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Nick of Time

Play trailer 2:15 Poster for Nick of Time R 1995 1h 29m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
30% Tomatometer 33 Reviews 47% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Gene Watson (Johnny Depp) arrives at an L.A. train station with his young daughter, Lynn (Courtney Chase), and is confronted by mysterious Mr. Smith (Christopher Walken) and Ms. Jones (Roma Maffia). They hand him a gun, order him to kill the state governor within 75 minutes and threaten to murder his child if he doesn't comply. Smith accompanies Watson to a hotel where the governor is to speak, while Jones holds the girl. As Watson considers his options, the hour to act draws ever nearer.
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Nick of Time

Nick of Time

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Critics Consensus

It isn't the worst '90s action thriller, but by bungling a story pitting Johnny Depp against Christopher Walken, the rote Nick of Time ranks among the most disappointing.

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Critics Reviews

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Anthony Puccinelli Chicago Reader Jun 9, 2022
1/4
If the director's emotions aren't real, aren't engaged by the story, then his characters' emotions won't be real either. Go to Full Review
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Jan 1, 2000
2.5/4
Somehow the whole undertaking seems too contrived. Go to Full Review
Mike Clark USA Today Jan 1, 2000
1.5/4
The most preposterous movie in theaters isn't the Ace Ventura sequel (or even Money Train) but this wanna-be nail-biter. Go to Full Review
Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault Sep 1, 2022
C-
Another bummer from John Badham. Go to Full Review
PJ Nabarro Patrick Nabarro Oct 31, 2019
2/5
Fair enough if the film isn't going to be a cerebral treatment of its real-time hook, but, for the most part, it fails in its more simple and pulpy remit to thrill. Go to Full Review
Barbara Shulgasser Common Sense Media Aug 22, 2018
3/5
'90s action-thriller has intense peril, cursing, violence. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Robert P @Superbad 1 day ago Nick of time = a 2.5 star Movie See more Teddy S @Teddy_S Sep 3, 2026 Wildly entertaining and completely nonsensical thriller. Don't let the bad ratings put you off, those people wouldn't know a good time if it punched them in the mouth. Depp is somehow likeable as the sweating, terrified, yet quick-witted victim; Walken does extremely Walken things, here looking paler than a vampire for some reason; and Charles Dutton is a great surprise as Depp's unwilling but heroic sidekick. Give it a shot, this film will keep you entertained and the ending is very satisfying, including some great last words from Walken. See more Landon J @Minxsykitty Jul 30, 2026 I loved this movie for it's excellent silliness. All of the tension built by the situation are squashed by the hilariousness of Walken's character behavior and demands of Depp's character. It's like he makes the same threat every 15 minutes and Depp goes around a corner and has a meltdown in response, rinse and repeat. This gave me super heavy Raimi vibes through and through. See more thiago S @Thiagostone Mar 27, 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 Blu B @RT43513976 Jan 9, 2026 It's kind of crazy seeing Deep play such a vanilla clean cut type of character from a Hitchcock film almost. This pulls off a dramatic 180 as it starts off very shaky, muddling, and just very farfetched. But around the very short halfway point it finds a rhythm and just stays with it and becomes a signifcantly better film. It jsut has A LOT of trouble setting itself up and those issues still dog it even in the second half. But it really deserves accolades for how much better a film thise becomes. It's ALMOST good honestly. The setting is memorable, and despite being a pretty straightforward plot with a kind of easy to see twist it's still keeps your attention later on. But it's marred by so many issues along the way. The acting is a bit of a mess. Sometimes it's bizzare like Watkin, forgettable like lots of Deep's performance here, or great like Dutton. But the biggest thing that weighs this down is the clunky dialouge. It's so inconsistent. The music is also just kind of generic and f See more Claudio C @Claudio666 Jun 27, 2025 Nick of Time (1995) A Great Thriller from the 90’s (11,791 – 27 Jun 2025 – by Claudio Carvalho) . “Nick of Time” (1995) is still a great thriller from the 90’s directed by John Badham. The tense story has a magnificent performance of Christopher Walken, in the role of the cold Mr. Smith. Unfortunately, the conclusion is weak and could have been much better. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): “Tempo Esgotado” (“Tine Out”) My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/ See more Read all reviews
Nick of Time

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Nick of Time

Nick of Time: Official Clip - Shooting the Governor Nick of Time: Official Clip - Shooting the Governor 2:13 Now Playing Nick of Time: Official Clip - Quick Change Nick of Time: Official Clip - Quick Change 1:19 Now Playing Nick of Time: Official Clip - In the Nick of Time Nick of Time: Official Clip - In the Nick of Time 2:06 Now Playing Nick of Time: Official Clip - Taxi Ride Problems Nick of Time: Official Clip - Taxi Ride Problems 1:57 Now Playing Nick of Time: Official Clip - Deaf Shoe Shine Man Nick of Time: Official Clip - Deaf Shoe Shine Man 2:12 Now Playing Nick of Time: Official Clip - I'll Make Gravy Out of Your Little Girl Nick of Time: Official Clip - I'll Make Gravy Out of Your Little Girl 2:05 Now Playing Nick of Time: Official Clip - Shootout in the Governor's Suite Nick of Time: Official Clip - Shootout in the Governor's Suite 2:12 Now Playing Nick of Time: Official Clip - You're Out of Your Mind Nick of Time: Official Clip - You're Out of Your Mind 2:13 Now Playing Nick of Time: Official Clip - What's Behind the Seat? Nick of Time: Official Clip - What's Behind the Seat? 2:01 Now Playing View more videos
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Movie Info

Synopsis Gene Watson (Johnny Depp) arrives at an L.A. train station with his young daughter, Lynn (Courtney Chase), and is confronted by mysterious Mr. Smith (Christopher Walken) and Ms. Jones (Roma Maffia). They hand him a gun, order him to kill the state governor within 75 minutes and threaten to murder his child if he doesn't comply. Smith accompanies Watson to a hotel where the governor is to speak, while Jones holds the girl. As Watson considers his options, the hour to act draws ever nearer.
Director
John Badham
Producer
John Badham
Screenwriter
Patrick Sheane Duncan
Production Co
Paramount Pictures
Rating
R
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 21, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$7.8M
Runtime
1h 29m
Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
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