Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

      View All
      Movies Tv shows Movie Trivia News Showtimes

      The Recruit

      2003, Mystery & thriller, 1h 55m

      166 Reviews 100,000+ Ratings

      What to know

      Critics Consensus

      This polished thriller is engaging until it takes one twist too many into the predictable. Read critic reviews

      You might also like

      See More
      Double Jeopardy
      The Mexican
      High Crimes
      Flight of the Phoenix
      Enough

      Where to watch The Recruit

      Buy Rent/buy Rent/buy

      Rent The Recruit on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV.

      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

      The Recruit  Photos

      The Recruit (2003) The Recruit (2003) The Recruit (2003)

      Movie Info

      In an era when the country's first line of defense - human intelligence - is more important than ever, comes an explosive thriller that gives an insider's view into the CIA's secret training ground: The Farm. James Clayton (Colin Farrell) might not have the attitude of a typical recruit, but he is one of the smartest graduating seniors in the country -- and he's just the person that Walter Burke (Al Pacino) wants in the Agency.

      • Rating: PG-13 (Sexuality|Language|Violence)

      • Genre: Mystery & thriller

      • Original Language: English

      • Director: Roger Donaldson

      • Producer: Roger Birnbaum, Jeff Apple, Gary Barber

      • Writer: Roger Towne, Kurt Wimmer, Mitch Glazer

      • Release Date (Theaters):  wide

      • Release Date (Streaming):

      • Box Office (Gross USA): $52.8M

      • Runtime:

      • Distributor: Touchstone Pictures

      • Production Co: Spyglass Entertainment

      • Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital

      • Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

      Cast & Crew

      News & Interviews for The Recruit

      Critic Reviews for The Recruit

      Audience Reviews for The Recruit

      • Jun 03, 2013

        The CIA recruiting was kinda neat at first, even if it feels not very plausible, I was entertained but then it relied later on twists and turns that everyone saw coming, leaving room for subpar acting, boring story and not much entertaining sequences towards the end.

        Super Reviewer
      • Feb 03, 2012

        The Recruit is a film that showcases an interesting idea, but simply doesn't quite get there. It's a great shame because this film could have been something great, unfortunately it falls flat after 45 minutes in, and the plot seems to stop dead in its tracks. The recruit could have been a good film, but instead it just becomes a mediocre film that ends up being a waste of time. You'd think that a film with a strong lead in Al Pacino would be good, right? Well, this one disappoints and by the end of the film you feel that something is missing to really make this film a must see film. Unfortunately , this film is not interesting, and the plot goes nowhere after 45 minutes. The acting was decent, but overall everything seems out of place after a while. The Recruit is a pointless action film that just doesn't deliver. I thought the film could have been much better than this, and it was a total waste. The Recruit had a good idea for a plot, unfortunately the second act of the film just doesn't deliver, and that's what makes this film mediocre. The Recruit is one of those films that had a good idea, but due to a poor script, simply doesn't cut it, and ends up being a flawed film. If you're looking for a good action spy thriller, then don't watch this film. This film is quite disappointing and ends up being a dud by the time the credits role.

        Super Reviewer
      • Jan 24, 2012

        It's an interesting movie at first, with a somewhat solid history but in some parts becomes very predictable, it changes and things you do not expect but most are easy to guess. The performances and characters are acceptable, but this movie is only entertaining.

        Super Reviewer
      • Sep 11, 2011

        Spy thriller film directed by Roger Donaldson, starring Colin Farrell, Al Pacino and Bridget Moynahan.James Clayton (Colin Farrell), a computer programming expert at MIT, is recruited by senior CIA instructor Walter Burke (Al Pacino) to test for a position with the agency.With a "nothing is what it seems" plot, full of turnovers this is a very well made film.Great fun.

        Super Reviewer

      Movie & TV guides

      View All