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Fallen

Play trailer Poster for Fallen R 1998 2h 4m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
43% Tomatometer 56 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
After witnessing the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas), whom he arrested, police detective John Hobbes (Denzel Washington), and his partner, Jonesy (John Goodman), are soon investigating another murderer whose mode of operation is eerily similar to Reese's. In the course of the investigation, Hobbes meets theology professor Gretta Milano (Embeth Davidtz), who introduces him to the world of the occult and the possibility that an evil spirit is behind the killings.
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Fallen

Fallen

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Critics Consensus

Has an interesting premise. Unfortunately, it's just a recycling of old materials, and not all that thrilling.

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Critics Reviews

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Lisa Alspector Chicago Reader Jan 11, 2008
The first half of this movie holds some promise, but time is not on its side. Go to Full Review
Time Out Jan 26, 2006
God (or the Devil) is in the detail: every time a fluid is taken into the body, the fidgety camera zooms in, fascinated, suspicious. Go to Full Review
Janet Maslin New York Times May 20, 2003
3/5
A stylish if seriously far-fetched nightmare. Go to Full Review
Sharai Bohannon A Nightmare On Fierce Street Podcast May 23, 2025
3.5/5
Another 90s horror gem with a stacked cast. It's unsettling, twisty, and plays with its audience the entire time. They don't make them like this anymore. Go to Full Review
James Croot The Post NZ Nov 18, 2022
3.5/5
Fallen is more of a cult film, one that seems to gain more fans each year, all falling under its wild narrative’s spell and unable to listen to a certain Rolling Stones song in quite the same way again. Go to Full Review
Yael Shuv Total Film Jun 1, 2018
2/5
This overlong, rigidly boring affair suffers from a whole list of ailments. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Joe B @JoeBailey 21 hrs ago This movie convinced me that evil sometimes wins. Very unsettling! See more mikey T @MichaelT89 2 days ago Fallen is an enjoyable and moody watch with plenty of atmospheric style and a fantastic cast—anchored by a strong performance from John Goodman—but it ultimately stops short of being great. The film clearly tries to ride the coattails of gritty 90s thrillers like Se7en, but it lacks the same thematic discipline and psychological weight. Too often, the narrative relies on lazy plot shortcuts and a lack of true detective agency, moving the characters around rather than letting them solve the mystery through sharp deduction. Add in a petty villain motivation and a frustrating, unearned resolution involving a house cat, and the climax feels a bit cheap. It's a fun, atmospheric ride for a weekend movie night, but its generic script and anticlimactic ending keep it from reaching the upper tier of the genre. See more Adam B @conried57 4 days ago Interesting premise slows down somewhat in the middle, but I thought it had a very gripping ending and you can’t go wrong with the actors you see that are in this film See more Albert W @CommonSenseAl Oct 5, 2026 Enjoyed it but seemed a little slow. Enjoyed seeing the actors in the late 90s.... and the computers, cars, Internet, etc. 3 stars overall. See more Pat H @Staarfall Oct 5, 2026 All star cast that twists and turns and has some great music too! Creepy, eerie with transfixing personality changes, especially Elias Koteas, who I can watch all day long. See more T T @tvenjoy Oct 1, 2026 Really a horror movie in my book and I dislike the horror genre every way to Sunday. But this was actually really good. Intense, moody, thought provoking, well acted, and just plain unnerving in a good way. See more Read all reviews
Fallen

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Movie Info

Synopsis After witnessing the execution of serial killer Edgar Reese (Elias Koteas), whom he arrested, police detective John Hobbes (Denzel Washington), and his partner, Jonesy (John Goodman), are soon investigating another murderer whose mode of operation is eerily similar to Reese's. In the course of the investigation, Hobbes meets theology professor Gretta Milano (Embeth Davidtz), who introduces him to the world of the occult and the possibility that an evil spirit is behind the killings.
Director
Gregory Hoblit
Producer
Charles Roven, Dawn Steel
Screenwriter
Nicholas Kazan
Distributor
Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co
Turner Pictures, Atlas Entertainment
Rating
R (Violence|Language)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jan 16, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
May 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$25.2M
Runtime
2h 4m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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