The Jacket (2005)

44% of critics liked it
(158 reviews)
70% of users liked it
(75,961 ratings)

A troubled war veteran tries to unlock his memories of a terrible crime in this stylish thriller, the first American project for British filmmaker John Maybury. In 1991, Jack Starks (Adrien Brody) was an American soldier serving in the Persian Gulf when he was shot in the head; pronounced dead by a… More A troubled war veteran tries to unlock his memories of a terrible crime in this stylish thriller, the first American project for British filmmaker John Maybury. In 1991, Jack Starks (Adrien Brody) was an American soldier serving in the Persian Gulf when he was shot in the head; pronounced dead by a field surgeon, Starks somehow returned to life, though with no small number of psychological problems to show for his troubles. A year later, Starks is walking through the snowy Vermont wilderness when he discovers a woman whose truck has broken down, Jean (Kelly Lynch). Starks tries to help Jean and her young daughter, and later flags down a car for a ride into town; however, the car is being driven by a criminal on the run from the police (Brad Renfro), and not long after the car is cornered by police, Starks' memory goes blank. When he comes to, Jack is accused of killing a patrolman in the violent standoff that followed, and is told that the woman, her daughter, and the criminal existed only in his imagination. Declared insane in his murder trial, Starks is sentenced to a mental institution run by Dr. Becker (Kris Kristofferson), who seems to believe that the more brutal the treatment, the better. As Starks suffers frequent beatings and long spells in a frozen locker, his mind drifts from his harrowing past into the future, where he visits with Jackie (Keira Knightley), who once was the young girl Starks tried to help. The Jacket also features Jennifer Jason Leigh as Dr. Lorenson, a compassionate doctor who tries to help Starks and his fellow patients. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 42 min.
Directed By: John Maybury
Written By: Massy Tadjedin, Tom Bleecker
Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery & Suspense

In Theaters: Mar 4, 2005 Wide
On DVD: Jun 21, 2005
Studio: Warner Independent

Critic Reviews

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
The acting is uniformly excellent.
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper
It just bounces Brody back and forth in time and yanks us around, and around, and around.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
The Jacket is doing nothing but sampling elements of Jacob's Ladder, The Silence of the Lambs and Memento.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
Here, Maybury is just arty for art's sake, filming entire scenes in close-ups so big that viewers leave the theater knowing way more than they ever wanted to about the lead actors' bridgework.
Scott Foundas, Variety
Pic begins as a potentially intriguing study of the depersonalizing effects of warfare, only to end up a pastiche of time-travel and psycho-ward movie cliches.
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
It suffers from a common thriller syndrome these days: the desire to explain away madness with logic.
Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Smart thriller is for mature older teens only.
Amber Wilkinson, Eye for Film
Maybury is an artist in addition to a director and it's clear that he has an eye for colour, which he uses cleverly to reinforce emotion.
Rob Gonsalves, eFilmCritic.com
A morose and bleached-looking affair, with depressing music by Brian Eno to match.
Prairie Miller, Long Island Press
There's nothing wrong with a little vicarious experience when you go to the movies, but the director seems to think that his supernatural psycho thriller has to drive you crazy, just to get what it's like to be really insane.
Prairie Miller, Long Island Press
There's nothing wrong with a little vicarious experience when you go to the movies, but the director seems to think that his supernatural psycho thriller has to drive you crazy, just to get what it's like to be really insane.
Stefan Ulstein, Christianity Today
A solid attempt to wrestle with some big questions. The cast is exemplary and the premise and script are well reasoned and artful. But it doesn't quite come together.
Joseph Proimakis, Movies for the Masses
Tadjenin seems to draw inspiration from two books: "10 ways to copy 12 Monkeys" --a far inferior read to "10 ways to write 12 Monkeys"-- and "Common Sense: A Stranger"
Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton, Dread Central
As incoherent as it is enjoyable, The Jacket hits the marks that it set out to, yet leaves the audience a bit cold with its squeaky clean ending.
Heidi Martinuzzi, Film Threat
The only real scares here take place as images in Brody's head when he hallucinates under Dr. Becker's treatment. The rest of the film has a somewhat sappy quality to it and doesn't deliver any suspense or thrills of any kind.
Dragan Antulov, Draxblog Movie Reviews
film whose quality defies its script
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Conta com conceitos interessantes, embora demore um pouco mais do que deveria para revelá-los para o espectador.

Read all 17 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

i thought that this was really good and different rom any other film you can see keira knightly was excellant and so was adrian brody
Sophie B

A really great concept that was intriguing from start to finish. Knightley's accent was believable and performances from all were impressive. However it did seem a bit underdeveloped as if it needed more time in pre-prod and the ending was ridiculous. No way would those doctors… More
A really great concept that was intriguing from start to finish. Knightley's accent was believable and performances from all were impressive. However it did seem a bit underdeveloped as if it needed more time in pre-prod and the ending was ridiculous. No way would those doctors put him in the jacket when blood was pouring from his head just because he told them to. If they hadn't have put him in there then maybe he could have survived to see Jackie again properly.
Dean !

A strange film with a great cast. A sort of mix of 12 Monkeys and the Butterfly effect, but sadly no where near as good as either of those films. The pacing seems slow, the story leaves a lot unexplained and at times it's just a bit dull. A real shame given the concept and cast,… More
A strange film with a great cast. A sort of mix of 12 Monkeys and the Butterfly effect, but sadly no where near as good as either of those films. The pacing seems slow, the story leaves a lot unexplained and at times it's just a bit dull. A real shame given the concept and cast, this had potential.
Melvin W

The Jacket is a disappointing and weak psychological thriller. Everything about it is extremely dull. I do like a lot of the people involved here, so it is a little sad that I didn't enjoy any of the performances. Even from two of my favorite actresses, Keira Knightley and… More
The Jacket is a disappointing and weak psychological thriller. Everything about it is extremely dull. I do like a lot of the people involved here, so it is a little sad that I didn't enjoy any of the performances. Even from two of my favorite actresses, Keira Knightley and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The story was predictable and ultimately didn't do anything for me. I expected a lot more from a movie with an all-star cast like the one featured her in The Jacket.
Kase V

A film that picks up speed as it moves on, 'The Jacket' may become a very rewarding experience for fans of the genre. It just doesn't seem to strike all the chords it needs to. A decent enough script is accompanied by very good acting, especially from it's stars… More
A film that picks up speed as it moves on, 'The Jacket' may become a very rewarding experience for fans of the genre. It just doesn't seem to strike all the chords it needs to. A decent enough script is accompanied by very good acting, especially from it's stars Brody and Knightly, with the very talented Daniel Craig turning in a satisfying performance as well. Pacing issues is one of the few problems that plague the film though. It goes on the right direction in terms of an interesting story, but sacrifices entertainment value along the way. For fans of the psychological thriller genre only. Decent film.
Unknown H

Adrien Brody again luring me into the darker corners of cinema. This movie took a piece of me with it the first time I watched it and it still has not given it back. To be honest I do not know if I want it back. On the surface of it, this film appears to be a psychological… More
Adrien Brody again luring me into the darker corners of cinema. This movie took a piece of me with it the first time I watched it and it still has not given it back. To be honest I do not know if I want it back. On the surface of it, this film appears to be a psychological horror/thriller which then turns out to be so much more. Kris Kristofferson gives an excellent performance as Dr Becker (:P) a mental health doctor convinced that medication is the way to make "crazy" people see sense. Controversial. comforting and intimidating this is one of my favorite movies because it offers everything you could possibly want and delivers it with conviction.
♥˩ƳИИ &

Cast: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Kris Kristofferson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Daniel Craig, Kelly Lynch, Brad Renfro, Jason Lewis, Jake Broder, Jonah Lotan Director: John Maybury Summary: John Maybury's masterful thriller stars Adrien Brody as Jack Starks, a Persian Gulf… More
Cast: Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley, Kris Kristofferson, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Daniel Craig, Kelly Lynch, Brad Renfro, Jason Lewis, Jake Broder, Jonah Lotan Director: John Maybury Summary: John Maybury's masterful thriller stars Adrien Brody as Jack Starks, a Persian Gulf War veteran who has lost his memories to amnesia. When Jack is accused of a heinous killing, he realizes he must find a way to prove his innocence. Desperate to unearth clues about his past, he seeks a controversial treatment that allows him to go back in time -- which turns out to be a heart-wrenching decision when he realizes he's destined for tragedy. My Thoughts: "I was really intrigued with this film. It's really a head trip. The film is completely far-fetched, but that's what makes it interesting. This is definitely Adrien Brody's movie. He drives the entire thing with an amazing performance. I was surprised at how much older Daniel Craig looked in this film then he does today. Keira Knightley was also good in this as well. Really it just had an amazing cast. Definitely a movie to see."
Richard C

a great movie. A-
Anthony L

A pretty decent thriller. Adrien Brody really makes this film though, giving yet another fantastic performance. I didn't care for the ending though, I was hoping for something a little more depressing. I guess I'm just a miserable sod ;oD I don't like Keira Knightly… More
A pretty decent thriller. Adrien Brody really makes this film though, giving yet another fantastic performance. I didn't care for the ending though, I was hoping for something a little more depressing. I guess I'm just a miserable sod ;oD I don't like Keira Knightly though, I thought she was miscast. Graig was a surprise though, I usually don't like him either! Recommended, although I much preferred 12 Monkeys and La Jetée that inspired them both.
Conner R

I've always thought this was an underrated movie and it sort've goes where Jacob's Ladder failed to go. The cinematic style is great, it has a very haunting feel to it. I love the performances, Kiera Knightley and Adrien Brody did great jobs and let you enjoy the plot… More
I've always thought this was an underrated movie and it sort've goes where Jacob's Ladder failed to go. The cinematic style is great, it has a very haunting feel to it. I love the performances, Kiera Knightley and Adrien Brody did great jobs and let you enjoy the plot and take it seriously. I also enjoyed Daniel Craig's little cameo/supporting role, he played a great nutcase. It's a great blend of science fiction, suspense and horror.
_kelly .

This film has some nice moments - nice individual scenes with great character exchanges or fantastic cinematography - but it does not stand as a whole piece. it is too divided and conflicted abotu what kind of movie it wants to be; genre debates aside, this movie is still too… More
This film has some nice moments - nice individual scenes with great character exchanges or fantastic cinematography - but it does not stand as a whole piece. it is too divided and conflicted abotu what kind of movie it wants to be; genre debates aside, this movie is still too scrambled. It's part Primer minus the mind-boggling dialogue, part Eternal Sunshine minus the believable romance, part Memento minus the suspense, part Catch 22 minus the tight script, with a heavy dose of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest minus profundit\y and 12 Monkeys minus absurdity. A must skip for anyone who cannot stand to see films that so boldly flirt with being decent and fall so embarassingly short.
Wahida K

Honestly I was very confused. I first thought it was Horror than went on watching but quit confused. So I watched it with a friend twice and it then made sense. Christ.
Red L

I like movies with convoluted plots - as long as I can figure them out. This one fits the bill. While being treated for mental illness in 1992, Jack (Adrein Brody) is transported into 2007. In his trips back and forth between the two eras, Jack has to resolve various issues.
xGary X

An Iraq war veteran sent home with serious head trauma is convicted of a murder he does not remember committing. While enduring an experimental "treatment" at the hands of a sadistic doctor, he suddenly finds himself somewhere and somewhen else. This off beat sci-fi fantasy… More
An Iraq war veteran sent home with serious head trauma is convicted of a murder he does not remember committing. While enduring an experimental "treatment" at the hands of a sadistic doctor, he suddenly finds himself somewhere and somewhen else. This off beat sci-fi fantasy has a lot of elements of familiar wish-fulfillment and time travel stories. His romance with emotional burn out Keira Knightley reminded me a little of Eternal Sunshine, the meddling with time aspect is very like The Butterfly Effect and the whole time travel/mental hospital scenario is very Twelve Monkeys. The thing that makes this film is the combination of great performances and the way that although it feels a little generic, it continually hops between those genres without feeling disjointed which keeps the story intriguing right til the end. Adrien Brody is excellent as the long suffering patient, as is an almost unrecognizable Daniel Craig as his Cuckoo's Nest style confidante. There are some nice visual flourishes and the direction is nice and tight, the film far from outstaying its welcome. I quite enjoyed the darker aspect of The Butterfly Effect, and this film does something similar with a far more inventive and mature approach. I liked it a lot.
Lorenzo v

"Terror has a new name." A troubled war veteran tries to unlock his memories of a terrible crime in this stylish thriller, the first American project for British filmmaker John Maybury. In 1991, Jack Starks (Adrien Brody) was an American soldier serving… More
"Terror has a new name." A troubled war veteran tries to unlock his memories of a terrible crime in this stylish thriller, the first American project for British filmmaker John Maybury. In 1991, Jack Starks (Adrien Brody) was an American soldier serving in the Persian Gulf when he was shot in the head; pronounced dead by a field surgeon, Starks somehow returned to life, though with no small number of psychological problems to show for his troubles. A year later, Starks is walking through the snowy Vermont wilderness when he discovers a woman whose truck has broken down, Jean (Kelly Lynch). Starks tries to help Jean and her young daughter, and later flags down a car for a ride into town; however, the car is being driven by a criminal on the run from the police (Brad Renfro), and not long after the car is cornered by police, Starks' memory goes blank. When he comes to, Jack is accused of killing a patrolman in the violent standoff that followed, and is told the woman, her daughter, and the criminal existed only in his imagination. Declared insane in his murder trial, Starks is sentenced to a mental institution run by Dr. Becker (Kris Kristofferson), who seems to believe that the more brutal the treatment, the better. As Starks suffers frequent beatings and long spells in a frozen locker, his mind drifts from his harrowing past into the future, where he visits with Jackie (Keira Knightley), who once was the young girl Starks tried to help. Review Had to see the film twice. The concept of time travel to a point that you realise your own real time is tragically short in 4 days and in that short spasm of time to 'reset' the lives of other unfortunates begs the question as what we would do with that certain knowledge. The film was provocative and intermingled with sharing life with another - once when Jackie was a child who had the sensitivity to keep the dog tags and to the young one he fell in love with in a future that was to be as short as his present existence in the asylum for a crime he did not commit. Shame they didn't identify the real perpetrator but that may have distanced us from the real theme! Keira was superb, Adrien was great as the haunted and Daniel Craig refreshingly brilliant!
Bruce B

The Jacket wasn't as good as I thought it would be. Adrian Brody played an excellent part, it just didn't have that suspense type flavor, Rent it, but think twice about a purchase.
Robert C

A really cool concept, nicely executed...but not as "tight" as it could have been. An amazing cast (some in minor rules) and a mostly well written script. I feel that it would have been even more powerful minus the final 3 minute "tie it all up in a bow"… More
A really cool concept, nicely executed...but not as "tight" as it could have been. An amazing cast (some in minor rules) and a mostly well written script. I feel that it would have been even more powerful minus the final 3 minute "tie it all up in a bow" (felt like an after thought) ending.
Dan S

Dull, slow, and a confusing movie. It tries to bring you win with its "psychological thriller" claim, but it doesn't really explain itself clearly at the end of the movie, which is a huge mistake. Could've been alright if there weren't so many one-dimensional… More
Dull, slow, and a confusing movie. It tries to bring you win with its "psychological thriller" claim, but it doesn't really explain itself clearly at the end of the movie, which is a huge mistake. Could've been alright if there weren't so many one-dimensional characters (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kris Kristofferson) and more screen time on thhe more interesting supporting characters (a scene-stealing Daniel Craig), as well as better dialogue. Not a terrible movie, but not a good one either.
Pierluigi P

Despite the good performances by Adrien Brody and Daniel Craig and the initial interest I had for the story, it's just another powerless time travel flick. Petty and predictable.
Curtis L

Pretty neat. People like it a bit too much, though.