Rock the Kasbah

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Rock the Kasbah

R

2015

1h 46m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

7%

Tomatometer

124 Reviews

29%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

While visiting Kabul, Afghanistan, washed-up music manager Richie Lanz (Bill Murray) gets dumped by his last client. His luck changes when he meets Salima Khan (Leem Lubany), a Pashtun teenager with a beautiful voice who dreams of becoming the first female to compete on the television show "Afghan Star." With help from a savvy hooker (Kate Hudson), two war profiteers and a trigger-happy mercenary (Bruce Willis), Richie embarks on a mission to make sure his new protégée gets discovered.

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Critics Consensus

The Shareef don't like Rock the Kasbah, and neither will viewers hoping for a film that manages to make effective use of Bill Murray's knack for playing lovably anarchic losers.

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Nigel Andrews

Financial Times

Dec 28, 2016

1/5

You don't want to see Rock the Kasbah. If you do, you're reading the wrong newspaper.

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Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

Mar 20, 2016

1/5

A dog's dinner of a movie which not even the usually reliable Bill Murray can raise above the level of confused, cliched claptrap.

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Geoffrey Macnab

Independent (UK)

Mar 18, 2016

2/5

Barry Levinson's film, loosely inspired by the true story of reality TV show Afghan Star, comes at its subject matter from entirely the wrong direction.

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Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

Mar 4, 2021

1.5/5

Strapped with an improbable and occasionally insulting premise (although it is VERY loosely based on the true story of Setara Hussainzada) and a third act twist into misplaced social commentary Murray's charm falls flat.

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Josh Goller

Spectrum Culture

Jul 20, 2019

2.25/5

If you want to watch Bill Murray romp around a foreign land, re-watch Lost in Translation.

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Phil W. Bayles

One Room With A View

Apr 6, 2019

2/5

The best one can say of Rock the Kasbah is that its culturally insensitive moments feel ill-judged rather than malicious. It's not trying to punch down - it's just not funny.

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Hans D

@RT69071167 Aug 26, 2026

Bill Murray? More like Bull.... Murray. Horribly inept screenplay that wastes usually reliable talent. Someone seems to have forgotten that movies are meant to be at least marginally entertaining on some level.

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Tamara P

@TamaraP Mar 24, 2026

I was looking forward to an original plot and actors I like, but this movie so culturally insensitive it made me physically uncomfortable. Such a missed opportunity. Watch the documentary Afghan Star instead.

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George S.

@GPSPROUD1 Sep 9, 2025

I love Bill Murray, I am also a musician. I like the cinematography. I like Bill Murray’s improv. I’d like to support supporting cast. A lot of this film could’ve been chopped to make it shorter. But I am not saying things this is in his top five but Satisfying to me. Lots of music artist references, and Bill Murray singing smoke on the water with a sitar is of course priceless. I recommend this movie for musicians and fans of Bill Murray. I don’t think anyone else in my family would enjoy it anywhere near the amount that I did.

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alan g

@agenser Sep 1, 2025

A decent plot ruined by Bill Murrays adlibs and demeanor.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 Jul 10, 2025

Funny in 1 hour and 46 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Andrew B

@AB1234 Apr 2, 2023

Genuinely funny, and uplifting. American critics didn't like it because it shows Americans in Afghanistan (i.e. ANY not-USA place) as being self-interested (arrogant) a-holes. Full credit to Murray/Hudson/Levison for the courage to make/present such an insightful and entertaining movie.

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Barry Levinson

Director

Bill Murray

Richie Lanz

Arian Moayed

Riza

Kate Hudson

Merci

Leem Lubany

Salima

Bruce Willis

Bombay Brian

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Synopsis

While visiting Kabul, Afghanistan, washed-up music manager Richie Lanz (Bill Murray) gets dumped by his last client. His luck changes when he meets Salima Khan (Leem Lubany), a Pashtun teenager with a beautiful voice who dreams of becoming the first female to compete on the television show "Afghan Star." With help from a savvy hooker (Kate Hudson), two war profiteers and a trigger-happy mercenary (Bruce Willis), Richie embarks on a mission to make sure his new protégée gets discovered.

Director: Barry Levinson
Producer: Mitch Glazer, Ethan Smith, Bill Block, Steve Bing, Jacob Pechenik
Screenwriter: Mitch Glazer
Distributor: Open Road
Production Co: Shangri-La Entertainment
Rating: R (Language|Brief Violence|Sexual References|Some Drug Use)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 23, 2015, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.0M
Runtime: 1h 46m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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