The Machinist (2004)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Brad Anderson's dark psychological thriller about a sleepless factory worker is elevated by Christian Bale astonishingly committed performance.
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Cast
as Trevor Reznik
as Stevie
as Marie
as Ivan
as Miller
as Jackson
as Jones
as Mrs. Shrike
as Nicholas
as Supervisor Furman
as Inspector Rogers
as Tucker
as Gonzales
as Evangelisti
as DMV Clerk
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Critic Reviews for The Machinist
All Critics (141) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (108) | Rotten (33) | DVD (14)
Until now Bale's screen persona has been defined by a graceful athleticism; here his physicality is repellent, yet he carries the occasionally creaky plot of Scott Kosar's unsettling screenplay to a resonant finish.
One can't deny the dubious appeal of the spectacle of the skin-and-bone Bale, quite possibly endangering his health for the sake of his art.
[Bale's] is a great performance, full of commitment and sacrifice, and The Machinist is one of the year's best films.
It's one of those movies that you admire more than you enjoy, but Anderson and Kosar are clearly talents to watch.
A stunt that didn't merit Bale's startling, and dangerous, transformation.
It begins dark and depressing, but ends up merely dull.
Audience Reviews for The Machinist
Relying on a bluish palette of desaturated colors, Anderson creates a tense atmosphere of nightmare, but it is Christian Bale who deserves especial merit for his unbelievable dedication (mostly physical) in this intriguing thriller about the unbearable weight of guilt.
Super Reviewer
Shades of Alfred Hitchcock and Rod Serling permeate this excruciating trip through the realm of hallucinatory insomnia ... and one hell of a guilt trip. Spot-on performances and a blue noirish atmosphere complete this pretty good Los Angeles hair puller that was actually shot in Barcelona.
Super Reviewer
Bale is amazing, as always. But this is a strange film.
Super Reviewer
The Machinist Quotes
| Ivan: | You look like you've seen a ghost. |
| Trevor Reznik: | Funny you should say that, the guys at work don't even think you exist. |
| Ivan: | That's why I can't get a raise. |
| Trevor Reznik: | Stevie, I haven't slept in a year. |
| Stevie: | Jesus Christ! |
| Trevor Reznik: | I tried him too. |
| Trevor Reznik: | A little guilt goes a long way |
| Trevor Reznik: | A little guilt goes a long way. |
| Stevie: | Well, don't look so surprised. Even a call girl can scramble an egg. |
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