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Riding the Bullet (2004)

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Average Rating: 3.1/10
Critic Reviews: 6
Fresh: 0 | Rotten: 6

No consensus yet.

audience

38

liked it
Average Rating: 2.9/5
User Ratings: 7,501

My Rating

Movie Info

A young man who has flirted with death is forced to come to terms with mortality in this tale of terror based on a story by Stephen King. Alan Parker (Jonathan Jackson) is a college student studying art at the University of Maine in 1969. Cursed with an over-active imagination, Alan constantly obsesses over the worst outcome of any situation, and when he begins to suspect his girlfriend, Jessica (Erika Christensen), is thinking of leaving him, it drives him to the brink of suicide. Shortly after

R, 1 hr. 38 min.

Mystery & Suspense, Horror

Apr 19, 2005

$0.1M

LionsGate Entertainment

Cast

All Critics (22) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (6) | Rotten (15) | DVD (15)

A ponderous, incoherent horror mishmash that turns King's short story into utter nonsense.

October 21, 2004 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The movie is so glum and flat-footed there's no reason to care.

October 20, 2004 Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | Comment
Los Angeles Times
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Both the anticipation factor and writer-director Mick Garris' slick adaptation fail to live up to the old hype.

October 19, 2004 Comment
Hollywood Reporter
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A better name for the film would be Taking the Bullet, because that's what sitting through this dopey, pretentious mess feels like.

October 14, 2004 Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | Comment
Arizona Republic
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It's a navel-gazing meditation on death smothered under excess and ham-handed direction, better suited for late-night cable.

October 14, 2004 Full Review Source: Dallas Morning News | Comment
Dallas Morning News
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Falls short of its source.

October 13, 2004 Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | Comment
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic IconTop Critic

...wholly ineffective...

May 25, 2005 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | Comment
Reel Film Reviews

As obras de Stephen King já renderam alguns ótimos filmes, mas também muitos péssimos. Infelizmente, Riding the Bullet se encaixa nesta última categoria.

March 28, 2005 Comment
Cinema em Cena

Imagine a feature-length version of the "Large Marge" sequence from Pee-wee's Big Adventure and you won't be too far off, only that was scarier.

February 3, 2005 Full Review Source: LYTRules.com | Comment

An incoherent melange of horror movie gimmicks that's genuinely laughable when it strives for profundity. It induces more tedium than terror.

October 15, 2004 Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | Comment
One Guy's Opinion

There are lots of cheap scares and mind games that detract from the main attraction: the interesting family drama.

October 15, 2004 Full Review Source: E! Online | Comment
E! Online

Overall it doesn't amount to much more than a goofy campfire tale.

October 15, 2004 Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | Comment
TV Guide's Movie Guide

Goes beyond simply being a bad movie, to the point where it becomes one that insults your intelligence.

October 15, 2004 Full Review Source: IGN Movies | Comment
IGN Movies

Yet another reason to think twice before thumbing a ride, kids.

October 15, 2004 Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | Comment
Boxoffice Magazine

As good as any Stephen King movie. Not the profound classics ... and not the classy thrillers... but certainly on par with any effective supernatural tale.

October 14, 2004 Full Review Source: About.com | Comment
About.com

The ending of which, both on the page and, now, on the screen, lands with an overly elegiac thud. Still, the journey is often fine.

October 14, 2004 Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | Comment
L.A. Weekly

A barely coherent fever dream of automotive anxiety.

October 14, 2004 Comment
Fort Worth Star-Telegram

A fairly middle of the road fright film that treads dangerously close to being silly.

October 14, 2004 Full Review Source: CinemaBlend.com | Comment
CinemaBlend.com
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Riding the Bullet

Riding the Bullet was Stephen Kings "depressed phase" work I assume. lol

December 19, 2009
ScoopOnline
Wahida K

Super Reviewer

I liked this Stephen King adaptation of his short story taken from 'Everything's Eventual', the author's most recent collection. Mick Garris ('The Stand', 'The Shining (TV)') has not strayed too far from the path with this macabre tale of a hitchhiker who is offered rides from a handful of weird and wonderful

July 27, 2009
matertenebraum

Super Reviewer

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