inside man movie review guardian

Inside Man review – Stanley Tucci goes full Hannibal Lecter in rollicking death row drama

Tucci is a smug prisoner; David Tennant is a sweet vicar with a secret. Their tales come together confidently in this funny and typically meaty mystery from Steven Moffat

I wonder how Anthony Hopkins feels about being a serial killer, not just for an age but, the way things are shaping up, for all time? It is 31 years since he gave us his Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs – since he sucked his teeth and looked down the lens straight into our livers and spoke in the light, Larry Hagmanish drawl that made everything he said 300 times more gruesome. He remains the nonpareil and it is hard to come out from under his boiler-suited shadow.

In the new Steven Moffat drama Inside Man (BBC One), Stanley Tucci is burdened by many parallels with the great man/awful character. He plays Jefferson Grieff, a softly spoken, highly intelligent prisoner, on death row for murdering his wife. People come to him for insight into their stalled cases and he enjoys toying with them until he deigns to provide his unsettled visitors with solutions to their problems. The latter are deduced in a manner that can only be described with reference to another great man/awful character, Sherlock Holmes, whom Moffat himself resurrected in a way that will probably prove as hard to beat for the next few generations. Tucci works hard to make him his own man, but it is elsewhere that the real innovation lies.

Grieff’s story at first runs alongside an apparently unrelated narrative unfolding in an English village, around sweet vicar Harry (David Tennant) and a – pivotally – unsweet maths tutor Janice (Dolly Wells). We meet her seeing off a young, drunk man (that unmistakable blend of creepiness and aggression perfectly captured by Harry Cadby) who is intimidating young journalist Beth Davenport (Lydia West) and other women on a tube carriage. This core of steel, and possibly this journalist, are going to make Harry’s life very difficult soon.

Vicar Harry is given a flash drive by his troubled young verger Edgar (Mark Quartley) that turns out to contain child sexual abuse images. An unlucky chain of events means Janice sees it, and believes it belongs to Harry’s son Ben (Louis Oliver). He is an incredibly unrewarding teenager, but Harry loves him and tries to convince Janice that she is mistaken, without betraying Edgar. This is a weak point in the tale. I suspect a lot of people were screaming, like me, at the television: “Betray the paedophile!” But we all understand how fiction works, so a little more effort to suspend disbelief is applied and on we go.

A struggle between Harry and Janice ensues and she ends up unconscious in the cellar. Harry locks the door behind him. And the show becomes a twisting interrogation of Grieff’s assertion that we are all murderers – we just haven’t met the right person yet.

When Beth visits the prison to interview Grieff for a piece, and then ask his advice about the missing Janice, the weaving together of the stories begins. Only the first two of the four episodes were provided for review but the mystery is clearly going to deepen.

Inside Man is typical Moffat fare. Rollickingly confident, meaty, funny, clever (if not quite as clever, on a line by line basis, as it appears). Wells – cast here after her tremendous turn in Moffat’s last project, the glorious Dracula , and hopefully now a permanent member of his rep company – is brilliant as Janice. The ineffable oddity and unremitting moral authority she brings to the trapped woman gives the whole thing an anything-could-happen air that shifts you anxiously to the edge of your seat, even though nothing truly terrible has occurred. Tennant is in non-frantic, non-spitty mode – which is a relief. Tucci sells his slightly smug, slightly portentous section of the script well, and some fine comic relief is provided in the form of his sidekick, Dillon (Atkins Estimond), a serial killer (“I went to a therapist – I really opened up! She left the profession”) from the next cell. Think Brooklyn Nine-Nine’s Doug Judy with a murderous edge. If you aren’t a Moffat fan, watch it for Dillon alone. If you don’t get sucked into the rest of the romp, I would be surprised, but I’d like to think you had this joy at least.

• Television & radio
• Stanley Tucci
• David Tennant

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

Heist School Confidential

Denzel Washington discusses matters with Jodie Foster in "Inside Man," a Spike Lee Joint.

Spike Lee ‘s “Inside Man” has a detective tell a bank robber: “You saw ‘Dog Day Afternoon.’ You’re stalling.” The problem is, we’ve seen “ Dog Day Afternoon ,” and Lee is stalling. Here is a thriller that’s curiously reluctant to get to the payoff, and when it does, we see why: We can’t accept the motive and method of the bank robbery, we can’t believe in one character and can’t understand another, and if a man was old enough in the early 1940s to play an important wartime role, how old would he be now? Ninety-five? He might still be chairman of the bank he founded, but would he look like Christopher Plummer ?

To give the movie its due, many of these same questions occur to the hero, Det. Keith Frazier. He is played by Denzel Washington as a cross between a street cop and one of those armchair sleuths who sees through a crime and patiently explains it to his inferiors. Frazier is early on the scene after four armed robbers invade a Wall Street bank, take hostages, and start issuing demands. As the crisis drags on, Frazier realizes the guys inside don’t want their demands to be met; they’re stalling. But why?

The robbers are led by Clive Owen , who spends most of the movie wearing a mask. Since we see him in the first shot of the film, talking about the crime in the past tense, we know he won’t be killed. What we wonder is where he studied the craft of bank robbery. His gang walks in, bolts the door, has everyone lie flat on the floor, and does all the usual stuff like leaping over teller partitions and intimidating weeping customers. They also throw around completely unnecessary smoke bombs, and the smoke drifts out to the street, alerting a beat cop that something is wrong. Did they want to be trapped inside the bank?

I’m not going to go into any detail about how the crisis plays out. And I’m going to conceal the purpose of the robbery. What I must point out is that Christopher Plummer, as the bank president, doesn’t look in his 90s. Giving him a mustache, a walking stick and some wrinkles doesn’t do it. Yet we have to believe that in mid-World War II he was old enough to have risen high enough to do something important enough that after the bank is surrounded, he calls in a woman who seems to have mysterious links to powerful people.

This is Madeline White ( Jodie Foster ). She knows everybody. She can walk into the mayor’s office without an appointment. The mayor orders the cops to “extend her every courtesy.” Who or what is Madeline White? I’ve seen the movie, and I don’t know. She is never convincingly explained, and what she does is not well-defined. She’s one of those characters who is all buildup and no delivery.

I once knew a man named Jean-Jacques de Mesterton, whose biography describes him as “a professional adventurer, political advisor, and international facilitator.” You can Google him. I asked him what, exactly, he did. “If you have a problem,” he said, “first, you call the police. Then you call the FBI. If you still have a problem, you call me.” I guess Madeline White is supposed to be the Jean-Jacques of New York, but although she purses her lips, frowns, and won’t take any nonsense, she’s basically a red herring.

The whole plot smells fishy. It’s not that the movie is hiding something, but that when it’s revealed, it’s been left sitting too long at room temperature. “Inside Man” goes to much difficulty to arrive at too little. It starts with the taut action of a superior caper movie, but then it meanders; eventually the narration slows to the pace of a Garrison Keillor story on “ A Prairie Home Companion ,” which is nice if you are a prairie, but if not, not.

The screenplay by Russell Gewirtz needs a few more runs through rewrite. Because the film was directed by Spike Lee, it is not without interest; Lee finds so many interesting details that don’t involve the plot that we’re reluctant when he gets back to business. A cameo involving a little boy and his video game is a self-contained editorial. A Sikh is accused of being an Arab terrorist, and you want to say, People! Listen up! Guy with a turban! Sikh! Not Arab! There’s a nutty sequence in which the hostage-takers use a foreign language that has to be translated by a bystander’s ex-wife. The performances, for that matter, are first rate; Denzel Washington is convincing even when he has little to be convincing about, and Jodie Foster is smart and tough as she decisively does more or less nothing. Well, to be fair, a little more more than less.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

• James Ransone as Steve-O
• Chiwetel Ejiofor as Det. Bill Mitchell
• Christopher Plummer as Arthur Case
• Denzel Washington as Det. Frazier
• Jodie Foster as Madeline White
• Kim Director as Stevie
• Willem Dafoe as Capt. John Darius
• Clive Owen as Dalton Russell
• Russell Gewirtz

Directed by

Leave a comment, now playing.

The Front Room

Matt and Mara

The Thicket

The Mother of All Lies

The Paragon

My First Film

Don’t Turn Out the Lights

I’ll Be Right There

The Greatest of All Time

The Substance

His Three Daughters

Latest articles.

Wrapping Up My Experiences at the 2024 Telluride Film Festival

Peacock’s “Fight Night” Largely Entertains But Pulls A Few Punches

Telluride Film Festival 2024: Memoir of a Snail, Better Man, The White House Effect

Telluride Film Festival 2024: Blink, Apocalypse in the Tropics, Carville: Winning is Everything, Stupid!

The best movie reviews, in your inbox.

• Share full article

Advertisement

Supported by

FILM REVIEW

'Inside Man,' a Crime Caper Starring Denzel Washington

By Manohla Dargis

• March 24, 2006

FOR most of his career, the great and maddeningly unreliable Spike Lee has been anything but -- to borrow the title of his diverting new film -- an inside man. Mr. Lee, who hit the scene in the mid-1980's with "She's Gotta Have It," a barbed independent comedy that jump-started the black film movement and made him a national brand, has preferred to be seen as an outside man, a rebel who said what he wanted, when he wanted, far from the industry establishment. To judge from this precision-tooled amusement, Mr. Lee may have missed his calling (one of them, anyway) as a studio hire.

"Inside Man" is a jolt, partly because it comes equipped rather incongruously with the name of Mr. Lee's company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, but mostly because this is the kind of seamless diversion that should be a stock item in Hollywood, but isn't. Much like Richard Donner's recent actioner, "16 Blocks," another effective piece of genre showmanship, "Inside Man" works because it takes a familiar setup -- in this case, a Wall Street bank heist that mutates into a hostage crisis -- and twists it ever so slightly. A particularly solid screenplay helps here, as do stars who can actually act -- this film's holy trinity being Denzel Washington, Clive Owen and Jodie Foster -- along with an excellent supporting cast and the best lineup of pusses and mugs outside "The Sopranos."

Here's how it goes down: Mr. Owen stares into the camera and announces that he is about to commit "the perfect bank robbery." Whether his character, Dalton Russell, succeeds is immaterial to how he gets from the first act to the third, which is where Mr. Lee's movie love comes in. This is the least overtly personal of Mr. Lee's films, but it's also his most polished and satisfying work in years, with none of the raggedness that sometimes mars even his best intentions. Taking his cue from the surprising, witty screenplay by the newcomer Russell Gewirtz, the filmmaker frames the heist and subsequent standoff as a really big show -- namedropping "Dog Day Afternoon" along the way -- then cuts his actors loose and lets them play.

As the action pings between Russell working his wicked ways inside the bank (beating hostages, forcing them to wear unflattering coveralls); Mr. Washington's smooth operator, a veteran detective named Keith Frazier; and Ms. Foster's Madeline White, a fixer hired by the bank, you might find yourself trying to unknot the increasingly tangled plot. Don't bother. Filled with playful noise and nonsense, clever feints and digressions, "Inside Man" has a story to tell, but its most sustained pleasures come from its performances, especially the three leads. To watch Mr. Washington breeze into a scene smooth as silk, smooth as Bogart and Easy Rawlins combined, or to listen to Mr. Owen murmur sweet nothings into the camera, is to experience the ineffable pleasures that only big-screen stars can provide.

Mr. Lee rarely treats his actresses or female characters as well as their male counterparts, but whether by design or neglect, he helps Ms. Foster deliver her wittiest, most relaxed performance in ages. Part Mata Hari, part Ilsa the She Wolf, she stalks the sets in form-fitting suits and nose-bleed heels that show off her spectacular legs wonderfully. (She could kill with those things!) In a story dominated by men, in which most of the women are either desexualized or double-D babes, her character presents an amusing fantasy of female power. One of those mysterioso brokers who circumvent both the law and the criminal element for the deepest pockets in town, Madeline isn't the equal of any man: she's superior. And you thought dominatrixes wore only black leather.

Like everyone else in the film, Madeline seems interested only in getting hers. Russell wants his ill-gotten gains, Detective Frazier wants his promotion, and the bank bigwig (Christopher Plummer) wants his secrets kept -- it's a Hobbesian world, after all. Mr. Lee, meanwhile, most likely wants the respect that he has always been due. Consistently underrated and underappreciated, this filmmaker is an erratic talent, if no more so than many ensconced in Hollywood, and his insistence that race matters has cost him dearly with the mainstream (i.e., white) audience. He's right, of course, that race matters, which is why, in between plot points and star turns, he gently and, at times, rather hilariously, insists on reminding us that it does. He may have sublet this "Spike Lee Joint" to out-of-towners, but it's good to see that he hasn't left the neighborhood.

We are having trouble retrieving the article content.

Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit and  log into  your Times account, or  subscribe  for all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?  Log in .

Want all of The Times?  Subscribe .

Inside Man Review

24 Mar 2006

129 minutes

Spike Lee has come a long, long way in the last two decades. His 19 feature films encompass no-budget indies (She’s Gotta Have It), an epic biopic (Malcolm X) and even a musical (School Daze), and he remains one of ’s most audacious, ferociously independent filmmakers.

In these respects, the slick, commercial Inside Man is barely recognisable as a Spike Lee picture, but that’s not to say it doesn’t measure up; au contraire, it’s a marvellous, carefully honed thriller that hurtles smoothly along at the pace of a bullet train. If Do The Right Thing, with its jarring blocks of colour, was his Picasso, then this is his Da Vinci: carefully planned and crafted in sharp detail.

It’s also the safest film he’s ever made — a pure genre flick, deftly taking inspiration from great heist films. Like its protagonist, it almost never deviates from a well-laid plan; Lee has considered everything, and his first contingency is a staggeringly classy ensemble cast. Denzel Washington (in their fourth collaboration) makes a stock character — a charmer prone to rash mistakes — into a rich, believably flawed one. It’s as if Lee has requested the Washington of blockbusters past, and retrofitted him with nuances from their earlier work together. Chiwetel Ejiofor, meanwhile, offers fine support as his partner — watching he and Washington riffing together in a series of flashforwards, as they grill potential suspects, is a particular treat.

There are those who accuse Clive Owen of being one-note, but they’d have to admit it’s a bloody good one, and nobody could do it better. Once again he exhibits that trademark steely control, achieving an air of calculation and potential menace even when he’s behind dark glasses and a mask.

As for Jodie Foster, well, she’s having a field day as one of the best unscrupulous bitches we’ve seen on the big screen since Linda Fiorentino said yes to The Last Seduction. Foster’s Madeliene White is an interesting new take on the shady, backroom dealmaker. In the movies that inspire Inside Man, this character would be a shady lizard of a man operating from an ancient, smoke-filled office; Ms. White is a designer-outfitted Machiavellian machine with luxury office space who openly wheels, deals, wines and dines with the Mayor of New York City.

It’s a pity, then, that Russell Gewirtz’s script isn’t quite as smart as his characters or cast. Owen’s Russell forewarns us to pay attention (because he “chooses his words carefully, and only says things once” — a line which Lee unfortunately chooses to use twice),  but there’s not much that

will get past anyone who’s concentrating. At one point the whole game is nearly given away by a single shot. Thankfully, though, neither that nor a correct guess will spoil the fun, because Gerwitz at least ensures there’s some wonderfully original elements to the plan. In the tradition of

the genre, by the time Denzel has put the pieces together, you may find yourself struggling with muddy motivations and fresh doubts, but this just adds to the entertainment value — after all, you have to have something to talk about over a post-movie beverage...

Related Articles

Movies | 08 09 2008

Movies | 02 11 2006

Movies | 25 08 2006

Movies | 18 04 2005

Movies | 06 04 2005

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

How to Help Kids Build Character Strengths with Quality Media

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Multicultural Books

YouTube Channels with Diverse Representations

Podcasts with Diverse Characters and Stories

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 2 Reviews
• Kids Say 19 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

By Cynthia Fuchs , based on child development research. How do we rate?

Smart heist movie is not for children.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this film includes extreme language (frequent "f--k"s and other profanity, including the "N" word). The robbers take the bank with smoke bombs, dress in masks and painters' coveralls, and look ominous throughout; hostages are frightened, with some crying and others…

Why Age 17+?

Lots of profanity. Several instances of the n-word (including a video game calle

Smoking (cigarettes and cigars).

References to women's breasts (plus some jokes about men's tendency to f

Explosions (inside bank); a man is beaten behind a door (shadows visible and gru

Any Positive Content?

Bank robbers, angry cops, corrupt executives: All misbehave, cheat, and lie.

Lots of profanity. Several instances of the n-word (including a video game called "Kill Dat N---a"); over 50 uses of f-word; slang for genitals.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

References to women's breasts (plus some jokes about men's tendency to focus on breasts); sexual language and discussion of sexual activity; hostages are upset when they're forced to strip (we see them looking uncomfortable in underwear).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Violence & Scariness

Explosions (inside bank); a man is beaten behind a door (shadows visible and grunts audible), and he emerges bruised and bloody; gunshots, a seeming (and disturbing) execution of a character with a bag over his head.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Positive messages.

Parents need to know that this film includes extreme language (frequent "f--k"s and other profanity, including the "N" word). The robbers take the bank with smoke bombs, dress in masks and painters' coveralls, and look ominous throughout; hostages are frightened, with some crying and others acting tough. The film includes sexual language. Characters display and discuss racism (most often, anti-Arab and anti-black). Characters smoke cigarettes and cigars. One crucial plot point involves a character making money by working with Nazis during WWII. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (2)
• Kids say (19)

Based on 2 parent reviews

good movie 12 and over

What's the story.

Set in New York City, INSIDE MAN centers on "the perfect bank robbery" planned by Dalton Russell ( Clive Owen ). Clad in painters' uniforms and masks, Dalton's team enters the bank at the corner of Wall Street and Broadway, disables the surveillance cameras, and takes all the customers, workers, and security guards hostage. By the time detectives Keith Frazier ( Denzel Washington ) and his partner Mitch ( Chiwetel Ejiofor ) arrive, the crime scene is taped off, a mini-city populated by shooters and uniforms, hulking vans and vocal gawkers. Inside the bank, the robbers dress the hostages like themselves, move them from room to room so they can't get to know one another, and dig up a wall in the storage room. Keith has to make nice with turf-protecting Emergency Services Unit Captain Darius ( Willem Dafoe ), still mad at him for some case they worked years ago. As time ticks, bank board chairman Arthur Case ( Christopher Plummer ) sends an excruciatingly intelligent fixer, Madeline White ( Jodie Foster ), who knows how to reach the chief robber in charge. And yet, she can't quite solve this puzzle, which involves a special personal safe deposit box inside the bank.

Is It Any Good?

Tense, showy, and shrewd, Inside Man is Spike Lee's most accessible film, but that's not what makes it brainy or galvanizing. Indeed, its cleverest moments involve odd and telling details: The credits sequence use of "Chaiyya Chaiyya," the white-guy who recognizes but cannot translate Albanian language, and perhaps most energetically, the Sikh who resents being profiled as "Arab."

While the heisty plot includes the sorts of cunning turns familiar since Die Hard , its more compelling aspect is its New Yorkness. The city is everywhere in the film, outside and inside, but mostly, it's the incisive focus, impetus, and consequence. In between the figuring and plotting, the film flash-forwards to exit interviews with the hostage as Mitch and Keith press them to confess their collaboration. This array -- anxious, audacious, arrogant -- is clearly made up for "New York" embodiments, persevering, traumatized, post-9/11. Competing traumas, leveling oppressions, comparable resiliences. It's definitely New York.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the way the film uses the generic bank robbery plot to evoke more profound social and political issues, like racism, corruption, ambition, and post-9/11 fears about surveillance and terrorism. How do Keith and the robber, Dalton, come to understand each other's motives and goals? How does the movie compare the moral positions of upper-crusty characters (who own or run the bank) and "regular folks," who bank or work at the institution?

Movie Details

• In theaters : March 24, 2006
• On DVD or streaming : August 8, 2006
• Cast : Clive Owen , Denzel Washington , Jodie Foster
• Director : Spike Lee
• Inclusion Information : Black directors, Black actors, Female actors
• Studio : Universal Pictures
• Genre : Drama
• Run time : 129 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : language and some violent images
• Last updated : July 21, 2024

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

• COMING SOON
• OUT NOW - US
• COMING SOON - US

• COMPETITIONS

Eye For Film >> Movies >> Inside Man (2006) Film Review

Reviewed by: Anton Bitel

Alone in a cell, a man (Clive Owen) stares defiantly into the camera, and declares: "My name is Dalton Russell. Pay close attention to what I say because I pick my words carefully, and I never repeat myself."

He has, he goes on, recently planned the perfect robbery. Who he is, where he did it, and why, are all, he says, questions easily answered; the real "rub", though, is working out how.

This is how Spike Lee's Inside Man opens and as the robbery unfolds in a dizzying sequence of flashbacks, intercut with scenes of the police interrogating dozens of witnesses in a clueless attempt to pin down the guilty party, it becomes clear that Russell's claim on our attention will be rewarded with one of the tricksiest, most tautly plotted rollercoaster rides through the thriller genre since The Usual Suspects (1995).

Early one morning, four people dressed as painters walk into the Manhattan Trust Bank and, within moments, take everyone inside hostage at gunpoint. Despite being under investigation for some missing drug money, Detective Keith Frazier (Denzel Washington) is assigned, along with his partner Bill Mitchell (Chiwetel Ejiofor), to negotiate a swift and peaceful end to the siege. However, the robbers' leader (Owen) seems in no hurry to talk, and when he does, either makes patently impossible demands or sends the police on wild goose chases. As Frazier tries to work out what his calm interlocutor really wants, the bank's owner and elderly philanthropist Arthur Case (Christopher Plummer) hires corporate fixer Madeline White (Jodie Foster) to apply her "special skills and extreme discretion" to ensuring that the contents of a safety deposit box in the bank's vault remain hidden at any cost.

It would be criminal to reveal anything more about the story of the Inside Man, as there are twists aplenty, some readily guessed, some devilishly disguised, but all appearing in a complicated ethical frame that enables them to transcend their mere surprise value and to become something altogether more involving.

The biggest trick here is in the screenplay, so dense in theme and flawless in its construction that it is hard to believe it is Russell Gewirtz's first. The script, much like the elaborate scheme that it portrays, is meticulously plotted, impenetrably watertight and filled with all manner of entertaining distractions and diversions.

At the same time, hidden away within the convoluted structure of this thriller is a bleak morality tale about power, corruption and conscience, in which the fall of one man is subtly paralleled to the rise of another in such a way that it becomes impossible to say which is good and which is evil or to avoid the impact of the ending's cynical double-edge, exposing as it does the sin inside every man.

Although they have little else in common, Spike Lee is, like Woody Allen , a self-appointed celluloid chronicler of New York City, and here he uses the metropolis' status as an ethnic melting pot to heat up the tensions in the pressure-cooker plot. For while it may at first seem strange for Lee to be directing such a conventional thriller, his usual concerns with the clash of race, class and culture are never far beneath the surface, in what is to my mind his best 'joint' since Do the Right Thing (1989).

Negotiating a path between Sidney Lumet 's Serpico (1973) and Dog Day Afternoon (1975), between Kevin Spacey 's Albino Alligator (1996) and F Gary Gray 's The Negotiator (1998), Lee keeps the film moving at a breathless pace, while drawing first-rate performances from an ensemble cast playing the sort of diverse characters who could only ever come together in a film set in the Big Apple.

Inside Man may in the end be a genre piece, but at the same time it is the apotheosis of its genre, honing the heist siege flick to the perfection of a diamond. See it, and be dazzled.

Read more Inside Man reviews:

Director: Spike Lee

Writer: Russell Gewirtz

Starring: Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Doug Aguirre, Waris Ahluwalia, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Willem Dafoe, Daryl Mitchell, Christopher Plummer, Ashlie Atkinson, Robert Bizik

Runtime: 129 minutes

Country: USA

Search database:

If you like this, try:

• News & Features

Inside Man Review

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

The Thicket Review: A Riveting & Gritty Western Thriller with Superb Actors

Jeff goldblum cries watching 'excruciating' independence day scene, francis ford coppola's megalopolis heading for humiliation with dismal box office projection.

Spike Lee returns to top form with “ Inside Man ”, a clever heist film that is well acted and brilliantly paced. Denzel Washington, in his fourth collaboration with Lee, stars as NYPD hostage negotiator Keith Frazier. He’s on the outs with the department after a large sum of cash goes missing after a recent bust. By chance, he’s called into duty when a team of robbers invade a lower Manhattan bank and take everyone prisoner. The bank robbers, clad in jumpsuits and masked, force the captives to wear disguises that match their own. It’s an ingenious ploy that prevents the police from differentiating anyone. The gang leader, Dalton Russell (Clive Owen), is identified to the audience but remains a mystery to the police. Detective Frazier becomes suspicious when a mysterious woman, Madeleine White (Jodie Foster), shows up at the scene. She’s been given carte blanche by the mayor to resolve the situation. Frazier soon realizes that there’s something missing and this may not be a robbery after all.

The key to Inside Man ’s success is the skillful execution of an extremely elaborate plot. The film jumps back and forth in time while continuously introducing new characters and story elements. There’s also the central theme of the bank robbery that is the over-arching storyline by which everything revolves. Spike Lee is able to incorporate all of these events without losing tension or interest. He does this by using different camera angles and film grains to shoot certain time frames. This way the audience subconsciously understands where they are by “look” of the film. Russell Gerwitz deserves credit for his highly calculated script, but Spike Lee gets the lion’s share for his adept visualization.

You can never go wrong with Denzel Washington and he certainly does not disappoint here. He is an actor that understands nuance. He loads his character with small details. The result is an affecting humanity that builds a real repoire with the audience. You actually care about his Detective Frazier. Clive Owen also gets high marks for his performance. He isn’t given as much to do, but has a commanding presence on screen. Jodie Foster plays her character a little too tightly, but that isn’t really a negative here. She is in a supporting role that serves a specific purpose in forwarding the plot.

Spike Lee puts an authoritative stamp on his films by injecting them with his social agenda. That might seem out of place for this big-budget thriller, but he carefully, and rather shrewdly, does it here. Lee addresses quite a few hot-button issues without preaching or steering the plot away. Lee’s work had taken a tremendous downturn with his last effort, the absolutely terrible “She Hate Me”. He redeems himself with this film and proves that he is still one of Hollywood’s most pertinent directors.

The payoff for Inside Man can only be enjoyed if you avoid spoilers. It’s actually worth the effort; so steer clear of all the commercials and trailers. Most films you can spot from a mile away, but this one had me guessing until the very end. It is a smart movie that respects its audience. Thrillers are rarely so well conceived; Inside Man is a must-see this weekend.

• Movie and TV Reviews
• inside man (2006)

• UK Politics
• News Videos
• Paris 2024 Olympics
• Rugby Union
• Sport Videos
• John Rentoul
• Mary Dejevsky
• Andrew Grice
• Sean O’Grady
• Photography
• Theatre & Dance
• Culture Videos
• Fitness & Wellbeing
• Food & Drink
• Health & Families
• Royal Family
• Electric Vehicles
• Car Insurance Deals
• Lifestyle Videos
• Hotel Reviews
• News & Advice
• Simon Calder
• Australia & New Zealand
• South America
• C. America & Caribbean
• Middle East
• Politics Explained
• News Analysis
• Today’s Edition
• Home & Garden
• Broadband deals
• Fashion & Beauty
• Travel & Outdoors
• Sports & Fitness
• Climate 100
• Sustainable Living
• Climate Videos
• Solar Panels
• Behind The Headlines
• On The Ground
• Decomplicated
• You Ask The Questions
• Binge Watch
• Travel Smart
• Watch on your TV
• Crosswords & Puzzles
• Most Commented
• Newsletters
• Ask Me Anything
• Virtual Events
• Wine Offers
• Betting Sites

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in Please refresh your browser to be logged in

Inside Man review: David Tennant and Stanley Tucci star in crime crowd pleaser now on Netflix

Bbc drama stars stanley tucci and david tennant as ostensibly normal men trapped in a web of bad decisions, article bookmarked.

Find your bookmarks in your Independent Premium section, under my profile

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails

Sign up to our free breaking news emails.

What happens when ordinary people fall down the rabbit hole of extraordinary criminal activity? This is a premise that has captivated prestige television in recent years, from Sally Wainwright’s miraculous Happy Valley to Noah Hawley’s pitch-black re-imagination of Fargo . Normal people – neither good nor bad – trapped in a cycle of bad decisions. And this is the territory that Steven Moffatt – ex of the parishes of Doctor Who and Sherlock – is treading with his new four-part BBC thriller, Inside Man .

The man on the inside is Stanley Tucci ’s Jefferson Grieff, a former professor of criminology now on death row for murdering his wife. He’s imprisoned somewhere deep in the arid American South, where he takes a philosophical stance on his impending death. When asked whether he wants to be executed, he replies with a shrug, “I don’t want to be executed, and my wife didn’t want to be murdered”. But when he’s not wisecracking about capital punishment, he takes on freelance cases of “moral worth” in his capacity as “the death row detective”. It’s all very Sherlock Holmes, albeit in a mind prison rather than palace , and he even has his own Watson – Dillon (Atkins Estimond), a hulking, chipper serial killer with a photographic memory.

Stanley Tucci might be married to Emily Blunt’s sister, and regularly spotted at the bougie bakeries of west London, but that doesn’t sound very BBC as a set-up. The British end, however, is kept up, both by Moffatt’s fellow Who alumnus, David Tennant , who plays vicar Harry, and Dolly Wells’ maths tutor, Janice. A misunderstanding over a rogue USB drive entangles their lives (and fates), and an investigative reporter, Beth ( It’s a Sin ’s Lydia West, who struggles to bring the character to life), ropes Grieff into their case. And that’s about as specific as I can be without breaching the Beeb’s spoiler embargos.

Whether he’s a fashion designer, controller of an airport, or an Italian chef, Tucci always plays the same character. As, to some extent, does Tennant. Bad characters or good characters, both actors rely on their superfluity of natural charisma. “God loves atheists,” says Tennant’s charming vicar, prior to faeces meeting fan. “Loves jumping out at them: boo!” As things get wronger and wronger, the tone remains jaunty. Moffatt’s work, including 2020’s Dracula , always has the timbre of young adult fiction, just bouncy enough to sand off the rough edges (and the rough edges here include subjects like sexual assault, paedophilia and suicide). Even within that gloom, Inside Man remains impeccably watchable.

But Moffatt is, fundamentally, a purveyor of mediocre fare, and Inside Man is no exception. Where both Happy Valley and Fargo depicted a situation spiralling out of control with horrifying sympathy, Inside Man ’s central scenario is unsatisfyingly confected. “Everyone’s a murderer,” comes Grieff’s judgment. “All it takes is a good reason and a bad day.” And while that’s a neat idea, it doesn’t explain away lying when there’s no reason not to tell the truth. Ordinary people making bad decisions might make for good TV, but stupid people making implausible decisions? Less so.

With likeable performances and quippy characters (Wells’ unfortunate teacher remains smart-talking despite bleak circumstances, telling her imprisoner, “I think in the end – and with regret I’m sure – you’re going to kill me”), Inside Man is a weeknight crowd pleaser. Just don’t expect the moral depth, or proficient plotting, of some of its rivals in the emergent “men making mistake after mistake” genre.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

A police detective, a bank robber, and a high-power broker enter high-stakes negotiations after the criminal's brilliant heist spirals into a hostage situation. A police detective, a bank robber, and a high-power broker enter high-stakes negotiations after the criminal's brilliant heist spirals into a hostage situation. A police detective, a bank robber, and a high-power broker enter high-stakes negotiations after the criminal's brilliant heist spirals into a hostage situation.

• Russell Gewirtz
• Denzel Washington
• Jodie Foster
• 814 User reviews
• 205 Critic reviews
• 76 Metascore
• 5 wins & 12 nominations

Top cast 99+

• Detective Keith Frazier

• Dalton Russell

• Madeleine White

• Arthur Case

• Captain John Darius

• Detective Bill Mitchell

• (as Bernard Rachelle)

• Captain Coughlin

• Sergeant Collins

• Peter Hammond

• Herman Gluck

• Vikram Walia
• (as Rodney 'Bear' Jackson)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia The scene in the coffee shop was improvised. On the DVD commentary, Spike Lee states that when Denzel Washington ad-libbed the line "I'll bet you can get a cab though," he nearly ruined the take by laughing so loud at Washington's line.
• Goofs The cops are supposedly fooled when the gang play part of a speech in Albanian by the late Enver Hoxha to fool their listening devices. But even though they don't know the language, they ought to notice that it sounds like a monologue by one man rather than a possible conversation between four bank robbers, one of them female. That's not how human comprehension works. When listening to a torrent of unfamiliar comprehensible sounds, after a while, the brain treats them like white noise, unable to recognize them or sort them into discrete parts of a conversation.

Dalton Russell : I'm no martyr. I did it for the money. But it's not worth much if you can't face yourself in the mirror. Respect is the ultimate currency. I was stealing from a man who traded his away for a few dollars. And then he tried to wash away his guilt. Drown it in a lifetime of good deeds and a sea of respectability. It almost worked, too. But inevitably, the further you run from your sins, the more exhausted you are when they catch up to you. And they do. Certain. It will not fail.

• Crazy credits Most unusual for a feature film, all orchestra musicians are credited individually with their respective occupation.
• Connections Featured in Inside Men: Denzel & Spike - Man to Man (2006)
• Soundtracks Chaiyya Chaiyya Written by A.R. Rahman , Gulzar Performed by Sukhwinder Singh , Sapna Awasthi Courtesy of Venus Records and Tapes Pvt. Ltd, India Talkies Pvt. Ltd & A.R. Rahman Orchestral Arrangement by Terence Blanchard

User reviews 814

• Mar 8, 2010
• How long is Inside Man? Powered by Alexa
• What is the purpose of the opening scene? What is the goal of the monologue?
• Why does Detective Frazier refer to the NYPD ESU officers as "the hard boys"? What does that mean?
• What is the music used in the opening credits?
• March 24, 2006 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• El plan perfecto
• Steiner Studios - 15 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA
• Universal Pictures
• Imagine Entertainment
• 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $45,000,000 (estimated)
• $88,513,495
• $28,954,945
• Mar 26, 2006
• $186,003,591

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 9 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

Inside Man (2023) Ending Explained – Is Bobby successful in killing Chris?

Inside man (2023) plot summary.

Inside Man is an American thriller based on real-life incidents, written by Konsa Kondilopoulos and directed by Danny Abecaser. The film delves into the lives of disgraced police detectives seeking redemption as they unravel one of the most violent crime syndicates in the series.

The bone-chilling thriller drama begins with Bobby Beluci observing a man outside a coffee shop. Bobby, using voice-over narration, shares that he knows almost everything about the guy, and his tone suggests anger. The way Bobby carries himself indicates he is a dedicated workaholic who rarely takes a day off.

Bobby is a high-level detective who dedicates most of his time to his job. Unfortunately, this commitment works against him when he unexpectedly returns home early one day and discovers his wife’s infidelity. Enraged, he confronts and beats the other man until he faints.

The police department finds Bobby’s behavior unacceptable, and they are compelled to file a complaint against their own. Consequently, Bobby is demoted to a regular desk job. However, the once-field detective isn’t keen on the idea of dealing with paperwork. Instead, he sifts through old files and focuses on unsolved cases, particularly high-profile ones.

How does Bobby enter the gang?

Dealing with the frustrations of his desk job and personal life simultaneously, Bobby eventually finds himself at a shady bar. While having a couple of drinks, he witnesses a guy getting beaten up in the bathroom. In frustration and anger, Bobby intervenes and gives the aggressor a beating. Afterward, he realizes the man he has just saved is none other than Chris DeMeo, also known as Chris, the right hand of a local mob boss. Grateful for the intervention, Chris thanks Bobby and leaves the bar. 

The next day, Bobby asks his partner James about Chris, and James provides him with all the necessary data. This triggers a realization in Bobby’s mind, and he heads down to the filing area and turns the pages of his own case file. Taking the file, he heads straight to the captain and requests permission for an undercover operation against the largest drug mob in the city. 

However, the captain rejects the plan and instructs Bobby to return to his desk job. Undeterred, Bobby decides to investigate the case unofficially. He visits Gemini Lounge, where Chris introduces him to another friend. Bobby tells them he’s an architect planning to leave his job. Since the mob is already aware of his fighting abilities, they decide to hire him. 

How does the investigation go?

After gathering substantial evidence and successfully infiltrating the mob, Bobby presents all the photos he has taken to the Captain and outlines the plan. Despite some initial hesitation, the Captain eventually agrees to move forward with the investigation. However, he cautions Bobby that this case will determine his future, and if he fails, he’ll have to return to the normal desk job with no turning back.

With everything in place, Bobby accepts the mob’s offer. However, he has to have patience until he is fully integrated into their inner circles. Initially i mpressed with Bobby’s performance, the mob takes him to Roy, the boss. They shake hands, and Roy mentions he’s heard praises about Bobby. Roy also asks if Bobby has ever taken someone’s life.

Initially hesitant, Bobby eventually opens up that when he was a teenager, he threw a boy similar in age down a rooftop. Upon hearing this, Roy laughs and decides to test Bobby. He takes Bobby and Chris to the woods. Therein, they encounter the same guy who attacked Chris in the club. Roy hands a gun to Bobby and orders him to pull the trigger, and Bobby complies.

What happens with the Columbian drug cartel?

As Bobby becomes more deeply involved in the business, he and Chris grow tired of working for Roy and decide to start their own drug operation. While planning their venture, Chris informs Bobby about a deal the Colombian drug cartel is about to make at the port. Thus, Bobby and Chris decide to hijack the deal.

They arrive at the spot before the scheduled time, and they eliminate everyone on the port just as the deal is about to happen. Bobby suggests Chris seek help from Roy, but Roy refuses, claiming that Chris’s private affairs are not his concern. Things turn interesting when the Cartel instructs Bobby to kill Chris.

Is Bobby successful in killing Chris?

Bobby is trying to locate Chris, but he has no clue about his whereabouts. One day, Chris unexpectedly shows up at Bobby’s home, revealing his true identity as an undercover cop. Chris understands the need to protect his cover and decides to hand Bobby over to Roy, putting all the blame on Bobby to maintain his own safety.

However, upon reaching the Gemini Lounge, they are shocked to find Roy there. Roy hands a gun to Bobby and orders him to kill Chris, but this time, Bobby finds it hard to squeeze the trigger. Seeing this, Roy pulls out his gun and shoots Chris. This turns out to be disastrous for both the police department and Bobby himself, and they’re both suspended.

What happens in the end? 

As the movie approaches its end, Bobby comes to realize that his workaholic behavior has taken a toll on his personal life. Desiring to reclaim the love he has lost, he decides to reconcile with his wife. However, in their final meeting, he hands her a packet of money, acknowledging that their chapter is closed for now. Bobby also returns to the Gemini Lounge to gather information and close that chapter of his life.

Trouble corners Bobby again, and he finds himself booked under drug laws. The officers offer him a deal, and promise that if Bobby hands them all the evidence he has gathered, they place him under a witness protection program. Bobby agrees and provides the cops with the information that leads to the dismantling of the entire drug cartel. The movie concludes with the death of everyone involved.

Feel free to check out more of our movie reviews here!

Leave a comment.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

Inside Man Still Absolutely Rules

Every week for the foreseeable future, Vulture will be selecting one film to watch as part of our  Friday Night Movie Club . This week’s selection comes from staff writer Hunter Harris, who will begin her screening of  Inside Man  on June 12 at 7 p.m. ET. Head to  Vulture’s Twitter  to catch her live commentary, and look ahead at  next week’s movie here .

The only thing I feel up to watching these days, other than Jonathan Glazer’s Birth — which, truly, my specific breed of brain worms adore — is a crime drama . I want a trio of goons holding a subway train hostage . I want Robert De Niro making a U-turn at the last second to settle a score. I want a foursome of women from Los Angeles setting it off . The formula at play in these genre movies settles my anxious quarantine brain: There is an objective, a hero, a villain. More than anything, I want stakes that are clearly defined. I’ve watched and rewatched a bunch of them over the past three months, from smoky Columbia noirs to Erin Brockovich (which is its own kind of push-up-bra heist). The one I come back to, time and again, is Inside Man . Spike Lee’s highest-grossing movie is still an engaging, engrossing caper.

Inside Man is one sleight of hand after another: The mysterious Dalton Russell ( Clive Owen ) is in prison when we meet him, and he’s blithely telling the audience what he’s about to do. It’s not a warning; it’s a promise: “Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself,” he says. (The restraint here! It sets all my synapses on fire, the way his certainty veers just shy of smugness.) Russell is the crook; four minutes later we meet Detective Keith Frazier ( Denzel Washington ), the cop. Money missing from a previous bust has Frazier worried for his job, and when he and his partner (Chiwetel Ejiofor) are assigned a robbery at the downtown Manhattan Trust Bank, it seems like a big enough case to save his neck.

As far as bank robberies go, Russell’s strategy isn’t necessarily something we haven’t already seen in a pricey studio movie before. There are jumpsuits and dark sunglasses and a menacing vault. But there are also riddles and hilariously deployed rap songs, an irritated elderly woman, an arrogant 20-something hostage. It’s the way Spike Lee builds the tension that works best, giving you Dog Day Afternoon ’s desperation with Ocean’s Eleven ’s gloss — and adds his own ideas about this city. Race and money (or the lack of it) can sway anything in this New York. A white cop (Willem Dafoe) bucks when he has to respect Frazier’s authority. Officers rush to tackle bank hostage Waris Ahluwalia for no reason other than that he’s wearing a turban. A chatty woman trades information, but only if her parking tickets are handled. Jodie Foster seems to descend out of nowhere, a fixer sent in by the bank’s super-wealthy owner to make sure his secret assets stay hidden. This is New York as only Spike Lee can film it: loud, frustrated, funny. The slickness of this movie works in its favor; Lee’s palette is muted, but his ideas are just as urgent. All of his best impulses (and one of his worst, in a scene about the violence of video games that still feels like an unnecessarily dadish lecture) are on display.

I cannot stress enough how much this movie absolutely rules. It’s slyer than a typical cat-and-mouse story, where one man nips at another’s heels. It’s more complicated than a pair of fraternal twins on different sides of the law. Russell and Frazier enter into a series of mind games that’s a pleasure to watch unfurl: Who’s playing whom? Who’ll give up first? They’re equals, intellectually, but also opposites. I want Russell’s smugness to give out just as much as I want Frazier’s desperation to give in. More than once, it’s not even clear who was in on the heist — or what exactly it is they’re stealing — only that the bad guys are winning. It feels cathartic to watch right now, as we’re toppling racist power structures and holding opportunistic billionaires’ loafers to the flame.

To be clear, the edict is still to abolish the police . But in the meantime, won’t you watch Inside Man with me?

Inside Man  is available to stream with a subscription to Netflix and is available to rent on Amazon Prime, YouTube, iTunes, Vudu, and Google Play.

More From This Series

• Helen Hunt Answers Every Question We Have About Twister
• Mr. and Mrs. Smith Is a Straight Shot of Movie Star Charisma
• The Timeless Honesty of Wild Style , the First Hip-Hop Movie
• vulture homepage lede
• friday night movie club
• denzel washington
• jodie foster

Most Viewed Stories

• Cinematrix No. 164: September 6, 2024
• Can Ben Affleck Handle Another Jennifer in His Life?
• The Perfect Couple Series-Premiere Recap: Welcome to Summerland
• The Bachelorette Season-Finale Recap: It Wasn’t Supposed to Be This Way
• Coach Taylor Swift Lands at Travis Kelce’s Chiefs Opening Game
• The Real Housewives of Orange County Recap: Videos Killed the Reality Star
• Every Ben Stiller Movie Performance, Ranked

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

• Forgot your password?

The Movie Blog The Home Of The Correct Opinion

The magic faraway tree movie: rebecca ferguson joins classic, zee5 global’s telugu entertainment takes the world by storm, the running man remake: glen powell and edgar wright team up, jatt and juliet 3: diljit dosanjh and neeru bajwa return, chris hemsworth takes on drums with ed sheeran: a limitless journey, despicable me 4 – home entertainment giveaway, twisters home entertainment giveaway, alien: romulus free fandango giveaway, borderlands free movie ticket giveaway, alien: romulus – chicago – advance screening, the future of african cinema: director kaizer mokgobu, kritika kamra interview: gyaarah gyaarah’s groundbreaking story, interview: raghav juyal on ‘gyaraah gyaraah’, sunny singh talks “luv ki arrange marriage” and future roles, inside the minds behind of one must wash eyes, the rings of power season 2 episode 3 review: new twists, old shadows, the rings of power season 2 episode 2: sauron’s shadow looms large, the rings of power season 2 episode 1: sauron’s origins unveiled, terminator zero review: a familiar and intriguing spin, harold and the purple crayon review: seriously lacking imagination, new trailer and poster released for halle berry’s never let go, sonic 3 trailer unleashes shadow the hedgehog, the lord of the rings: the war of the rohirrim trailer debuts today, unraveling the intensity: murshid on zee5 global, kaantaye kaantaye: a bengal thriller that’ll keep you guessing.

Inside Man Review: A Misstep in Crime Drama

Director Danny A. Abeckaser’s Inside Man promised an intriguing blend of undercover cop drama and the gritty world of organized crime. The film had the potential to deliver a gripping story of redemption, betrayal, and moral ambiguity. However, despite its promising premise, Inside Man ultimately falls short in execution, leaving audiences with a muddled narrative, inconsistent character development, and a lack of emotional resonance.

The film opens with a gripping scene of chaos as a nuclear meltdown unfolds, leading to the demotion of detective Bobby Belucci, played by Emile Hirsch . The premise holds immediate promise – a troubled protagonist, a chance at redemption, and the lure of going undercover to take down a notorious mob killer. Unfortunately, the potential of this setup is squandered by a disjointed and convoluted script that struggles to maintain focus.

Emile Hirsch’s portrayal of Bobby Belucci is a mixed bag. On one hand, Hirsch effectively conveys the internal turmoil of a detective haunted by past mistakes and eager for a shot at redemption. However, the film’s lack of coherent character development leaves Belucci’s motivations and choices feeling inconsistent. Hirsch’s performance is undermined by a script that fails to delve deep into his character’s psyche, leaving the audience disconnected from his journey. As a result, the emotional stakes of Belucci’s transformation are blunted, and his descent into the criminal world lacks the impact it should have had.

Greg Finley ‘s performance as the mob’s ruthless killer, Anthony Senter, is one of the film’s highlights. Finley brings a chilling intensity to his role, portraying Senter as a charismatic yet sinister figure capable of manipulating those around him. Senter’s cat-and-mouse interactions with Belucci initially promise a riveting dynamic, but this potential is largely squandered by a lack of meaningful interaction between the two characters. Their psychological game of wits could have been the film’s driving force, but it becomes lost amidst the clutter of subplots and underdeveloped characters.

Lucy Hale ‘s Gina, a love interest and potential source of conflict for Belucci, is unfortunately relegated to a one-dimensional role. Her character’s interactions with Belucci lack depth, and her motivations are unclear, resulting in a romance that feels forced and inconsequential to the overall narrative. Hale’s acting skills are underutilized, and her character ultimately becomes a missed opportunity for meaningful engagement.

A major stumbling block in Inside Man is its lack of narrative cohesion. The film meanders through various subplots, including political intrigue, personal vendettas, and power struggles within the mob. While each of these elements could have contributed to a complex and layered narrative, they instead detract from the film’s central premise. The audience is left struggling to piece together the different threads, resulting in a viewing experience that feels disjointed and unsatisfying.

Another issue is the film’s pacing. At times, Inside Man drags its feet, spending too much time on inconsequential scenes while rushing through potentially impactful moments. The lack of a consistent rhythm prevents the narrative tension from building effectively, and important character developments are glossed over in favor of quick resolutions. This uneven pacing hampers the film’s ability to draw the audience into its world and invest in the characters’ journeys.

The film’s cinematography captures the gritty atmosphere of the criminal underworld, with dark and moody visuals that suit the tone. However, the direction often lacks subtlety, relying on heavy-handed visual cues to convey emotions and plot points. This detracts from the film’s ability to engage viewers on a deeper level, as it leaves little room for interpretation and nuance.

Inside Man falls short of its potential as a compelling crime drama. Despite a promising premise and a talented cast, the film’s disjointed narrative, underdeveloped characters, and uneven pacing prevent it from reaching the heights it could have achieved. While Emile Hirsch and Greg Finley deliver solid performances, they are ultimately let down by a script that fails to explore their characters’ depths. Lucy Hale’s character remains underutilized, and the lack of meaningful interactions between key characters diminishes the emotional impact of their conflicts. Ultimately, Inside Man struggles to find its footing in the crowded landscape of crime dramas, leaving audiences with a forgettable and unsatisfying viewing experience.

• Acting - 7/10 7/10
• Cinematography/Visual Effects - 6/10 6/10
• Plot/Screenplay - 5/10 5/10
• Setting/Theme - 5/10 5/10
• Watchability - 5/10 5/10
• Rewatchability - 3/10 3/10

User Review

About caillou pettis.

• Related Articles
• More By Caillou Pettis
• More In Movie Reviews

Anime NYC 2024: Floor Walking, Chill Vibes, and Terminator Zero

Wishes of the Blue Girl: A Commendable Atmospheric Indie Effort

Greedy People Review: A Mixed Bag of Comedy and Mystery

Ouija Castle Review: A Gothic Horror that Fails to Haunt

The Crow Review: A Visually Striking but Emotionally Hollow Reboot

Oddity Review: A Haunting Tale of Grief and the Supernatural

Harold and the Purple Crayon, directed by Carlos ...

Related Posts

• Betsquare.com
• CasinoSenpai.com
• FilmSchoolRejects
• First Showing
• MTV Movies Blog
• OnlineCasinosSpelen
• Weekly Wilson

Director Spike Lee shoots and scores with Inside Man , a clever bank heist movie that jazzes up the stale, overdone genre. Lee passes the screenwriting baton to talented newcomer Russell Gewirtz, who adds enough twists and turns to keep the movie breezing along without a clear direction of where it’s headed. Aided by a top-notch cast including Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster, Inside Man is a witty, cat-and-mouse thriller loaded with charisma and nuance.

The story opens with Dalton Russell (Owen) telling the camera about committing the perfect bank robbery. Flash back to Manhattan Trust Bank, where he and three burglars—dressed as painters in silly masks and shades—wave their guns around and take 50 terrified people hostage, as crowds of spectators gather outside. Cocky detective Keith Frazier (Washington) is on the case along with his sidekick ( Chiwetel Ejiofor ) to smooth out the situation, which proves to be more challenging than they expected.

Russell is not your average bank robber, and his next move cannot be foreshadowed. Beyond the money, his goal is to distract the cops with mind games and send them on wild goose chases, grinning as they inevitably run themselves into another dead end. Although he is armed and threatens to unload lead on the hostages if his demands aren’t met, his behavior suggests otherwise. When his hostages disobey him, including a Jewish grandma who refuses to strip and put on the required painter gear, she is not executed for kvetching. Instead, she finds herself put safely in a room with the other rebels, as they all await pizza that has been ordered for them.

A third party closely monitoring the robbery is Arthur Case ( Christopher Plummer ), the founder of Manhattan Trust, trying to keep a dark secret hidden inside the bank and away from the papers. He hires Madeline White ( Jodie Foster ), a power broker who makes a fortune working around the law, who comes into play as another headache for both the cops and the robbers. Thankfully, Foster is given a role where she dresses nicely and doesn’t have hysterical outbursts; in other words, something Julianne Moore would have immediately turned down.

The world does not need another bank hold-up movie, and Spike Lee makes sure to deliver something better. While the robbery is the central plotline, there are so many intriguing characters and quality interactions, that categorizing it simply as a heist flick is unfair. The leads are great, but its the side characters that prove to be the biggest scene-stealers. Most notable is a tough little black kid who idolizes 50 Cent, and plays a portable, appalling violent videogame that makes “Grand Theft Auto” look like “Curious George”. Everything that comes out of his mouth is hilarious, especially when he congratulates Russell during the bank robbery, telling him sympathetically, “Hey, you gotta get paid too”.

Inside Man is a sarcasm-packed thriller that remains interesting because of all the talent involved. It’s a refreshing movie that gets your adrenaline racing and continues the potential Spike Lee reignited with 25th Hour four years ago. While not every twist in the script works, there are enough goods to keep its shortcomings from mattering too heavily. During these dreary cinematic months, Inside Man is prime entertainment and a much-needed bang for your buck.

32 Harry Potter Characters With The Absolute Best Names

Jenna Ortega Just Made A Comment About A James Bond Spinoff (And Others) That Mirrors Exactly How I Feel

Joaquin Phoenix Was Finally Asked About Exiting Movie In The 11th Hour, And His Comment Nodded At The 'Creators' Who Previously Called It A 'Nightmare'

Most Popular

• 2 Jenna Ortega Just Made A Comment About A James Bond Spinoff (And Others) That Mirrors Exactly How I Feel
• 3 A Minecraft Movie’s Trailer Is A Bonkers Mix Of Live-Action And Animation, But I’m Distracted By Jason Momoa’s Hair
• 4 Demi Moore Gets Real About A Potential Ghost Remake, And If She'd Reprise Her Iconic Role
• 5 32 Best In Show Quotes And Scenes That I Still Think About

Screen Rant

Inside man reviews: what critics thought of the stanley tucci serial killer drama.

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Scarlett Pomers: What Happened To Kyra From Reba (& Where The Actress Is Now)

Fire country season 3 set video hints at gabriela’s unexpected fate after the season 2 finale cliffhanger, grey's anatomy season 21 trailer previews station 19 character's return & aftermath of season 20 finale.

In 2022, Netflix released a serial killer drama starring Stanley Tucci called Inside Man , and critics had a lot to say about the series. Tucci stars in Inside Man as Jefferson Grieff, an ex-criminology professor on death row in an Arizona prison for murdering his wife. David Tennant co-stars as British vicar Harry Watling, who accepts an incriminating USB drive from a troubled parishioner and ends up locking a woman in his basement to keep her from reporting it to the police. Grieff and the woman in Watling’s basement – Janice Fife (played by Dolly Wells) – cross paths in the most unexpected way.

Inside Man was created and written by Steven Moffat, best known as the showrunner of Doctor Who and Sherlock . All four episodes were directed by Paul McGuigan, who helmed the feature films Lucky Number Slevin , Victor Frankenstein and Film Stars Don’t Die in Liverpool. He also previously worked with Moffat on Sherlock season 2, episode 1, “A Scandal in Belgravia,” and season 2, episode 2, “The Hounds of Baskerville.” With all this star power in front of and behind the camera, hopes were high for Inside Man . But what did the Inside Man reviews say?

RELATED: Why Did Jefferson Grieff Kill His Wife In Inside Man?

Inside Man Is Predictable But Stanley Tucci Is Gripping

The Inside Man reviews weren’t unanimously laudatory, but there were more positive critical opinions than negative ones. The series earned a “fresh” approval rating of 67% on Rotten Tomatoes , so roughly two out of every three critics gave Inside Man a positive review. The site’s critics’ consensus says that Inside Man ’s ambitious approach is “ undercut by clunky and predictable plotting, ” but concedes that Tucci and Tennant’s gripping performances provide “ welcome compensations for viewers who enjoy twisty thrillers. ”

In a four-star review for The Guardian , Lucy Mangan praised Inside Man ’s “ funny and typically meaty mystery. ” Radio Times ’ Morgan Jeffery also praised the series, particularly Moffat’s son, Louis Oliver, for his “ show-stealing performance ” as Watling’s teenage son Ben. However, Anita Singh’s was a bit more critical as her two-star review in The Daily Telegraph said that Moffat’s scripts have plenty of “ good lines [and] clever little plot twists, ” but that the narrative of Inside Man is “ built on a flaw so fundamental that it’s impossible to get past it. ”

Stream Inside Man On Netflix

All episodes of Inside Man are available to stream on Netflix along with several other serial killer TV shows . While it earned a lukewarm reception from critics, Inside Man was more poorly received by viewers, with a “rotten” audience score of just 46% on Rotten Tomatoes . However, that means that almost half of the show’s audience enjoyed it, so there’s about a 50/50 chance that new viewers will be hooked by its grisly thriller storyline. Although Inside Man was conceived as a limited series to complete its story in four parts, Moffat said (via Digital Spy ) that season 2 is possible because the first “ performed quite well ” on Netflix.

• Inside Man (TV Series) (2022)

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 76% Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Link to Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• 93% Rebel Ridge Link to Rebel Ridge
• 96% Strange Darling Link to Strange Darling

New TV Tonight

• 100% Slow Horses: Season 4
• 97% English Teacher: Season 1
• 91% Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist: Season 1
• 100% Wise Guy: David Chase and The Sopranos: Season 1
• 57% The Perfect Couple: Season 1
• -- Tell Me Lies: Season 2
• -- Outlast: Season 2
• -- The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives: Season 1
• -- Selling Sunset: Season 8
• -- Whose Line Is It Anyway?: Season 14

Most Popular TV on RT

• 74% Kaos: Season 1
• 83% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 89% Terminator Zero: Season 1
• 100% Dark Winds: Season 2
• 93% Bad Monkey: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 100% Slow Horses: Season 4 Link to Slow Horses: Season 4
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

59 Best Football Movies, Ranked by Tomatometer

Best Hulu Series To Watch Right Now (September 2024)

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

The Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Cast on Reuniting with Tim Burton

New Movies and TV Shows Streaming in September 2024: What to Watch on Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max and more

• Trending on RT
• Beetlejuice Beetlejuice
• Top 10 Box Office
• Venice Film Festival
• Popular Series on Netflix

Season 1 – Inside Man

Where to watch, inside man — season 1.

Watch Inside Man — Season 1 with a subscription on Netflix, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

What to Know

Inside Man 's ambitions are undercut by clunky and predictable plotting, although Stanley Tucci and David Tennant's performances are welcome compensations for viewers who enjoy twisty thrillers.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

David Tennant

Stanley Tucci

Dolly Wells

Lyndsey Marshal

Louis Oliver

More Like This

Season info.