Backstabbing for Beginners

2018, Mystery & thriller/Drama, 1h 48m

24 Reviews 100+ Ratings

You might also like

The Waiting
Operation Finale
Intrigo: Death of an Author
Backtrack
Inescapable

Where to watch

Rent/buy from $2.99 Rent/buy from $2.99 Rent/buy from $3.99

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

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

    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

    By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.

Backstabbing for Beginners Videos

View All Videos (1)

Backstabbing for Beginners Photos

View All Photos (16)

Movie Info

Michael, a young United Nations employee, travels to Iraq with his mentor, who wants to show him how successful the UN's Oil-for-Food Program has been. When Michael gets a deeper look at the organization, he unveils a corruption conspiracy in which officials -- both inside and outside of the UN -- are skimming billions off the top of the aid meant for the Iraqi people.

Cast & Crew

Ben Kingsley
Pasha
Theo James
Michael
Jacqueline Bisset
Christina Dupre
Belçim Bilgin
Nashim
Rossif Sutherland
Trevor
Brian Markinson
Rasnetsov
Rachel Wilson
Lily
Shauna MacDonald
Reporter
Daniela Lavender
Ruth
Peshang Rad
Hassan
Aidan Devine
Justin Cutter
Dwight Ireland
U.S. Customs Agent
Mishu Vellani
Award Presenter
Per Fly
Director
Per Fly
Screenwriter
Daniel Pyne
Screenwriter
Michael Soussan
Writer
Malene Blenkov
Producer
Lars Knudsen
Producer
Jay Van Hoy
Producer
Daniel Bekerman
Producer
Nikolaj Vibe Michelsen
Producer
Brendan Steacy
Cinematography
Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Backstabbing for Beginners

All Critics (24) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (9) | Rotten (15)
Full Review… Chandler Levack Globe and Mail Full Review… Bruce DeMara Toronto Star Full Review… Rex Reed Observer Full Review… Adam Graham Detroit News Full Review… Michael Rechtshaffen Los Angeles Times Full Review… Frank Scheck Hollywood Reporter Full Review… Josh Goller Spectrum Culture Full Review… Jason Best Movie Talk Full Review… Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com Full Review… Tom Santilli AXS.com Full Review… Liam Lacey Original Cin Full Review… Betty Jo Tucker ReelTalk Movie Reviews
View All Critic Reviews (24)

Audience Reviews for Backstabbing for Beginners

  • Jul 24, 2019
    Based on a bestselling memoir, Backstabbing for Beginners reveals the remarkable story behind one of the biggest modern political scandals. The film follows a young idealistic UN diplomat who's assigned to assist in the Iraq Oil for Food program, but he soon discovers that there's wide scale corruption. Starring Theo James and Ben Kingsley, the film has a pretty good cast that delivers strong performances. James and Kingsley have especially good chemistry, particularly in their tête-à-têtes about the realities of politics and diplomacy, which also speaks to the strength of the script in how it discusses the types of corruption that were going on and the moral compromises that were being made for "the greater good." However, at times it is a little vague about the deals being struck and who's on which side. Yet despite some problems, Backstabbing for Beginners is a compelling true life story.
    Dann M Super Reviewer
See all Audience reviews

Movie & TV guides