State of Play

Play trailer

State of Play

PG-13

2009

2h 7m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

84%

Tomatometer

212 Reviews

73%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is a rising star in Washington; handsome, unflappable and seemingly honorable, he's seen as his party's next presidential nominee. Until, however, his research assistant/mistress is found murdered and damaging secrets come pouring out. Journalist Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), Collins' old friend, must investigate the murder, and walks headlong into a massive cover-up involving some of the nation's most promising political and corporate figures.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

A taut, well-acted political thriller, State of Play overcomes some unsubtle plot twists with an intelligent script and swift direction.

Read Critics Reviews

Deborah Ross

The Spectator

Aug 29, 2018

State of Play is well put together and has some intelligence but it's just not very interesting or exciting or gripping for most of the time.

Go to Full Review

Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Sep 12, 2017

A

This film was well worth the wait.

Go to Full Review

Jordan Hoffman

UGO

Aug 11, 2009

C-

Kevin Macdonald's State of Play has, in fact, everything you need to tell a great journalist's story, except a great story.

Go to Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Apr 29, 2025

... the culture of old style newspaper reporting butting up against the new culture of internet journalism and the bottom line of shrinking profits and corporate demands makes for a lively and very current backdrop.

Go to Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Dec 1, 2023

3/4

A serviceable movie, but it’s the performances that carry the experience.

Go to Full Review

Niall Browne

Movies in Focus

Mar 17, 2021

4/5

State of Play is a classy piece of Hollywood filmmaking that delivers an entertaining two hours in the cinema and features enjoyable star performances from Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Vesselina B

@RT21661882 Sep 3, 2026

Good thriller, although not very intriguing all of the time. Russell Crowe's performance captivated me once again—he is so effortless and natural in this role, it feels as if it was written specifically for him. Rachel McAdams also fits well into the role of an ambitious investigative reporter, but Ben Affleck seems to fall a bit short of being convincing. I feel his performance there is a bit shaky."

See more

Cos D

@CosMovies Jul 27, 2026

Superb political and engaging thriller. Great acting and chemistry between Russell and Rachel.

See more

Blake- N

@PBSAniDom May 21, 2026

State of Play is an excellent political thriller that successfully adapts the original British TV series into a tense and engaging film. It keeps the investigative mystery compelling from beginning to end without losing focus. The movie shines because of its sharp writing and strong performances. Every character feels important to the story, and the dialogue keeps the tension high throughout. It balances journalism, politics, and suspense extremely well. What I enjoyed most was the pacing. The film steadily builds intrigue while maintaining a grounded and realistic tone. It never feels overcomplicated, yet it remains smart and unpredictable. Overall, State of Play is a gripping thriller with great acting, strong direction, and an absorbing story. It stands as one of the better newspaper investigation films of its era. I rate it a 9/10.

See more

thiago S

@Thiagostone Mar 19, 2026

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

See more

Frans B

@FransB Mar 12, 2026

Brilliant! Very intelligently written and brought to screen. Great cinematography and visually appealing. Whole cast excels in character. Very taut and swift moving. Lots of action, drama, twists, emotion, intrigue and suspense. Very entertaining and gripping

See more

Thyaagu C

@Thyaagu Jan 30, 2026

Investigation thriller just paced right, keeping you hooked, even with its predictability!

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Kevin Macdonald

Director

Russell Crowe

Cal McAffrey

Ben Affleck

Stephen Collins

Rachel McAdams

Della Frye

Helen Mirren

Cameron Lynne

Robin Wright

Anne Collins

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

7%

35%

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Watchlist

Out of Time

65%

58%

Out of Time

Watchlist

Veronica Mars

80%

78%

Veronica Mars

Watchlist

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

55%

57%

Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Roman J. Israel, Esq.

Captive

28%

44%

Captive

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Captive

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

Congressman Stephen Collins (Ben Affleck) is a rising star in Washington; handsome, unflappable and seemingly honorable, he's seen as his party's next presidential nominee. Until, however, his research assistant/mistress is found murdered and damaging secrets come pouring out. Journalist Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe), Collins' old friend, must investigate the murder, and walks headlong into a massive cover-up involving some of the nation's most promising political and corporate figures.

Director: Kevin Macdonald
Producer: Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Andrew Hauptman
Screenwriter: Matthew Michael Carnahan, Tony Gilroy, Billy Ray
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Andell Entertainment, Bevan-Fellner
Rating: PG-13 (Language|Brief Drug Content|Sexual References|Some Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 17, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 19, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $37.0M
Runtime: 2h 7m

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings