Elephant

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Elephant

R

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1h 21m

Drama

Crime

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

163 Reviews

78%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

A variety of adolescents at a suburban high school drift through a seemingly uneventful day, until two students arrive with violent intentions. Alex (Alex Frost) and Eric (Eric Deulen) have developed elaborate plans to enter their school and gun down as many of their peers as possible. Although Alex and Eric are seen as the victims of bullying, and the pair have carefully plotted their attack, most of the violence is committed with a detached sense of randomness.

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Critics Consensus

The movie's spare and unconventional style will divide viewers.

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Adam Nayman

The Ringer

Apr 6, 2020

...it remains one of the most unsettlingly accomplished American movies of the new millennium, and exactly as difficult to categorize or definitively interpret as its maker intended.

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David Ansen

Newsweek

Mar 12, 2018

There's much to argue with, but this unconventional, oddly beautiful film resonates in unexpected ways.

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David Denby

The New Yorker

Apr 24, 2013

It offers a dismaying whiff of mortality in the spaces between the girls' chattering remarks in the cafeteria and in the blank eyes of boys who feel alienated from everything except the guns they cradle so lovingly in their arms.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

May 18, 2026

2/4

Gus Van Sant’s Elephant earned the Palme d’Or, which says less about the movie’s merits than it does about the festival’s tiresome tendency to reward controversial films regardless of their quality.

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Bianca Garner

Filmotomy

Oct 10, 2024

Elephant is still very relevant and remains one of the most impactful films of the 21st Century.

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Trace Thurman

Horror Queers Podcast

May 24, 2023

4/5

A powerful and haunting film.

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Fire F

@RT56821353 Apr 27, 2026

Horrible acting, horrible effects, worst sound choice overall including music, gunshots, birds and other sound choices that didn't fit, shot from every angle possible that made absolutely no sense at all, A student gets shot but there is no entry wound or exit wound. I do not recommend this movie to anyone and I wasted an hour and 21 minutes of my time watching this bad movie. No build up, no bullying, nothing indicates why they shot up the school. Worst movie ever!

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Dave G

@DaveWHU Apr 9, 2026

One of the worst films I’ve watched. Very slow and poor build up. Awful acting.

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Crixus F

@Crixus88 Apr 1, 2026

Boring, Not enough action or shooting. i thought this will like Rampage the 1st movie... worst indi film i ever watched.

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Paige C

@chandler-da-goat Feb 19, 2026

veryyy slow and boring. a lot of the speech is mumbled/ hard to understand. the ending is very powerful but the rest is just dragged on and on.

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Oaklee D

@ODie63 Feb 2, 2026

Scattered stories intertwine in this gripping tale of gun violence. This film is uncomfortable but necessary.

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Mickey B.

@Mickerdoo Jan 21, 2026

I graduated in ‘08, so the portrayal of school and the students was relatable. Some of the acting felt flat, though. Sells gun reform.

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Gus Van Sant

Director

Alex Frost

Alex

Eric Deulen

Eric

John Robinson

John McFarland

Elias McConnell

Elias

Jordan Taylor

Jordan

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Synopsis

A variety of adolescents at a suburban high school drift through a seemingly uneventful day, until two students arrive with violent intentions. Alex (Alex Frost) and Eric (Eric Deulen) have developed elaborate plans to enter their school and gun down as many of their peers as possible. Although Alex and Eric are seen as the victims of bullying, and the pair have carefully plotted their attack, most of the violence is committed with a detached sense of randomness.

Director: Gus Van Sant
Producer: Dany Wolf
Distributor: HBO, Fine Line Features
Production Co: HBO Theatrical Documentary
Rating: R (Disturbing Violent Content|Brief Sexuality|Drug Use|Language)
Genre: Drama, Crime
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 24, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.3M
Runtime: 1h 21m
Sound Mix: Surround

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