Eva Mendes, Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg

A New York nightclub manager tries to save his brother and father from Russian mafia hit men.

Flixster Users

63% liked it

245,878 ratings

Critics

55% liked it

137 critics

R, 1 hr. 58 min.

Directed by: James Gray

Release Date: October 12, 2007

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DVD Release Date: February 13, 2008

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Stats: 15,493 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (15,493)


  • February 13, 2009
    Joaquin Phoenix plays a nightclub owner approached by his brother who is a policeman in the NYPD to help him investigate a drug dealer. We Own The Night has the heavyweight names and artsy photography to trick the casual browser into thinking that it is an intelligent and insight...( read more)ful piece of film making. Unfortunately, the cocktail of nasty Russian gangsters, dysfunctional cop family stereotypes and bedside vigils is straight out of a Steven Seagal movie. In fact Phoenix's shambling, mumbling performance even reminded me of the kung fu fatso, and by the end when the NYPD hands over a badge and a shotgun to a guy who serves drinks for a living it actually seemed even less credible. On the other hand, at least Seagal films can be so bad they're amusing, whereas this is just knuckle-draggingly DULL. Add fatuous dialogue and a mercilessly predictable plot and you have something with pretention to being high drama but is in fact a total yawn fest.
  • January 30, 2009
    An incrediably powerful and absolutely unforgettable movie. Tremendous, stylish, shocking, heart-pounding and exhilerating. It's The Departed meets The French connection. A masterpiece. Director, James Gray crafts another remarkable crime film. A sizzeling and adreniline-pumping ...( read more)crime drama that delivers full-on force that dosent let up. An explosive and yet rare film of the importance of loyalty and family and such the thin line they stand on. I loved this amasing movie. Mark Wahlberg and Joaquin Phoenix give compelling, emotionally gripping and complex powerhouse performances. They set the screen on fire in every scene they are in. Robert Duvall is teriffic as always. Eva Mendes is surprisingly effective. A film in which dedication from the entire crew shows what a superb movie is all about. It's totally and utterly electrifying. It's riveting and exhilerating. Truly top-notch. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. It's very tense, exciting and filled with action and suspense at every corner.
  • October 26, 2008
    "We Own The Night" starring Mark Wahlberg, Joaquin Phoenix, Eva Mendes, and Robert Duvall is a very good crime drama.

    A story about two brothers where one is a well respected police officer (wahlberg) and the other is on the wrong side (phoenix). When some very large drug dea...( read more)lers from Russia are out to get police officers for putting a drug raid on there club people will have choose which side of the law to be on.....this movie overall is a very good film worth seeing.
  • October 26, 2008
    Well made, character driven crime drama with a classic premise and the best dive out of a window I've seen in ages! It does drag at times and could have done with some more ferocious editing, but Joaquin Phoenix' truly steals the show. It's a bit of a slow burn, but the payoff is...( read more) very cool. A tighter script would have been a godsend, but we have is still highly entertaining..... especially for that dive out the window!!!!
  • October 1, 2008
    Average cop thriller with a bit of greatness and much to be disappointed by. The film never really capitalises on the whole family aspect of the story. Not just with immediate family but also Phoenix's family with the club owner. Wahlberg is completely wasted. He shows up and doe...( read more)s literally nothing. DuVall is as good as he can be as the father who is stuck with stupid lines like "You don't marry an ape and complain about the smell of bananas". It's left to Phoenix to hold the film together but his character jumps into being a cop so quickly he never seems conflicted enough. Mendes' fate is left hanging and the film seems unfinished. Many of the scenes are handled excellently. The car chase moment is brilliant, showing from just one point of view though the windshield rather than a lot of meaningless cuts. It gives it that extra impact the whole film is in need of. The undercover drug hide-out scene is also brilliant and seems very real with the tension and confusion over who is who building to an unbearable moment. The finale though is over all a bit sudden. In short the focus was in the wrong place.
  • November 14, 2009
    Mi ha fatto penare fino alla fine, conoscendo la passione di Joaquin per le morti a fine o in mezzo al film, finale tristissimo, in perfetto stile Gray.
    Veramente bello, niente a che fare, per fortuna con The yards (associazione mentale involontaria perché di James Gray e con Jo...( read more)aquin e Mark carciofo Wahlberg), bellissima la New York viuuulenta e notturna.
  • November 7, 2009
    Average ...Nothing more nothing less.Good way to kill time
  • November 1, 2009
    "If you piss in your pants, you only stay warm for so long."

    Actually pretty bloody good. I don't think I expected too much from this film, so I was pleased with how it turned out. I thought it was quite understated, never coming over as pretentious or thinking too much o...( read more)f itself. It's story is focused very much around Joaquin Phoenix's character, and although perhaps it would have been nice to see more of Mark Wahlberg (I'm sure Eva Mendes was in this more than he was), I thought their relationship was well played out.

    Granted, it's not perfect, but I wouldn't mind watching it again actually. I really loved the ending, and that car chase was brilliant!

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  • October 30, 2009
    WAY better movie then The Departed
  • October 28, 2009
    ADVENTUROUS AND AMAZING

Critic Reviews


December 14, 2007
Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times

Offers little that Scorsese doesn't offer with more élan and wit. full review

October 12, 2007
Pete Hammond, Maxim

In many ways this traditional-looking flick gives off a vibe of been there-seen it but at the same time it pulsates with a raw energy and rhythm all its own. full review

October 12, 2007
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle

Gray's craftsmanship is admirable, which shows some old-fashioned reverence for the triangulated composition of Scene, Character, Plot and avoids, by and large, the snazzy edits and visual bling that ... full review

October 12, 2007
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

God knows [writer-director Gray] has skill and integrity, but perhaps it's time to acknowledge that he could use script help. full review

October 12, 2007
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

This is an atmospheric, intense film, well acted, and when it's working it has a real urgency. full review

October 12, 2007
A.O. Scott, The New York Times

We Own the Night is a bloody, passionate melodrama, self-consciously Shakespearean -- or Biblical, or Greek, take your pick of atavisms -- in its intentions.

October 11, 2007
Claudia Puig, USA Today

The theme of this absorbing crime drama centers on a simple idea: Blood is thicker than powder. full review

October 8, 2007
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

We Own the Night plays like gangbusters. full review

October 3, 2007
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

We Own the Night is defiantly, refreshingly unhip. full review

View more We Own the Night reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • kylemydude
    December 18, 2007
    Hahahahaha, neither of them are going to win an oscar for this movie, lmao. I am 100% positive.
  • beggsy06
    December 14, 2007
    oscar material, for best leading actor and supporting actor, for both wahlberg and phoenix
  • mmy92
    December 3, 2007
    Hi,

    Here is an awesome trailer parody twisting We own the night with Interview with a vampire !!!

    http://parodiesaffichesfilms.blogspot.com/2007/11/parody-we-own-night-vs-interview.html

    Compare with the original trailer !
    Enjoy !
    My
  • threenails10
    October 16, 2007
    why is Christopher Walken in the cast list on this page...he's not in the movie or was even involved in it.
  • magsmaple
    October 11, 2007
    looking forward to seeing this one!!!
  • kduzy
    October 11, 2007
    ur a bit on the weird side just to let u know
  • YLOWBSTARDreturns
    September 24, 2007
    This displayed poster blows.
    The original 70s inspired one is awesome! I'll buy it online. I can't wait to see this film!
  • FANTASTICALPERSONYOUDONTKNOW
    August 25, 2007
    hmm... the other poster for this looked way better
  • garystev
    August 20, 2007
    This looks like something special. Talent aplenty. Hope they pull it off, Awesome trailer.
  • browneyedcaligrl
    June 12, 2007
    i really want to see this
    it looks good and it has joaquin phoenix in it!!!

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

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We Own the Night Trivia


  • He played with Mel Gibson in Signs and he will apear on screen in 2007 in the movie ''We Own The Night''. Who is he?   Answer »
  • Who Directed "We Own the Night" ' Set against the backdrop of the bloody battle waged between New York City cops and the Russian mafia, Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes....  Answer »
  • In which decade is set the movie We own the night?  Answer »
  • In "We own the Night", where does Bobby Green keep his hidden microphone?  Answer »

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