James Woods, Jodie Foster, Matthew McConaughey

She's known it since she was a young girl, when she would magically connect with distant voices on her father's shortwave radio. She's known it since college, when she chose the search for intelligent...( read more  read more... ) extraterrestrial messages as her discipline. She's known it since she bargained for just hours a week of satellite time to sweep the heavens for evidence. And she knows it every time she stares at the countless stars dappling the infinite night sky... Something is out there.

Flixster Users

74% liked it

108,292 ratings

Critics

66% liked it

53 critics

PG, 2 hrs. 22 min.

Directed by: Robert Zemeckis

Release Date: July 11, 1997

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: December 16, 1997

Get It:

Stats: 7,181 reviews

Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Your Rating



clear rating

Flixster Reviews (7,181)


  • September 21, 2009
    A well paced alien contact film, albeit with very little alien action. I still don't know if I like the ending though, it?s not much of a pay off for the 2 hour wait!
  • December 6, 2008
    Good cast and plot. Jodie plays a doctor searching for contact with aliens.
  • August 23, 2008
    Contact is a rare and brilliant film. It perfectly discusses it's issues of science, religion, faith, obsession etc. without ever becoming a preachy film. It shows that (even for the most stubborn of scientists) that faith is all powerful, and just because there is no proof, does...( read more)n't mean there isn't a God. The handling of the plot is also fantastic. It perfectly captures what the reaction to making contact with another life form would be like, and rather going an invasion route, what if they sent us schematics for a machine? Would it be built? Who would use it? What affect would it have on people? The whole cast is excellent though each of their beliefs makes them annoying at some point, but the film is a gradual breakdown of their stubbornness. The realistic effects never overshadow the film and it treats its audience as an adult, allowing them to make their own conclusions. Religious films needn't be boring or self righteous as proved here.
  • July 2, 2008
    Still amazes me. Faith vs Science.
  • June 25, 2008
    This film desperately needed Jodie Foster in it, as it was a pretty dull film otherwise. Parts were intriguing and there is some great footage of the Universe, but the actual storyline really wasn?t that great and despite not being much of a fan of Sci-fi, I was expecting it to ...( read more)be a little more Sci-fi than it turned out to be.
  • November 7, 2009
    el sueño más loco...
  • November 5, 2009
    Muy buena adaptación. Aun así, esta mucho mejor el libro (de Carl Sagan).
    Buenas actuaciones. Vale la pena.
  • November 5, 2009
    the last 30 minutes of the movie were great...
  • November 2, 2009
    a good movie about aliens
  • November 1, 2009
    I love this movie! It touches upon so many sensitive topics, such as the way society perceives religion and such. A film that is truly underappreciated.

Critic Reviews


June 18, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

When it tries to personify the struggle between skepticism and faith in the relationship between Ellie and her theologian boyfriend, it becomes flat and obvious. full review

April 12, 2002
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Contact, which aims for awe, ends up with piffle. full review

May 11, 2001
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

An exhilarating adventure. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

Zemeckis uses special effects to suggest the climactic events without upstaging them. full review

View more Contact reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • lorainlexington
    August 21, 2007
    The very first time I saw this movie I cried like a baby when she finally got to go, and literally prayed everything would "go". I watched this movie, knowing nothing about the plot/storyline and was very moved and am still very moved every time I watch it. I think the entire cast was wonderful.
  • Kodamadoe
    February 7, 2007
    I love this movie, My cup of tea. The last half hour or so when she finally gets to go is great. There just are not enough of those beautiful space scenes though:( I have seen this movie several times now and although Jodie isnt my favourite actress she does a good job on this. If you like being awestruck by 'far out' stuff then I would recommend this.
  • alycia15
    January 7, 2007
    this board is quite lonely... how bout fill it some comments with the last 30 minutes of the movie, the much debated "oh that ruined the movie" or "wow that really tied it all together". personally it's the part of the movie where you stop and look at how people respond to change and new ideas in reality. its amazing how ironic it is, showing us how we would react and then you yourself denying it, and in the end makes you face the question of science vs religion with a new perspective.
  • lolly694eva05
    October 3, 2006
    i have never seen the movie and on just heard of it 2 minutes ago and this board was looking a bit lonely so i thought i might just write a comment for the sake of it......................................................how is everyone doing.......if you have seen it please post a message because this board is nigelated with one comment

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)

Official Trailer

More Like This


Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Close Encounters of the Third Kind
    Close Encounters of the Third Kind (75%)
  • The Arrival
    The Arrival (86%)
  • The Fourth Kind
    The Fourth Kind (67%)
  • E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial
    E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial (59%)

Theater Showtimes & TV Listings


Contact Trivia


  • Which actress has starred in all of the following films? Taxi Driver Contact Inside Man The Accused  Answer »
  • In M. Night Shymalans "The Village" why were the villagers forced to contact the outside world?  Answer »
  • True or False Captain Jack Sparrow(Johnny Depp) wore contact lenses which served as sunglasses so he wouldn't be squinting in the sun all the time while shooting Pirates Of The Carribean   Answer »
  • I starred in 'Contact', 'The Accused', and also had a guest star role in an episode of the television series 'Kung Fu'. Who am I?  Answer »

Recent News


No recent headlines. Got one?

Most Popular Skin