Paycheck

Paycheck (2003)

  • 27% of critics liked it
    (154 reviews)

  • 52% of users liked it
    (145,585 ratings)

John Woo directs the sci-fi action thriller Paycheck, based on a story written by Philip K. Dick in 1953. Waking up with his short-term memory erased, engineer Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck) learns that he has been doing highly secretive work for the last three years in exchange for billions of… More

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PG-13,
Directed By
Written By
Dean Georgaris
Genres
Action & Adventure, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy
In Theaters
Dec 25, 2003 Wide
On DVD
May 18, 2004
Paramount Pictures

Critic Reviews

  • Derek Adams, Time Out

    There's a sense of treading water about this movie.

  • Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

    Without ever quite becoming boring, Paycheck seems to narrow into a routine pattern, and a plot that at first had nuance and the hint of a broader meaning degenerates into chases and standard action.

  • Bob Townsend, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

    You may not buy everything about this movie, but you'll likely leave it with a smile.

  • Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

    If a movie is going to flout, or at least bend, the laws of the universe, it at least ought to obey its own internal rules.

  • Stephen Hunter, Washington Post

    [Woo] still has pretty much of a tin ear for American performances, so he lets Affleck doze through the starring role. The film feels as if it has no center.

Read all 25 critic reviews

See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes

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

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

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Phil H


    Another classic Philip K. Dick story is brought to the big screen only this time its been 'Woo'd'. To be very very honest this is pretty much a poor mans 'Minority Report' with a bad cast, accept for the big chinned Eckhart, why this short story has not been… More

  • Sophie B


    Not a fan of Ben Affleck or Uma Thurman at all but what I saw was ok. I like the twists and turns as I tried to figure out what had happened to him. At times it felt rather slow and lethargic which ruined the atmosphere. Not something I'd watch again but a good watch for anyone… More

  • Matt G


    'Paycheck' is a film that simply does not know what it is and simply doesn't care. I say that because despite a promising premise, the audience has no idea what is going on through this cluttered mess of a film, and we just don't care at all for the protagonist,… More

  • Tim S


    I had a hard time giving this the rating that I felt it deserved. There ARE some things going for this film. A nice diverse cast of people I generally like and admire, the screenplay was based off of a short story by Phillip K. Dick, there are parts of the score that I really… More

Read all 20 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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Trailers & Clips