared to other films like Die Hard, ect. This being said, it is not particularly great in it's storyline or pacing, but it is fun and interesting to finally see a decent movie that relies more on its character development than its's action or star line-up. The thing this film does best is certainly it's character development, and you literally see certain characters progressing or degreasing in their state of mind throughout the film, and it makes u greatly for its luke-warm story and plot.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEROJ

Feb 6, 2019

Not so bad, but i don't think i was really surprised by the ending. The actors were also really annoying. The story was nothing special.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

jlplatten

Feb 11, 2013

Boring, predictable and a very weak ending. I don't understand the critic's love for Steven Soderbergh. Only positive are the performances by the actors.

3 of 5 users found this helpful32

hg53

Mar 31, 2013

Character development was completely neglected in light of an actually great narrative. Good choice of actors to portray all elements of the story, but ultimately weak in creating anything substantial.

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

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