Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

      View All
      Movies Tv shows Movie Trivia News Showtimes
      Watch trailer for Payback

      Payback

      1999, Action/Mystery & thriller, 1h 41m

      77 Reviews 50,000+ Ratings

      What to know

      Critics Consensus

      Sadistic violence and rote humor saddle a predictable action premise. Read critic reviews

      You might also like

      See More
      Shaft poster image
      Shaft
      Highlander: Endgame poster image
      Highlander: Endgame
      Wild Things poster image
      Wild Things
      Commando poster image
      Commando
      Kiss of the Dragon poster image
      Kiss of the Dragon

      Rate And Review

      User image

      Verified

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)



      • You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Step 2 of 2

        How did you buy your ticket?

        Let's get your review verified.

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

        You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.

      • User image

        Super Reviewer

        Rate this movie

        Oof, that was Rotten.

        Meh, it passed the time.

        It’s good – I’d recommend it.

        Awesome!

        So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

        What did you think of the movie? (optional)

      • How did you buy your ticket?

        • Fandango

        • AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

        • Cinemark Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Regal Coming Soon

          We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

        • Theater box office or somewhere else

      Payback Videos

      Movie Info

      Porter (Mel Gibson) is a thief betrayed by both his wife, Lynn (Deborah Kara Unger), and his partner, Val (Gregg Henry), when he is shot in the back after a heist. Slowly, Porter recovers from his wounds and begins a search for Val, intent on recovering his share of the money they stole together. With the aid of prostitute Rosie (Maria Bello), Porter captures Val but still cannot find his cash. For this, Porter will have to challenge an imposing crime syndicate called the Outfit.

      • Rating: R

      • Genre: Action, Mystery & thriller

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Brian Helgeland

      • Producer: Bruce Davey

      • Writer: Donald E. Westlake, Brian Helgeland, Terry Hayes

      • Release Date (Theaters):  wide

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Box Office (Gross USA): $81.5M

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Paramount Pictures

      • Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround

      Cast & Crew

      Gregg Henry
      Deborah Kara Unger
      David Paymer
      Bill Duke
      Jack Conley
      Sterling Wolfe
      James Coburn
      Brian Helgeland
      Terry Hayes
      Stephen McEveety
      Chris Boardman
      Rick Darnell
      Roy Hawkins
      Ericson Core

      Critic Reviews for Payback

      Audience Reviews for Payback

      • Jan 16, 2016
        A very average action thriller that lacks in the action department and brings nothing new to the table, Gibson plays only one of two characters he can play but plays it well, Very predictable and with the slow pace it never really catches fire and that's where this film fails most.
        Super Reviewer
      • May 30, 2014
        Starring a pre-shunned Mel Gibson, Payback is an exciting neo-noir crime thriller brimming with black humor. Mel Gibson's character, Parker is a criminal with an interesting moral code of his own set against the ?syndicate? in a film in which everyone is some degree of sleazy. Also excellently cast is Gregg Henry, who must have been born to play a sleazeball because he does it so well. Maria Bello is great as tough yet sexy as is Lucy Liu. She plays a hilarious dominatrix who can beat me up anyday. William Devane and James Coburn also shine in smaller roles. The film has a relentless quality, and an outstanding morbid, grimy vibe. I give great kudos to first-time director Brian Helgeland, who wrote several classics such as LA Confidential, Conspiracy Theory, and Mystic River. Gibson carries the film, but Helgeland's direction and the cinematography combine to make this a memorable comic sleazefest
        Super Reviewer
      • Oct 24, 2012
        A cool mob/gunslinger kind of film that has a kind of quirky appeal to it. Gibson does a pretty good job as the lead. The ending's really good too.
        Stephen S Super Reviewer
      • Apr 07, 2012
        OK can I just say firstly...Lucy Liu and her character, LOVE it! :D absolutely my kinda woman in every sense hehe Liu is soooo damn gorgeous. Right that's my little perversion out in the open and out of the way, yep I'm a fetish freak...deal with it. So apart from the delicious scenes with Liu what about the rest of the film? well its basically pretty darn good folks. In my view this is Gibson's last good film in an acting role, I also think its one of his best action thrillers too riding high alongside 'Lethal Weapon 1+2'. There is a quite different directors cut of this film which is suppose to be more straight forward, I cannot comment on that as yet but personally I have always liked this film and see nothing wrong with it really. Sure its a little cliched and you always know Gibson will win in the end but he does get knocked around allot which is reasonably surprising for the good looking 'hero'. Casting is great for all the characters here with a great slimy weaselly performance from Henry as 'Resnick', Paymer as the even more weaselly wet 'Stegman', Kristofferson is...well kinda as he always is and add some good backing in small roles from Bill Duke, John Glover and James Coburn, solid reliable casting there. Violence is hard fast and totally enjoyable without there being that much blood, but you know what's happening, its adult only and it rocks. Thing is its all quite believeable too, its not just ridiculous over the top violence with no sense of realism, it all works well along with Gibson's little traps and setups. I like the look of the film also, its almost in black and white, the picture is very bleak or washed out, kinda faded looking, shades of greys, blues, blacks and silver with not much else. Sounds odd but it sets the tone for the film whilst giving it some added class or distinction. You can't go wrong here really, think 'Riggs' outta 'Lethal Weapon' only he's more badass and the series of events he's involved in are more sensible and darker.
        Super Reviewer

      Movie & TV guides

      View All