Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

94% of critics liked it
(226 reviews)
90% of users liked it
(1,064,003 ratings)

Accused of cheating and desperate to prove his innocence, an eighteen-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai reflects back on his tumultuous life while competing to win 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in Danny Boyle's inspirational drama. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) may not… More Accused of cheating and desperate to prove his innocence, an eighteen-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai reflects back on his tumultuous life while competing to win 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in Danny Boyle's inspirational drama. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) may not have a penny to his name, but that could all change in a matter of hours. He's one question away from taking the top prize on India's most popular television game show, but as with everything else in Jamal's life, it isn't going to be easy. Arrested by police under suspicion of cheating, Jamal is interrogated by the authorities. The police simply can't believe that a common "slumdog" could possibly possess the knowledge to get this far in the game, and in order to convince them of how he gained such knowledge, Jamal begins reflecting back on his childhood. As young boys, Jamal and his older brother, Salim, lived in squalor, and lost their mother in a mob attack on Muslims. Subsequently forced to rely on their own wits to survive, the desperate siblings fell back on petty crime, eventually befriending adorable yet feisty young Latika as they sought out food and shelter on the unforgiving streets of Mumbai. Though life on the streets was never easy, Jamal's experiences ultimately instilled in him the knowledge he needed to answer the tough questions posed to him on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. And though Jamal makes a convincing case for himself, one question still remains: why would a young man with no apparent desire for wealth or fame be so determined to win big on a national game show? Of course, it won't be long until everyone finds out the answer to this burning question, because as Jamal sits down to find out whether he will be rich beyond his wildest dreams, 60 million viewers remain transfixed to their televisions eager to see if he'll correctly answer the final question. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 56 min.
Directed By: Danny Boyle
Written By: Simon Beaufoy
Genres: Drama, Romance

In Theaters: Aug 30, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Mar 31, 2009
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures

Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper, Richard Roeper.com
The best movie of 2008.
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle
Slumdog Millionaire is not the cure for all the world's ills, but it comes close. It solves, for instance, such endemic global problems as: a) sadness, b) lovelessness, c) cynicism, and d) the waning cultural relevance of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
[A] taut, tense and witty tale of human tragedy and triumphant humanity set against the sweep of modern India.
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
Watching Slumdog Millionaire, it's easy to believe director Danny Boyle has been working toward this brilliantly woven masterwork with each entertaining and diverse tale he's delivered.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
I'll keep this simple: Cancel whatever you're doing tonight and go see Slumdog Millionaire instead.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Don't let the exotic setting put you off; this is a massively cool cross-cultural crowd-pleaser.
Neil Pond, American Profile
Jets along on a rocket-fuel cocktail of blood-pumping adrenaline, powerful secrets, searing heartache and rousing uplift.
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express
What a difference a good screenplay makes.
Ben Rawson-Jones, Digital Spy
There's currently plenty of Oscar buzz and it's richly deserved, as Slumdog Millionaire ranks alongside The Wrestler as the two latest masterpieces of the 21st Century.
Jean Lowerison, San Diego Metropolitan
Dev Patel and Freida Pinto, the older Jamal and Latika, will make you smile and cry and happy you saw Slumdog Millionaire, which will certainly be in the Oscar hunt.
Ian Buckwalter, DCist
Like a director from Hollywood's golden age, Boyle has a particular talent for putting a realistic spin on the outlandish.
Matt Soergel, Florida Times-Union
Features a striking hero named Jamal Malik, who is as intrepid, indomitable and pure of heart as an idealized medieval knight.
Sonny Bunch, Washington Times
Slumdog Millionaire immerses the audience in an alien landscape and shows it through the eyes of a young man fighting against history and his own culture's expectations.
Fernando F. Croce, CinePassion
Shows how a critic-pleasing film can be every bit as overbearing as a crowd-pleasing one
Anders Wotzke, Cut Print Review
Captivatingly told, dynamically directed and superbly acted; Slumdog Millionaire is near unfaultable.
Clay Cane, BET.com
The greatest part of 'Slumdog' is that it transcends all boundaries: race, gender, region and class.
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix
In retrospect it remains implausible and manipulative while still making elegant sense.
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
A hyperactive rags to riches yarn playing out on the mean streets of Mumbai, and with a rousing all-star Bollywood boogie finale and even a little far fetched romance tossed in, to send any problematic plot points on their way.
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
A hyperactive rags to riches yarn playing out on the mean streets of Mumbai, and with a rousing all-star Bollywood boogie finale and even a little far fetched romance tossed in, to send any problematic plot points on their way.

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

Alexander D

Poignant; drastically changing and moving.
Michael M

Slumdog Millionare is a good film but not an entirely great one. The way it's been filmed is amazing and the acting is in equal measure. However I felt that the story was a bit lacking and it certainly wasn't as edgy as I was hoping considering the premise. All in all,… More
Slumdog Millionare is a good film but not an entirely great one. The way it's been filmed is amazing and the acting is in equal measure. However I felt that the story was a bit lacking and it certainly wasn't as edgy as I was hoping considering the premise. All in all, it's a crowd pleaser that has it's flaws and I would have prefered a different film for Best Picture as it wasn't as heartwarming as it was put out to be. A bit more depressing really. It was also stretched out to a completely unnecessary length. In addition, the dancing at the end almost killed it for me. But from that among other things, its easy to feel that there was true sense of dedication from everyone involved in the production and the result was a uniquely satisfying picture.
Chris W

The story concerns a poor kid who manages to make it to the final questions of the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He is accused of cheating, and forced to explain (through flashbacks) how he knew the answers to the questions, something worth questioning given his… More
The story concerns a poor kid who manages to make it to the final questions of the Indian version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. He is accused of cheating, and forced to explain (through flashbacks) how he knew the answers to the questions, something worth questioning given his impoverished background. Along the way the film details the kid's life story and his quest for love, happiness, and a better lot in life. Tonally, this is all over the map, and it seems hard to buy the whole love story/mafia subplot, but it is a decently acted film with some pretty good sequences throughout. It's not worthy of the best picture Oscar (but that's my opinion), but it is an entertaining film nonetheless. It's flawed, but still decent. I think part of why the film works is Boyle's trademark energy and style he brings to the proceedings. The music is driving and the film has a decent sense of pace as it captures the streets of India through Boyle's artistically inclined lens. I mostly just think that the film's blending of clever ways of telling a story with part fairy tale and part rags to eiches story doesn't blend as well as it could have, I can't totally hate this movie becase it did hold my attention, but I just think it's grossly overrated and far more flawed than most people want to admit.
Brad W

Slumdog Millionare is an incredible drama and best told stories I have ever seen. The story revolves around Jamal (Dev Patel) who is accused of cheating and desperate to prove his innocence, an eighteen-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai reflects back on his tumultuous life… More
Slumdog Millionare is an incredible drama and best told stories I have ever seen. The story revolves around Jamal (Dev Patel) who is accused of cheating and desperate to prove his innocence, an eighteen-year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai reflects back on his tumultuous life while competing to win 20 million rupees on India's Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in Danny Boyle's inspirational drama. Jamal Malik (Dev Patel) may not have a penny to his name, but that could all change in a matter of hours. He's one question away from taking the top prize on India's most popular television game show, but as with everything else in Jamal's life, it isn't going to be easy. Arrested by police under suspicion of cheating, Jamal is interrogated by the authorities. The police simply can't believe that a common "slumdog" could possibly possess the knowledge to get this far in the game, and in order to convince them of how he gained such knowledge, Jamal begins reflecting back on his childhood. As young boys, Jamal and his older brother, Salim, lived in squalor, and lost their mother in a mob attack on Muslims. Subsequently forced to rely on their own wits to survive, the desperate siblings fell back on petty crime, eventually befriending adorable yet feisty young Latika as they sought out food and shelter on the unforgiving streets of Mumbai. Though life on the streets was never easy, Jamal's experiences ultimately instilled in him the knowledge he needed to answer the tough questions posed to him on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. And though Jamal makes a convincing case for himself, one question still remains: why would a young man with no apparent desire for wealth or fame be so determined to win big on a national game show? Of course, it won't be long until everyone finds out the answer to this burning question, because as Jamal sits down to find out whether he will be rich beyond his wildest dreams, 60 million viewers remain transfixed to their televisions eager to see if he'll correctly answer the final question. The story is one of the best screenplays that has ever been done in the history of cinema, every scene is intense and great, I cried and fell in love with the characters because in a way we grow up with them and learn to really care about them and feel how they feel, and the way they tell the story in the film is just great and original, I loved this story so much. The cast was incredible and great, Dev Patel was born to play this role and this will be the role that defines him and gives him his big break, and the rest of the cast (young and older) was simply amazing and were greatly picked. The cinematography in the films was so beautiful and gorcious that I felt like I was with them the whole time, I give props to that. the music was great, but they had one of the greatest songs in film history in this movie near the beginning that was incredible. Slumdog Millionare is a once in a lifetime movie, a movie that will make you cry, and make you feel great at the end, i loved it.
Eric A

Kept me intrigued the whole time. It's worthy of all the hype, props.
Sanjay R

Great performances by just about everyone in the movie and well written. It is a classic cliche of a protagonist fighting all odds through destiny, but at least it is aware of how cliche it is and limits/distinguishes itself. Well written, acted and directed.
Manu G

Saw it again!!! This movie is off the hook good Wow i'm so glad I saw this film, this movie won Best Picture in the 2008 Oscars and rightfully so. Danny Boyle directed this film and simply an amazing piece of work, this might his best movie so far.. The story, cinematography,… More
Saw it again!!! This movie is off the hook good Wow i'm so glad I saw this film, this movie won Best Picture in the 2008 Oscars and rightfully so. Danny Boyle directed this film and simply an amazing piece of work, this might his best movie so far.. The story, cinematography, direction and acting was just marvelous! Slumdog Millionaire is the story of Jamal Malik (Patel), an 18 year-old orphan from the slums of Mumbai, who is about to experience the biggest day of his life. With the whole nation watching, he is just one question away from winning a staggering 20 million rupees on India¹s "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" But when the show breaks for the night, police arrest him on suspicion of cheating; how could a street kid know so much? Desperate to prove his innocence, Jamal tells the story of his life in the slum where he and his brother grew up, of their adventures together on the road, of vicious encounters with local gangs, and of Latika (Pinto), the girl he loved and lost. Each chapter of his story reveals the key to the answer to one of the game show¹s questions. Each chapter of Jamal¹s increasingly layered story reveals where he learned the answers to the show¹s seemingly impossible quizzes. But one question remains a mystery: what is this young man with no apparent desire for riches really doing on the game show? When the new day dawns and Jamal returns to answer the final question, the Inspector and sixty million viewers are about to find out.
Bently L

This is a jaw-dropping, superbly directed, amazingly realisitic, awesomely edited, powerfully acted, greatly concieved film! Aaaah! I'm still shaking in awe! "Slumdog Millionaire" is a perfect film in every way it can be. The film tells of a depressed, uneducated boy… More
This is a jaw-dropping, superbly directed, amazingly realisitic, awesomely edited, powerfully acted, greatly concieved film! Aaaah! I'm still shaking in awe! "Slumdog Millionaire" is a perfect film in every way it can be. The film tells of a depressed, uneducated boy named Jamal Malik from the Mumbai slums who becomes a contestant on the Hindi version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?". He is very close to winning 20 million rupees. How did he get there? The answer to each question is in his past and brings one step closer to the prize cash and beautiful true love (IMO), Lakita. Dev Patel, Frieda Pinto, and the rest of the cast give powerful performances that are accompanied by a great, gifted director, Danny Boyle. The choice of music is amazing and so is the cinematography. "Slumdog" is an amazing movie. Definetly on my top 20. Up there with "Moulin Rouge". This is an M3, a modern movie masterpiece. I can live up to the age of 100 and not come up with a movie as exhilirating as "Slumdog Millionaire"!!!! "The chaiwalah has done it again!"
Kristijonas F

Danny Boyle just does not cease impressing the world with his cinematic magic - the visual flair and emotional power of his latest outing packs a punch unlike many other films in recent memory.
Jameson W

Wonderful movie! Definitely deserved of it's praise; it was one of the best of 2008! The story was very intense and touching, especially the scenes when the main characters were children. Reminded me alot of City of God. Truly a great film. I really enjoyed it!
Wahida K

Truly exciting journey filled with heartache,bravery and joy, not based upon any Hollywood goodies, it was based upon on a true facts and that is why Bollywood got some Plus points on there not mention the Oscar Nominations and all that. If Bollywood come up with their Original Ideas,… More
Truly exciting journey filled with heartache,bravery and joy, not based upon any Hollywood goodies, it was based upon on a true facts and that is why Bollywood got some Plus points on there not mention the Oscar Nominations and all that. If Bollywood come up with their Original Ideas, they will get more attention.
Albert K

The cinematography and the score really makes this movie sing with personality. The story is extremely interesting. Though the movie definitely did not deserve best picture, the movie was extremely engaging.
Jason L

'Slumdog Millionaire' is a film that I found resonantly powerful and immensely watchable. The Story starts out with Jamal Malik,(Dev Patel)a contestant on India's version of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?'Growing up in the Slums of India with no education, it… More
'Slumdog Millionaire' is a film that I found resonantly powerful and immensely watchable. The Story starts out with Jamal Malik,(Dev Patel)a contestant on India's version of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?'Growing up in the Slums of India with no education, it seems impossible for Jamal to have been able to reach the 10,750,000 dollar point. He is accused of cheating. So, the police torture him and try to force him to tell him how he cheated. He tells them his life story, and how events in his life helped him answer the questions. Now, as a viewer, I was focused on how events in his life could of brought him to answer the questions, and I figured, hey, that was the whole plot. But really, this was an honest to goodness love story. As a child, he meets Latika, who quickly becomes his best friend, and his true love. It's actually really sweet and at times funny. As the movie progresess, I became more attached to the characters and more in love with the story. The ending couldn't have been better. The direction was very good. It was polished and intensly dramatic The director gave a perfect dramatazation of life in the slums of India. Boyle offered no restraint in showing the cruelness of some of the people. Very thought provoking. Excellent. 94/100 The acting of the main cast was pleasantly believable. The younger cast was also reasonably talented. 95/100 The story was creative. It's progression was enjoyable enough to keep me satisfied. Danny Boyle is a mastermind. 96/100 I was happy to see that the script was sophisticated and well thought out. I've seen a lot of great movies ruined by terrible, repetitve scripts. If you listen closely to this movie, you'll se what I mean. 93/100 Overall: I have to say this was the best movie of 2008. It was genuinely entertaining and deep. Everything was great about it. I can guarantee you'll find something to like about it. 94.5/100
J P

Slumdog Millionaire was an amazing movie. The storyline was so original it was really fun and interesting to watch. It had a lot of action, romance and humor all combined into one movie. The movie was also so well edited together. The transitions were so clever and amazing from… More
Slumdog Millionaire was an amazing movie. The storyline was so original it was really fun and interesting to watch. It had a lot of action, romance and humor all combined into one movie. The movie was also so well edited together. The transitions were so clever and amazing from one scene to the next, and the music was so great it went along so well with the movie. The actors fit perfectly for the different roles they played and they had the best chemistry on screen. The ending of the movie was also perfect. It wasn't a seen it before fairy tale ending. It was a great ending that left the audience very satisfied. I loved it! This is now one of my favorite movies because I've never seen anything like it. It was such a great movie. The first time I've ever wanted to stop, rewind and play it again.
Jeff "

Slumdog Millionaire is an incredible film with a very interesting story. A guy who lived in the slums of India is competing for one million rubies (Indian currency). He knows ever answer due to the fact that it has something to do with his past. The cast is a unknown talented bunch of… More
Slumdog Millionaire is an incredible film with a very interesting story. A guy who lived in the slums of India is competing for one million rubies (Indian currency). He knows ever answer due to the fact that it has something to do with his past. The cast is a unknown talented bunch of fresh talent, a worthy performance is Freida Pinto in the role of older Latika. This is her first film role, and she delivers a terrific performance and so does Dev Patel. This film is beautifully directed by Danny Boyle, a very talented director with an eye for stunning storytelling and jaw dropping visuals. Slumdog Millionaire is a film that will truly make you feel good about yourself. A new found masterpiece worth watching over and over again.
Spencer S

Made me cringe so many times. It's just so true and real, but all the time you're weary and wondering about that imminent end.
Jens S

The last time a movie character had to crawl through shit and came out on top of things was in 1995's Shawshank redemption. This time it's a little boy wanting an autograph from his favorite star. 2009's big Oscar winner is a fairy tale of love, chance and fate. That a… More
The last time a movie character had to crawl through shit and came out on top of things was in 1995's Shawshank redemption. This time it's a little boy wanting an autograph from his favorite star. 2009's big Oscar winner is a fairy tale of love, chance and fate. That a film without stars, filmed with digi cams and taking place in India won the hearts of the Western world is a fairy tale all by itself. Danny Boyle turns the excellent script into a wild ride through the slums of Bombay, sometimes gets a little too carried away with shaky cams but never loses sight of the great, beating heart of his story. The episodes of Jamal's past, while he is passing through the Indian version of "Who wants to be millionaire" are excellently acted and easily touch the audience. The highlight would have to be the final question and how the duel between Jamal and the presenter almost reaches Western movie dimensions, even without guns. One might argue that the Bollywood dancing scene during the end credits is a bit too much, but let's face it: fairy tales end that way. A movie that makes you happy but lacks a bit of a surprising quality the second time around.
Richard C

this movie is so amazing. one of the best movies of the year. I loved it. A
James A

A really great movie that slapped the snark right out of me.
Dead A

Reality bites!