Johnny Depp, Frank Langella, Lena Olin

A rare book dealer, while seeking out the last two copies of a demon text, gets drawn into a conspiracy with supernatural overtones.

Flixster Users

61% liked it

101,589 ratings

Critics

42% liked it

84 critics

R, 2 hrs. 7 min.

Directed by: Roman Polanski

Release Date: December 24, 1999

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DVD Release Date: July 18, 2000

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Stats: 4,594 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (4,594)


  • September 18, 2009
    This is an odd film from Polanski. I've not got a lot to say about it but for all its quirks, I quite like it!
  • January 10, 2009
    Normally I like thrillers. And of course, everyone knows Johnny Depp. But I only rate this movie three stars. The role of the book dealer could have been played by anybody. And the film had an unsatisfying ending.
  • November 16, 2008
    Really creepy/odd movie. I wasn't a fan though.
  • July 1, 2008
    Johnny Depp is miscast in what is really a sub-par Polanski film. His usual bizarre and dark offerings are infringed upon by a seen it all before plot. This is similar to films seen on the Sci-Fi or Zone Horror channels, only with a bigger budget. It's one of Depp's bizarre choic...( read more)es that just didn't pay off. A gothic ambiance and serious tone don't help proceedings in this long dragging mess. The high quality of it though does help with the enjoyability, and the weird moments do create for some intriguing visuals.
  • June 4, 2008
    Could be a whole lot better with another ending.
  • November 20, 2009
    I absolutely loved the return to Polanski's traditional genre, bizarre suspense dramas. The movie goes far into the unknown and fantastical without a warning. It is flawless film making. Johnny Depp was amazing, he was so great at playing such an animated character without coming...( read more) off as abnormal. The story is extremely fun and has a lot of mystery and intrigue.
  • November 4, 2009
    Almost a childish concept, super predictable, but great atmosphere... It's a strange film...
  • November 3, 2009
    When I first saw this one, I had great expectances (it recommends itself as a horror-mystery movie made by Polanski and Depp. WOW! This must be God! HELL! It was Belzebuth on a motorcycle!). I really hated the girl on the motorcycle (meaning Irene, the Faithfull-Delon movie is so...( read more)mehow enjoyable), who kept appearing in the most inappropriate moments, saving the day in a quite annoying "Deus (or should I say Belzebuth) ex machina" manner. She was the guardian angel... oups! She was the Devil! So, the Devil is among us. However, this "The Devil comes on a motorcycle" approach continued to annoy me, because if they got rid of that damn motorcycle this would have been a great movie for me.
    Before seeing the movie for the second time, I run into tis text: "Johnny Depp stated: you begin to like Corso towards the end, though he has turned out to be a cruel, cold man, willing to do anything to meet his goal. Throughout the book and movie, the reader or the viewer is largely ignorant of Corso's role and it seems Corso himself is no different. The reader and the character are too focused on everyone else, each of which seems more important than Corso... but in the end, only he will go through the gate... and the only person in the story who prepared and helped him for this was the mysterious Irene. The woodcuts in The Nine Gates made by Lucifer himself are signed LCF? Corso's first name (in the book) is Lucas Corso? Initials: LC? F?" If this would be so, it means that the motorcycle was ment to turn our attention to the girl? That's an idea... And what about that book he talks about? "The Dumas Club", written by Arturo Pérez-Reverte - would be an interesting reading, I suppose.
  • November 1, 2009
    I was intriqued and into the movie fully, I was entraptured with it, until the ending. The end was too confusing. After deep thought I believe I understand it more, but there is still no way to be sure.

    The whole feeling of the movie is Polanski. There's this uneasyness that y...( read more)ou get when watching this movie. In the pit of your stomach there is this reluctance to like Dean Corso. Then you finally accept him, and well... it turns out sometimes your gut feeling is right.

    Johnny Depp was an amazingly perfect choice. He was sarcastic and moody yet funny and entertaining. The way that he revults people yet draws them closer is intriquing.

    Frank Langella was.... average.

    Lena Olin was more average.

    The sets were amazing and the plot was well wound. I was completly intent on knowing what the secret of the nine gates was. The book was so intresting. I loved the girl. She was never named but she was a huge part of the movie. She was Depp's support system.

    My expectations were higher but they were mostly fulfilled besides the ending.

    Polanski did a great job directing it. It wasn't as scary or thrilling as a Polanski normally is, but the plot twisted and turned many times throughout the film.

    A MUST SEE! BRAVO!
  • October 31, 2009
    !Comercial or Stupid! :|

Critic Reviews


January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

I kept hoping Polanski would take the plot by the neck and shake life into it, but no. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, At the Movies

I kept hoping Polanski would take the plot by the neck and shake life into it, but no. full review

View more The Ninth Gate reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • acidwolf
    February 7, 2008
    If Half life was a movie, it'd be this one.
  • ShimmerMePretty
    November 21, 2007
    It had potential to be a really good film if only they
    made it more realistic ..
    Seriously terrible ending though I actually hit the rewind button to go back because I thought I missed something but nope it just had a really stupid ending .
    Just started to get interesting & it ended.
    I was very unsatisfied & quite disapointed!
    If it wasnt for johnny I would not have made it the whole way lol

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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The Ninth Gate Trivia


  • In this movie the story is about finding the book of the devil...  Answer »
  • Which director links the movies "Rosemary's Baby", "Repulsion", "The Ninth Gate", "Oliver Twist" and "Chinatown"?  Answer »
  • In what film did actor Johnny Depp star as a rare-book dealer confronting the devil?  Answer »
  • Who Took part In These Movies: Charlie And The Chocolate Pirates Of The Caribbean Benny & Joon The Ninth gate Finding Neverland  Answer »

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