8MM (1999)

22% of critics liked it
(78 reviews)
56% of users liked it
(125,976 ratings)

Tom Welles (Nicolas Cage) is a surveillance expert on the rise. He's living the American dream with a wife, Amy (Catherine Keener), infant daughter, and a house in the suburbs of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. After the completion of an assignment for a U.S. Senator, Welles is summoned to the house of a… More Tom Welles (Nicolas Cage) is a surveillance expert on the rise. He's living the American dream with a wife, Amy (Catherine Keener), infant daughter, and a house in the suburbs of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. After the completion of an assignment for a U.S. Senator, Welles is summoned to the house of a recently deceased captain of industry. His widow, in settling his estate, has discovered an 8MM film in her late husband's private safe. The silent short depicts the apparent murder of a young woman by a large, masked figure, what is known as a "snuff" film. Greatly disturbed by the film's contents, the widow hires Welles to find the identity of the woman and determine if she is still alive. Welles finds the girl's identity and follows her trail from the time she ran away from home to Hollywood. Once there, Welles meets adult bookstore clerk Max California (Joaquin Phoenix) to act as Virgil to Welles' Dante. As the two begin their descent into the world of underground pornography, the detective grows more and more distant from his family, as if he cannot shake the taint of the world in which he now walks. Tom and Max eventually meet pornographers Dino Velvet (Peter Stormare) and Eddie Poole (James Gandolfini). By this time the detective finds he can no longer walk out of the inferno. ~ Ron Wells, Rovi

Play Trailer

Rating, Runtime: R, 2 hr. 4 min.
Directed By: Joel Schumacher
Written By: Andrew Kevin Walker
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Action & Adventure

In Theaters: Feb 26, 1999 Wide
On DVD: May 22, 2001
Studio: Columbia Pictures

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader
I can't say I warmed to the results, but I was solidly held for the film's two hours.
Derek Elley, Variety
A movie that keeps jumping the gate and finally unravels all over the floor.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
Director Joel Schumacher aims for a psychological depth that the script can't sustain.
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle
Want to know what happens when an A-list director and A-list movie star attach themselves to a direct-to-cable screenplay? This.
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
An exploitation movie about an exploitation movie.
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
Given that Schumacher and his cohorts have reasons of their own for wanting to make this film, they may be the only people who end up liking it.
, Film4
Poorly developed, 8mm is anything but a pretty picture.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
Sets a new record for gross stupidity.
, Time Out
There's no faulting Cage's committed, intense performance, but his slide from professional, internalised concern into personal, self-righteous rage still leaves a nasty aftertaste.
Ron Wells, Film Threat
Walker at least has a solid premise here. Too bad the script didn't find its way to another David Fincher who could understand it.
Robin Clifford, Reeling Reviews
It's pretty sad that a big star/big budget film about a gritty piece of life that should powerfully effect the viewer at the gut level fails so miserably.
Dragan Antulov, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Unpleasant.
Jim Shelby, Palo Alto Weekly
The repartee between Cage and Phoenix is the high point in the film, which otherwise made me want to go take a long hot shower.
John R. McEwen, Film Quips Online
It is good work by Schumacher, but hard to watch nonetheless.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
8mm is neither the sick exploitation film nor the risible misfire the critics had prepared us for -- it is a movie of serious intent.
Margaret A. McGurk, Cincinnati Enquirer
I could not get past the pathology lurking just below the skin of this story -- its false morality, its prurient absorption in sexual violence, its sadistic glee over the hero's degradation.
Kevin N. Laforest, Montreal Film Journal
It has some worthy moments, but it could have been so much more.
Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
I'd like to think the project would have fared better in more eclectic hands, say Gus Van Sant, or perhaps Roman Polanski, but what's done is done and what's done is maybe not what it could have been.
Marty Mapes, Movie Habit
Cage's flat, deadpan acting style makes it hard to pick up on his character's moral demise, much less care about it.

Read all 19 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Manu G

You are never prepared for the truth. Good movie. This film is very strong,gritty,edgy and dark. Nicolas Cage did a very good job acting on this one. The thing is this film is very real and there's actually people so sick like this in the world we live in, it's disturbing… More
You are never prepared for the truth. Good movie. This film is very strong,gritty,edgy and dark. Nicolas Cage did a very good job acting on this one. The thing is this film is very real and there's actually people so sick like this in the world we live in, it's disturbing to know this and those who do those kinds of things shall receive no forgiveness. Tom Welles, private eye, is hired by a wealthy widow, whose well-known husband passed away recently. She has found a reel of S8-film in a safe. On the film is a cruel slaughtering of a young girl, who obviously does not pretend or act: A snuff-movie. Welles takes up investigation, which leads him to the girl's mother and from there to Hollywood, into the office of a porn flick producer. Welles' rising obsession to solve the case also carries him away from his wife and new-born daughter. But when finally names are at hand, Welles suddenly finds himself on ice much thinner than he planned.
moon r

Private investigator Nic Cage is hired by some old rich dame to check out a curious video found in the dead husband's safe. With some moments of interest this attempt to update the gumshoe cliche gets lost in its own over-reaching for social relevance. And Cat Keener is totally… More
Private investigator Nic Cage is hired by some old rich dame to check out a curious video found in the dead husband's safe. With some moments of interest this attempt to update the gumshoe cliche gets lost in its own over-reaching for social relevance. And Cat Keener is totally wasted.
Chris W

This is a dark and eerie thriller that looks like it's trying to copy the formula that made Se7en work. It doesn't fully succeed, but it's a decent creepy little thriller regardless. Cage isn't bad, but this isn't really one of his most memorable… More
This is a dark and eerie thriller that looks like it's trying to copy the formula that made Se7en work. It doesn't fully succeed, but it's a decent creepy little thriller regardless. Cage isn't bad, but this isn't really one of his most memorable performances. Joaquin Phoenix though, is awesome. He chews the scenery and really has a blast. Gandolfini and Stormare aren't too bad either, but they've done better work. I think this is in the middle to upper range of Schumacher's work, so take that as some kind of recommendation if you want.
Conner R

Just plain weird, but highly entertaining and it sort've reminds me of an Italian Giallo film in terms of content and style. The porn industry is rarely tapped into in hollywood movies, this one manages to take a step further and investigate the porn underworld. It also happens… More
Just plain weird, but highly entertaining and it sort've reminds me of an Italian Giallo film in terms of content and style. The porn industry is rarely tapped into in hollywood movies, this one manages to take a step further and investigate the porn underworld. It also happens to have one creepy villain that is both disgusting and powerful. Some really decent performances from Nicolas Cage, James Gangolfini and Joaquin Phoenix. It's definitely worth seeing, if only for Machine.
Dean !

a dark and slow paced thriller. Quite gritty and harsh at times....but just moves at such a slow pace without a great deal of action or tension. Could've been a lot better!
Anthony L

A complete waste of an amazing cast!
Brian D

Very disturbing for a big budget movie.Left me shocked and sick when i watched this for the 1st time when it was release..
Derek D

I am not a Nicolas Cage fan by any means. That being said, this was an excellent film that takes Cage from being a sort-of pushover at the start of the film to an almost sadistic madman at the end trying to get to the bottom of a snuff film that has been proven to be real. Typical… More
I am not a Nicolas Cage fan by any means. That being said, this was an excellent film that takes Cage from being a sort-of pushover at the start of the film to an almost sadistic madman at the end trying to get to the bottom of a snuff film that has been proven to be real. Typical excellent performances by Phoenix, Stormare and Gandolfini highlight this lengthy (it seems longer than two hours) film about taboo pornography. Schumacher adds one of the best DVD commentaries I've heard as well.
Tsubaki S

Oh noooes! scary fat guys with masks and funny dudes with european names make snuff flicks, the horror! Quick, someone call Nic Cage to stop them!
Crash E

i didnt know what the movie was about the first time i watched it. it was aliitle hard to watch in some parts but overall it was a good movie
Curtis L

This is one of the most disturbing movies of all time. DO NOT SEE IT. Unless you want to scrub your eyes out with a brillo pad.
Lady D

Great film! I enjoyed this from the very first time I watched it. With scenes of a slightly pornographic nature, thi smay not be everyone's type of film, however that side of things is very much part of the plot rather than the focus of the story. There is certainly the best… More
Great film! I enjoyed this from the very first time I watched it. With scenes of a slightly pornographic nature, thi smay not be everyone's type of film, however that side of things is very much part of the plot rather than the focus of the story. There is certainly the best Private Detective story I've ever seen and although there is plenty of action in the film, Nick Cage doesn't look out of place as a more serious actor. My absolute favourite role of Joaquin Phoenix', this is the first film I'd ever seen him in. Even James Gandolfini takes a reletively small role in this. A cleverly put together story. VERDICT: Unless the nature of the plot really puts you off, I'd say this is a 'must see' film
Candy R

Disturbing thriller about snuff films
Dean M

This Nicolas Cage mystery-murder film is awfully and shocking of sexual deviancy - sicko.
Jason S

Not very good.
Emily A

This movie is so heavy it's almost not entertaining. Joaquin Phoenix adds just enough levity to keep the audience from drowning, but even that isn't enough to let you get comfortable. I can't think of any movie darker than this one.
Michael G

Kind of disappointing when you consider the guy who wrote Seven wrote this.
Stuart B

Strangely captivating yet makes you want to turn it off.
James A

Usually his acting is pretty bad, in this film he really goes above and beyond to disgrace his talented Uncle. "Did he get ya HARD!did he make ya CUM!" Bravo Cage ,Bravo.
Stephen E

I can see why Andrew Kevin Walker was upset with the studio for making changes to his script, which, on paper, was a good crime thriller. As for the actual movie, it becomes more and more predictable as it progresses. The ending was awful and I felt no pity Cage's character.