High Fidelity

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High Fidelity

R

2000

1h 53m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

165 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Rob Gordon (John Cusack) is the owner of a failing record store in Chicago, where he sells music the old-fashioned way -- on vinyl. Although they have an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music and are consumed by the music scene, it's of no help to Rob, whose needle skips the love groove when his long-time girlfriend, Laura (Iben Hjejle), walks out on him. As he examines his failed attempts at romance and happiness, the process finds him being dragged, kicking and screaming, into adulthood.

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Critics Consensus

The deft hand of director Stephen Frears and strong performances by the ensemble cast combine to tell an entertaining story with a rock-solid soundtrack.

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Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

02/10/2014

3.5/4

High Fidelity, with its knowing take on men, messed-up romance and music, is like one long, hook-filled pop song for the eyes.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

02/10/2014

It is still a bit wimpy and sugary, but it's definitely entertaining, and the translation to American accelerates the tempo refreshingly.

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Nathan Rabin

AV Club

02/10/2014

A film pragmatic enough to concede that almost every relationship is doomed, but romantic enough to realize that it's worth it to carry on in spite of that fact, High Fidelity is one of the smartest and funniest romantic comedies of the past few years.

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Andy Punter

InSession Film

04/28/2025

B

For all its flaws, its structural scruffiness, its occasionally indulgent protagonist, High Fidelity remains compelling because it understands something fundamental about fandom, identity, and the fear of commitment.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

09/16/2023

3.5/4

Insightful in exploring the manner in which people’s perceptions of each other are colored not by actual shifts in personality but by circumstances that are often beyond anyone’s control.

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Charlotte Harrison

Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies

08/24/2021

Few films capture the healing power of music or the harsh reality of love & break-ups.

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Eric L

@RT34194950 4d

I spent a lot of the movie asking myself if I was really enjoying it or not. I think a lot of it is because I couldn't figure out if I enjoyed the main character here. I finally came around and realized that was kind of the point. You end up watching his self awareness grow and it really brings you around in the end. Very enjoyable movie.

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Movie W

@RT11415920 Aug 21

High Fidelity is the kind of movie that makes you laugh, cringe, and immediately start ranking your own top five everything. John Cusack is perfectly neurotic, the soundtrack is fantastic, and the quotable one-liners come faster than Rob’s ever-changing list of favorite records. Smart, funny, and endlessly rewatchable. A love story for people who overthink absolutely everything.

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Maria Q

@MariaQe Aug 18

High Fidelity is about records, women, and the lies a man tells himself. John Cusack plays Rob like a guy who has spent too much time making lists and not enough time telling the truth. It’s funny, smart, and a little sad. The jokes land. The music matters. And underneath it all is the simple fact: you can’t sort out your life like a record collection.

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Sabra P

@Sabrapriz Aug 6

High Fidelity understands that the biggest battles rarely happen in the streets, they happen inside the stories we tell ourselves about love, regret, and the songs that soundtrack both. It's sharp, funny, and unexpectedly tender, peeling back layers of ego until something honest is left standing. The film reminds you that growing up isn't about finding the perfect ending; it's about learning to stop editing the past and start listening to the present.

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Blobbo X

@Blobbo Jul 31

Cusack really not leading man material. Movie too long, thin. Jack Black annoying turd, clown. Couple nice shots Chicago.

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Andy S

@PappyVanHalen Jul 18

This movie is objectively horrible. Waste of cast. No plot, tedious, bad dialogue. Cusak talking to the camera for tiresome quickly.

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Stephen Frears

Director

John Cusack

Rob

Iben Hjejle

Laura

Todd Louiso

Dick

Jack Black

Barry

Lisa Bonet

Marie DeSalle

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Synopsis

Rob Gordon (John Cusack) is the owner of a failing record store in Chicago, where he sells music the old-fashioned way -- on vinyl. Although they have an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music and are consumed by the music scene, it's of no help to Rob, whose needle skips the love groove when his long-time girlfriend, Laura (Iben Hjejle), walks out on him. As he examines his failed attempts at romance and happiness, the process finds him being dragged, kicking and screaming, into adulthood.

Director: Stephen Frears
Producer: Tim Bevan, Rudd Simmons
Screenwriter: Nick Hornby, D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, John Cusack, Scott Rosenberg
Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Production Co: New Crime Productions, Touchstone Pictures, Working Title Films, Dogstar Films
Rating: R (Some Sexuality|Language)
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 31, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $27.3M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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