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Rendition
2007 120 min United States of America R 16+
★6.3
Drama, Thriller
Director: Gavin Hood
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
When an Egyptian terrorism suspect "disappears" on a flight from Africa to Washington DC, his American wife and a CIA analyst find themselves caught up in a struggle to secure his release from a secret detention facility somewhere outside the US.
Budget:
$27.5M
US Gross:
$9.74M
Worldwide:
$24.75M
Starring
Reese Witherspoon
Actor
Jake Gyllenhaal
Actor
Peter Sarsgaard
Actor
Awards
1 win & 2 nominations total
Key opinion
Rendition is a politically charged drama that attempts to tackle the morality of post-9/11 security policies through the lens of a wrongful detention case. While viewers appreciate its thematic ambition and atmospheric score, the film is polarized by its uneven narrative pacing, questionable character development, and a polarizing, ambiguous conclusion.
| Score | The musical score is widely praised for its subtle, atmospheric contribution to the film's emotional weight. | |
| Theme | The film successfully raises complex questions regarding the ethics of extraordinary rendition and the moral costs of the war on terror. | |
| Acting | Opinions on the lead performances are divided; some critics find the cast emotionally compelling, while others describe the characters as underused, aimless, or lacking depth. | |
| Pacing | The pacing is a significant point of contention, with critics arguing the two-hour runtime feels stretched and induces fatigue, despite some finding the contemplative tone rewarding. | |
| Ending | The ending is polarized, with some viewers valuing its ambiguous, realistic resolution while others find it frustratingly unresolved or lacking in impact. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay is criticized for being incoherent and relying on flat dialogue that fails to fully ground the characters' motivations. |