Safe House (2012)

All Critics (179) | Top Critics (35) | Fresh (94) | Rotten (83) | DVD (4)

The film's super-saturated look and quick cutting are mere substitutes for any real sense of intrigue.

February 26, 2012 Full Review | Comments (5)

Bruce Diones

New Yorker

Top Critic

While director Espinosa hones in on the ambiguous battle between Weston's idealism and Frost's cynicism, British cinematographer Oliver Wood - who filmed the last two Bourne movies - shoots the hell out of everything.

February 21, 2012 Full Review

Nigel Floyd

Time Out

Top Critic

This is a naive director with so little insight you wonder what comic books he's been reading.

February 14, 2012 Full Review | Comments (9)

Rex Reed

New York Observer

Top Critic

I won't deny that the movie hooked me with sheer brute energy and dragged me along with it most of the way.

February 13, 2012 Full Review | Comment (1)

Colin Covert

Minneapolis Star Tribune

Top Critic

Nothing really new here, but the cast is first-rate.

February 10, 2012 Full Review | Comments (6)

Richard Roeper

Richard Roeper.com

Top Critic

"Safe House" has just enough bone density to emit some satisfying cracks and pops whenever the action gets going.

February 10, 2012 Full Review | Comments (2)

Rafer Guzman

Newsday

Top Critic

Everybody fights and everybody lies in a thriller that tries to glamorize spies while demonizing their profession.

December 30, 2012 Full Review

Kenneth R. Morefield

Christianity Today

With a small amount of tweaking, Safe House could have been a knockout thriller. Instead, we have a film that shares the same notions as my school report cards: ' ...has potential, just needs to focus'.

September 27, 2012 Full Review

Adam Ross

The Aristocrat

["Safe House"] becomes a prime example of why no matter how many chases and other action sequences they may throw into the mix, they can't even begin to make up for the more important elements.

September 17, 2012 Full Review

Jeff Beck

Examiner.com

Safe House has a cast full of actors who would make any director blush with confidence, but each and every one of them is used as scenery for the action scenes.

September 17, 2012 Full Review

Benjo Colautti

We Got This Covered

It doesn't say much about Safe House that I can only recall a grand total of about 2 minutes, and those are mostly moments that enjoy good quality character time rather than any flash-bang excitement.

September 13, 2012 Full Review

Matt Looker

TheShiznit.co.uk

Denzel and Reynolds keep the bulk of the film fresh, gritty and intense.

September 10, 2012 Full Review

Justin Craig

FoxNews.com

one of those spy thrillers that isn't nearly as thrilling, complex or engaging as the filmmakers think.

July 11, 2012 Full Review

Jeffrey Lyles

Lyles' Movie Files

It's a flashy film, but in the end, Safe House is a dull, lifeless, noisy bore.

June 6, 2012 Full Review | Comments (2)

Kevin Carr

7M Pictures

Safe House is fairly predictable at times, but it also boasts brutally intense, edge-of-your seat action and great star performances from Reynolds and Washington.

June 5, 2012 Full Review

R. L. Shaffer

IGN DVD

Ultimately, it dashes into so many close-ups of carnage and neckbreaking, it skids scuzzily close to spy-snuff. Call this Bourne-porn; Safe House needed a safe word.

May 10, 2012 Full Review | Comments (2)

Brian Gibson

Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

This is Ryan Reynolds best performance that I've seen since Van Wilder and the wonderful, iconic, legendary Denzel Washington getting screen time and playing the 'badass character' that we love to see him play.

April 27, 2012 Full Review | Comment (1)

Blake Howard

2UE That Movie Show

You'll feel bad in the morning for having spent time with it.

April 7, 2012 Full Review | Comments (5)

Rob Humanick

Projection Booth

The photography and editing are state-of-the-Bourne-art exciting - breathless chases, brutal, blurry fights and unnerving shootouts.

March 23, 2012 Full Review | Comments (6)

Roger Moore

McClatchy-Tribune News Service

If you're craving a bit of action or just want to clear a few internal blockages in your circulatory system, 'Safe House' will suffice.

March 8, 2012 Full Review | Comment (1)

Cameron Williams

The Popcorn Junkie

Wall to wall action and all the betrayals and bullets to play the CIA spy game with an exceptional cast. Just don't let an inventive story get in the way.

March 5, 2012 Full Review

Jules Brenner

Cinema Signals

A frenetic action thriller whose chases, gunplay and hand-to-hand combat flash by in such a furious blur that the viewer barely has time to register the plot's shortcomings.

March 5, 2012 Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

It moves like a thoroughbred.

March 2, 2012 Full Review

Ed Whitfield

The Ooh Tray

If you like an explosive, action-packed game of high-stakes cat-and-mouse that keeps you guessing until the very end, you'll love skipping along to the slam-bang surprises of Safe House.

March 1, 2012 Full Review

Neil Pond

American Profile

It's derivative of many thrillers we've seen in recent years, but the strength of its cast and the technical quality of the action do a lot to make us forget those similarities.

March 1, 2012 Full Review

Martin Roberts

Fan The Fire

• 1. Tobin Frost: I'm already in your head.
  – Submitted by Willie J (10 months ago)
• 1. Tobin Frost: Too long a sacrifice. Can make a stone of the heart. O' when may it suffice?
  – Submitted by Simon O (11 months ago)
• 1. CIA Analyst: You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life.
  – Submitted by Murtala M (12 months ago)
• 1. Tobin Frost: I'm your only enemy tonight.
  – Submitted by Diego L (15 months ago)
• 1. Matt Weston: I'm taking you in.
  2. Tobin Frost: I don't want you to turn me in. [shoots wall]
  – Submitted by Diego L (15 months ago)
• 1. Harlan Whitford: We'll take it from here.
  – Submitted by Josh R (15 months ago)