The Good Shepherd

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The Good Shepherd

R

2006

2h 48m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

172 Reviews

51%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Discreet, idealistic and intensely loyal, Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) finds that service in the OSS and later as a founding member of the Central Intelligence Agency is the perfect career for a man of his talents. His methods become standard operating procedure for the CIA while he combats his counterparts in the KGB. But, as the country slips deeper into the Cold War, Edward finds that dedication to duty above family has a price.

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Critics Consensus

Though ambitious and confidently directed by Robert De Niro, The Good Shepherd is ultimately a tedious drama that holds few surprises and succumbs to self-seriousness.

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

Jun 27, 2007

C+

Seems thoroughly conflicted about whether it actually buys what it's selling.

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Brian Tallerico

UGO

Mar 24, 2007

In a mystery worthy of the CIA, The Good Shepherd ends up being both too long and too short.

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

Feb 23, 2007

3/5

Not a film everyone will like. But those who do will appreciate De Niro's insistence on accurate detail.

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Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

Sep 22, 2022

9/10

The more that Edward loses any semblance of humanity—which Damon expertly captures in the stillest, most internalized performance of his career—the more he becomes a representation of America itself.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Jun 13, 2021

3/4

Methodical in its style and intelligent in its execution.

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Nov 21, 2020

8/10

Like the very best slow-burn spy games of John le Carre.

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Paul S

@PManRager Sep 7, 2026

I'm shocked to see how low this movie is rated. I thought this movie was a masterpiece. The story was gripping, and the entire atmosphere of the movie beautifully portrayed a time when trust was scarce and enemies were plentiful. I definitely recommend this for spy-thriller, mystery, suspense, and drama fans!

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Thomas L.

@ThomasJohnLynch Jun 21, 2026

Very enjoyable and well crafted. Another Matt Damon work of art. His range and acting is truly fantastic.

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Kieran K

@RT91904067 Nov 18, 2025

I thought it was well done, if you have any knowledge of the CIA its not a hard story to believe. Acting was great, wish they would have done a final are with his blind love interest from the beginning but other than that I honeslty cannot fathom why this has such a low score. Hard movie to find but a phenomenal watch, maybe a bit long in the tooth at 3 hours but I thought the pacing was good.

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T T

@tvenjoy Aug 13, 2025

Slow movie, has some soapy scenes, not as tight as it could be. But, but...it is still a fascinating omage to the early days of the CIA. Damon plays his role with such restraint it looks boring but look deeper.

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Stare' Stodola T

@RT16819848 Jan 23, 2025

A well constructed intrigue, spanning the psuedo intellectuals from Harvard's secret society pretending to be elite patriots, to the founding of the CIA, their role in the Bay of Pigs and the interactions between the Russians and USA during the cold war. I agree that it goes slow, but that was the nature of the cold war.

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D G

@Bob675544gh Jan 1, 2025

The timeline jumps around but every one still looks the same and they dont explain whats going on and we were just scratching our heads the whole movie and then gave up.

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Robert De Niro

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Edward Wilson

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Synopsis

Discreet, idealistic and intensely loyal, Edward Wilson (Matt Damon) finds that service in the OSS and later as a founding member of the Central Intelligence Agency is the perfect career for a man of his talents. His methods become standard operating procedure for the CIA while he combats his counterparts in the KGB. But, as the country slips deeper into the Cold War, Edward finds that dedication to duty above family has a price.

Director: Robert De Niro
Producer: Robert De Niro, James G. Robinson, Jane Rosenthal
Screenwriter: Eric Roth
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Morgan Creek Productions, American Zoetrope, Tribeca Productions, Universal Pictures
Rating: R (Sexuality|Language|Some Violence)
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 22, 2006, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $59.9M
Runtime: 2h 48m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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