K-PAX (2001)

41% of critics liked it
(138 reviews)
72% of users liked it
(76,054 ratings)

The 1995 novel by Dr. Gene Brewer becomes this drama from director Iain Softley. After a mugging incident at New York's Grand Central Station, Prot (Kevin Spacey), a man who claims to be an alien from the planet K-PAX, is turned over to a public mental hospital and the care of Dr. Mark Powell (Jeff… More The 1995 novel by Dr. Gene Brewer becomes this drama from director Iain Softley. After a mugging incident at New York's Grand Central Station, Prot (Kevin Spacey), a man who claims to be an alien from the planet K-PAX, is turned over to a public mental hospital and the care of Dr. Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges). When medication fails to alter Prot's insistence that he is visiting from another world on a fact-finding mission, Powell gets more involved with his patient, who seems to have a calming effect on the other residents of his ward. At first convinced that Prot is a delusional who can be treated, Powell begins to wonder if his bizarre patient's story is true, particularly after the hospital's doctors find that Prot possesses the baffling ability to see ultraviolet light. As the date grows nearer when Prot claims he must leave Earth (a "class BA-III planet"), Powell becomes increasingly concerned that a psychiatric breakthrough must occur by then. K-PAX (2001) co-stars Alfre Woodard and Mary McCormack. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 2 hr.
Directed By: Iain Softley
Written By: Charles Leavitt
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Comedy

In Theaters: Oct 26, 2001 Wide
On DVD: Mar 26, 2002
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Rita Kempley, Washington Post
A warm, fuzzy and funny duet between [Kevin] Spacey and [Jeff] Bridges.
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone
K-Pax goes all too quickly k-put.
Rex Reed, New York Observer
As a brainless laugh riot, it's as funny as a flu epidemic. As a drama, it's an unintentional Robin Williams vehicle sour beyond its shelf life.
Dennis Lim, Village Voice
The specter of Robin Williams looms large.
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
Ultimately, the movie may puzzle audiences more than entertain them.
Cody Clark, Mr. Showbiz
Shows signs of intelligent life.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Terrific acting by Kevin Spacey and Jeff Bridges.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
This being a Hollywood movie, the realistic is soon left out on the curb as quickly as a Christmas tree on December 26, and as mournful-looking.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
A nonsensical therapeutic melodrma about the shifting relationship between a mentally disturbed patient (badly acted by Spacey), who claims to be from another planet, and his problematic shrink (the reliable Jeff Bridges) who goes through menopause.
Jeffrey Overstreet, Looking Closer
It tries to frighten us into doing the right thing by declaring that there is no grace, no forgiveness, and no escape from our lives once we are done living.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...a refreshingly uplifting story about the best of humanity.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Se Proft não pode levar o corpo consigo, por que desapareceu por três dias do hospício? E como sabe tanto? E por que utilizou o corpo de Robert? E para quê a subtrama envolvendo a família do médico? E por que estou perdendo tempo com esse filme?
Tom Grealis, RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)
Bridges completely steals the show from the more lauded Spacey, who's simply on autopilot throughout.
Keith Uhlich, ToxicUniverse.com
Casting [Spacey and Bridges] against each other gives their scenes together a believability and intensity that comes directly out of their contrasting acting styles.

Read all 14 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

Film C

Whats right with this movie, is that its beautifully written, well acted, and very beautifully scripted and captured. I like the premise of the movie and although its slow going and your not really sure what happens at the end but you come to some conclusions. A nice enough movie but… More
Whats right with this movie, is that its beautifully written, well acted, and very beautifully scripted and captured. I like the premise of the movie and although its slow going and your not really sure what happens at the end but you come to some conclusions. A nice enough movie but not fantastic!
moon r

A different sci-fi, w/o the waterfall of FX from Industrial Light and Magic, about a psychiatrist (Bridges) faced with a man (Spacey) claiming to be from outer space. It has its flaws, but I still enjoyed it and the questions it presents.
familiar s

Just about as much watchable as avoidable. An average sci-fi flick IMO.
Jennifer D

Science fiction based on reality is never good.
Anthony L

A bit daft but it's inoffensive entertainment.
Arash X

Wow, I expected K-PAX to be a typical Sci-fi but this great movie surprised me, Highly recommended
Lenny M

The movie was great but it would have been better if Jeff Bridges played the Dude and was still a psychiatrist.
Lady D

Had Kevin Spacey or Jeff Bridges not been in this film, maybe I wouldn't have watched it, however the theory to the story is an interesting one and leaves you wondering two options, the believable and the unbelievable.
Jason S

The casting works well in this one and the story is good. In the end you will have to make up your own mind on some things that happen.
A B

Is he mental or is he really from the planet K-Pax? You'll enjoy trying to find out.
Red L

Well is or is he not from K-PAX?
Candy R

You really want to belive Kevin's character. Great story.
Lafe F

A story about faith and belief without any proof; I sensed some logical and religious undertones. Prot from planet K-PAX (Kevin Spacey) was a seemingly disturbed and determined individual. I liked the ambiguity of it all, so you could scream for either way. I didn't like the dull… More
A story about faith and belief without any proof; I sensed some logical and religious undertones. Prot from planet K-PAX (Kevin Spacey) was a seemingly disturbed and determined individual. I liked the ambiguity of it all, so you could scream for either way. I didn't like the dull hospital setting, and how they treated Prot. Jeff Bridges was the Doctor trying to understand it all. Something like this could really happen; I believed. But I wasn't too enlightened or entertained.
Megan S

Wish I had seen this movie sooner. I would compare it with Identity.
Michael G

Not bad, not great.
Leigh R

Wonderfully cute...
Kalel J

Fantastic film that will cater to the tastes of some but leave confusion and bore to others. Kevin Spacey plays Prot, an alien inhabiting the body of a human (or so he believes), but finds himself sent to a mental institution. The story and screenplay of K-Pax is top class and the… More
Fantastic film that will cater to the tastes of some but leave confusion and bore to others. Kevin Spacey plays Prot, an alien inhabiting the body of a human (or so he believes), but finds himself sent to a mental institution. The story and screenplay of K-Pax is top class and the film does it a lot of justice. This film has the elements of a mysterious and character driven plot in settings and performances that could easily have been seen as being over the top, but with the direction by Iain Softly K-Pax molds itself into an entertaining and affecting film that is not to be missed.
Stephen E

Great performances from Bridges and Spacey. Not at all a bad film, despite the 41 percent approval rating.
Juan C

a great, one flew over the cuckoo's nest like story that you will feel that it has spirit. A
Deb S

Prot (Kevin Spacey) is a mental hospital patient who claims to be native to a distant planet called K-PAX. Whilst hospitalized Prot starts to treat and cure his fellow patients and soon attracts the attention of the ward's head who discovers he has an eerie and unexplainable… More
Prot (Kevin Spacey) is a mental hospital patient who claims to be native to a distant planet called K-PAX. Whilst hospitalized Prot starts to treat and cure his fellow patients and soon attracts the attention of the ward's head who discovers he has an eerie and unexplainable talent for astrophysics. His psychiatrist, Dr. Mark Powell (Jeff Bridges) tries to help him, all the while trying to understand Prot and find out if he is really from K-PAX. An exceptional performance by Spacey and Bridges performs well as the doctor who often cares more about his patients than his family. They do a good job portraying the complex inner workings of the mind and soul and how the mental health professionals try to work with these patients. There are many questions raised in this film but we are left to interpret the ending ourselves, feeling as though you have missed some vital part. This one keeps you thinking.