Ransom

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Ransom

R

1996

2h 0m

Mystery & Thriller

Action

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

73%

Tomatometer

74 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Through a life of hard work, airline owner Tom Mullen (Mel Gibson) has amassed a great deal of wealth. When a group of criminals want a piece of his cash, they kidnap his son (Brawley Nolte) for a $2 million ransom. Encouraged by his wife (Rene Russo) and an FBI agent (Delroy Lindo), Tom prepares to pay the money, but the ransom drop goes awry. Enraged, Tom decides to turn the tables on the kidnappers by making the ransom a bounty on their heads -- which he announces on national television.

Critics Consensus

Directed with propulsive intensity by Ron Howard, Ransom is a fiery thriller packed with hot-blooded performances and jolting twists.

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Gene Siskel

Chicago Tribune

Jan 22, 2014

3/4

The special nature of this story is its many climaxes that border on false endings and also how Gibson's character responds to the ransom demand of $2 million.... it is Gibson who sells us on it and sells it well.

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Desson Thomson

Washington Post

Jan 22, 2014

There are more climaxes in here than in a Swedish blue movie. This is not to say you won't be thrilled, charged up and put through the ringer at times, but your intelligence will need to be shoved under your seat like warm, flat soda.

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Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

Jan 22, 2014

2.5/4

That's interesting stuff, but it doesn't play out with a lot of smarts. And the opportunity to end Ransom on a creepy note of unpredictability is forsaken for the usual glass-shattering, bullets-flying finale.

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Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

Apr 10, 2026

C

As taut as their film may appear to be, it doesn't know when or how to release its energy. A slick, shallow movie.

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Sep 1, 2022

C

The movie, quite unavoidably, becomes "Guys With Phones."

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Sheila Reid

Women in the Life

May 16, 2022

The result is a riveting 121 minute ride.

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Mickey B

@Mickerdoo Jul 29, 2026

I like the broadcast angle he takes. Definitely a twisting thriller with a lot of factors. But the subject matter isn’t very re-watchable.

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Evan H.

@RT39422729 May 30, 2026

Great movie. At least 2002 me thought so… want the roommate to watch it. She’s never seen it.

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Ceci M

@RT81141118 Apr 27, 2026

Dá para passar o tempo. Roteiro estruturado e arcos de personagens amarrados. Porém problemas como uma aparente inexperiência do FBI, inconcebível mas necessária para que o empresário rico, de índole duvidosa e por acaso o protagonista famoso, pudesse brilhar! A mãe pouco convincente em sua dor diante de um drama tão profundo, incerto e amedrontador envolvendo seu filho. Como mãe estaria doente de desespero e não senti isso dela. Imagine reencontrar um filho após uma situação dessas, meu Deus! Achei fraca a entrega nesse aspecto. Ótima atriz no papel errado. E o papai Gibson, o que dizer, não consegui sentir emoção pelo personagem, ele não tem carisma e não passou de um mister inteligente, forçadamente, claro! Ele deveria ser o chefe do FBI neste caso. Enfim, não comprei os personagens com exceção do garoto. Ele valeu por todo o filme e ganhou de todos. Os sequestradores, coitadinhos, estavam ali só como estepe mesmo. Meros enfeites. No mais dá para curtir sem esperar muito.

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Christian K

@ckacar Apr 15, 2026

Clunky script and performances delivered in standard genre fare, not the right role for Gibson.

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Garrett B

@gmoney637 Feb 12, 2026

Thrilling and suspenseful, Ransom features excellent performances from Mel Gibson and Gary Sinise.

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Farah R.

@Farah Feb 11, 2026

Another solid thriller from the best decade for the genre. Ransom is suspenseful, gripping, and packed with great twists. The acting felt realistic, making the emotions resonating. I really enjoyed it.

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Ron Howard

Director

Mel Gibson

Tom Mullen

Rene Russo

Kate Mullen

Gary Sinise

Det. Jimmy Shaker

Delroy Lindo

Agent Lonnie Hawkins

Lili Taylor

Maris Conner

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Synopsis

Through a life of hard work, airline owner Tom Mullen (Mel Gibson) has amassed a great deal of wealth. When a group of criminals want a piece of his cash, they kidnap his son (Brawley Nolte) for a $2 million ransom. Encouraged by his wife (Rene Russo) and an FBI agent (Delroy Lindo), Tom prepares to pay the money, but the ransom drop goes awry. Enraged, Tom decides to turn the tables on the kidnappers by making the ransom a bounty on their heads -- which he announces on national television.

Director: Ron Howard
Producer: Brian Grazer, Kip Hagopian, Scott Rudin
Screenwriter: Cyril Hume, Richard Maibaum, Richard Price, Alexander Ignon
Distributor: Touchstone Home Video, Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Touchstone Pictures, Imagine Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Action, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 8, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 27, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $136.5M
Runtime: 2h 0m
Sound Mix: Surround

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