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Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on a journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on a journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on a journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia.

• Stephen Gaghan
• Patrick Massett
• John Zinman
• Matthew McConaughey
• Edgar Ramírez
• Bryce Dallas Howard
• 130 User reviews
• 230 Critic reviews
• 49 Metascore
• 1 win & 5 nominations

• Kenny Wells

• Michael Acosta
• (as Édgar Ramírez)

• Brian Woolf

• Paul Jennings

• Hollis Drescher

• Lloyd Stanton

• Jeff Jackson

• Kenny Wells Sr.

• Connie Wright

• Bobby Burns

• Scottie Nevins

• Glen Binkert

• Bobby Owens

• Rachel Hill

• Clive Coleman

• Mark Hancock

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• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Matthew McConaughey shaved his head, gained 45 lbs and wore false teeth to make the character less attractive looking. He said he gained the weight eating cheeseburgers and drinking beer and milk shakes.
• Goofs When Mike Acosta explains the tectonic plates rubbing and grinding up on each other, he mentions that they do this under "Six trillion kilobytes of pressure" which is incorrect. Pressure is measured in kilo-pascals not kilobytes.

Kenny Wells : The guy who invented the hamburger was smart. But the guy who invented the cheeseburger... Genius.

• Connections Featured in The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Matthew McConaughey/Janelle Monáe/Sylvan Esso (2016)
• Soundtracks Ron Klaus Wrecked His House Written by William Goffrier, Stephen Michener, Jeffrey Oliphant (as Jeff Oliphant) and Gary Waleik Performed by Big Dipper Courtesy of Merge Records By arrangement with Bank Robber Music

User reviews 130

• mountaintop-85433
• Apr 27, 2021
• How long is Gold? Powered by Alexa
• January 27, 2017 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Hành Trình Tìm Vàng
• Boies Schiller Entertainment
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $20,000,000 (estimated)
• Jan 29, 2017
• $14,880,939

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours
• Dolby Digital

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Gold review: 127 hours meets the rover in zac efron’s best effort yet.

Minimalist post-apocalyptic films are their own subgenre but Gold is just a good movie. Hayes' vision is exquisite & Efron's on a higher acting plane.

Anthony Hayes has had smaller roles in iconic Australian films like Animal Kingdom , but his work as writer-director and co-star in Gold is a true Hollywood coming-out party. Paired with Zac Efron's lead performance, one that sees him as committed as he has ever been, Gold works. The makeover Efron goes through is never over-the-top and always believable. The athletic nature of the filmmaking is at once warranted and logical given the bare-bones survival plot. One might think the desert setting would hold back cinematographer Ross Giardina ( Carl’s Motel ), but his use of the surroundings makes this feel like the best version of a film shot during the pandemic. Gold  isn't a gut-punch, but it lulls to sleep before spearing with a jagged branch.

Man One (Efron) needs a ride from Man Two (Hayes) to embark on an expedition into parts unknown. They aren’t even remotely friendly and the ride is purely based on business. Once they stop to rest for the night it becomes clear Man One is looking for gold and he will need Man Two to get it. After countless hours in the hot sun, Man One finds gold. A compromise is struck. Man Two will go into town to acquire the machine they need to excavate the gold, while Man One watches over the gold in case of thieves. As the days and hours go by, Man One begins to lose control of himself once his water and rations are depleted. The only question is what's more dangerous — the hyenas who circle his decaying body or his mind on the brink of insanity?

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The prosthetics on Efron are a perfect fit for the film. Actors routinely go through monumental changes to take on a role. Many times it is that exact fact that makes audiences feel them trying too hard and it ultimately distracts from the performance. In the case of Gold , a choice is made to go with a total transformation, but in the most believable way. Efron’s skin is boiled rotten, not because it would look cool, but because he has sun poison. The makeup department didn't seek to make an ugly Efron or even an unrecognizable one. What they went for was weathered by post-apocalyptic circumstances and they succeeded.

Gold  shares a lot of DNA with The Rover , another indie Australian, post-apocalyptic two-hander where the younger man is at the older man’s mercy. Robert Pattinson ( The Batman ) barely speaks in the film and The Rover is still a critical moment in his post- Twilight resurgence. The same can be said of Efron, and not only because of the identical plots and roots in teen culture. This is the performance that solidifies that Efron is capable of real drama. Though his turn as Ted Bundy drew more attention, Gold sees the former teen idol not only act, but be the best part of a film with only four characters (the other three of whom are excellent as well). The fear in Efron's eyes from start to finish is both consistent and engaging.

Anthony Hayes did wonders for the film, and with very little cinematic extravagance. His presence in Gold  is not as pertinent as Efron’s, but he makes the most of every scene. As the resident know-it-all, the audience has to trust him since there is very little that is known about this universe. But as an actor, Hayes keeps a spark in his eye that will continually confuse audiences in the best way. As a writer-director, he is just as savvy. The world of Gold seems fully formed and simultaneously a total mystery.

The entire cast and crew of Gold is on the same page and the movie really clicks once viewers find out how alone they are in it. Though minimalist indie post-apocalyptic films are becoming a sub-genre of their own, Gold is just a good movie. No caveats. Hayes’ vision is exquisite and Efron is on a higher plane of acting. Gold is mysterious, haunting, and exhilarating, a minor miracle given only four people speak and the entire film takes place in a desert.

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Helen Mirren gets lost beneath layers of heavy prosthetics and a swirl of incessant cigarette smoke in “Golda.”

Given that she’s one of the greatest actresses of her time, Mirren naturally finds ways to reveal glimmers of humanity in her portrayal of former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir. But the artifice of her physical transformation too often smothers her, resulting in a stoicism that makes her an elusive figure. Director Guy Nattiv ’s film takes place during the 19-day Yom Kippur War of 1973, when Arab forces, led by Egypt, attacked Israel during its holiest time of the year. It was a dire and deadly situation to be sure, and it severely tested Meir, who remains the only woman ever to hold that leadership position.

But underneath the bushy eyebrows, wiry wig, and thick ankles, who was she? Aside from the obvious ache she experiences when she learns of mounting Israeli casualties, how did she feel about this conflict?

Working from a script by Nicholas Martin , Nattiv depicts this fraught period through a series of dry, repetitive strategy meetings between Meir and her top military advisers. He favors overhead shots of maps spread across conference room tables, with ashtrays packed with crushed cigarette butts scattered among them. Meir was a notorious chain smoker, and we see her lighting up every chance she gets—even as she’s lying in the hospital receiving treatments for her aggressive lymphoma. We hear the click of her lighter so often it actually becomes annoying. 

This ailment might have allowed us to better understand Meir, but she remains frustratingly out of reach, even in her suffering. But there’s a bitter irony in the fact that she sees her doctor in secret at the morgue, and each time she walks down the hallway toward her appointment, more and more bodies are stacked up along the walls. It’s a powerful image.

We see Meir’s spirit and her spark, though, in her conversations with U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, played with understated wit and wisdom by an always-terrific Liev Schreiber . Here is someone who truly understands what she’s going through and with whom she can speak more openly as a peer. In these moments, it’s as if the clouds have parted and a ray of sunlight is shining through. Mirren and Schreiber have a warm chemistry with each other and share a sense of humor that’s missing elsewhere. One scene in particular, involving a bowl of homemade borscht, speaks volumes about who these people are and the values that define them. “Golda” as a whole could have used a lot more of that kind of revelation.

We also see Meir’s kind-heartedness in the way she treats her employees, especially the women who work for her. She has a lovely rapport with Camille Cottin (“ Stillwater ”), the loyal aide who tenderly washes Meir’s hair in the tub, pulling out chunks as a result of her cancer treatment. Again, these moments of humanity feel too few and far between.

Instead, Nattiv relies too heavily on interspersing archival war footage into conversations to illustrate what the characters are talking about, including Rami Heuberger as Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and Lior Ashkenazi as Israeli military chief David “Dado” Elazar. All are solid despite being stuck in one-note roles. Nattiv’s 2019 drama “Skin”—based on his Oscar-winning, live-action short of the same name—had a visceral quality to its pacing, but “Golda” feels comparatively sedate.

The most tantalizing moment comes at the end; by then, it's too late. We see a black-and-white snippet of the real Golda Meir on television, sitting beside Egyptian leader Anwar Sadat at a news conference, radiating humor and charisma, using her power as a woman to charm and disarm. That’s the person Helen Mirren could have brought tremendously to life.

Now playing in theaters. 

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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Film Credits

Golda (2023)

Rated PG-13 for thematic material and pervasive smoking.

100 minutes

Helen Mirren as Golda Meir

Liev Schreiber as Henry Kissinger

Camille Cottin

Lior Ashkenazi as David 'Dado' Elazar

Ellie Piercy as Shir Shapiro

Ed Stoppard as Benny Peled

Rotem Keinan as Zvi Zamir

Dvir Benedek as Eli Zeira

Dominic Mafham as Haim Bar-Lev

• Nicholas Martin

Cinematographer

• Jasper Wolf
• Arik Lahav-Leibovich
• Dascha Dauenhauer

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‘Gold’ Review: Matthew McConaughey Makes It a Worthwhile Investment

Technical flaws are no match for a fascinating narrative and riveting lead performance.

There’s definitely something frightening about the thought that you might never achieve your dreams, but it might hurt even more to get there and then lose it all.

Gold is inspired by a true story and stars Matthew McConaughey as Kenny Wells, an extremely passionate and persistent prospector who’s going to do whatever it takes to make the ultimate find. That ambition leads him to risk it all on Mike Acosta ( Edgar Ramirez ), a renowned geologist who supposedly knows where to set up their operation. They partner up, get digging in Indonesia, and struggle through a number of serious setbacks, but ultimately, they achieve the dream and find gold. However, that doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing from there.

Yes, Gold is inspired by a true story and yes, you can easily look up the details, but if you’re not aware of what happened prior to seeing the film, I’d highly recommend keeping it that way. Whether we’re talking about being a successful prospector or building a booming food chain like Ray Kroc in The Founder , the path to the top is often inherently fascinating. It’s something that anyone who’s ever hoped to excel in their profession can relate to but at the same time, the paths to achieving the loftiest dreams are often extremely unique. Gold is an interesting story in and of itself, but hitting theaters right after The Founder actually serves it well because it highlights the differences between Ray Kroc’s approach to striking it rich and Kenny’s Wells’ determination to become the best of the best in his field, and it’s those vast and more subtle differences that lead you to appreciate what Kenny goes through to an extent that might not have been possible had it not arrived immediately after The Founder .

Kenny isn’t a bad guy by any means, but his pushy and extremely resolute personality can make him very difficult to work with - and very entertaining to watch. Once you get used to his drastic new look, as one might expect, McConaughey is excellent in the role. He’s got no trouble jumping from overly ambitious prospector to loving husband who truly wants to do right by his wife, Kay ( Bryce Dallas Howard ). That combination also comes in handy when the movie starts to explore his business relationship with Acosta. Kenny operates as though striking gold is priority number one - even over his own health - but he’s also a loyal guy and genuinely cares about and respects his friendship with his new partner.

Kenny’s relationship with Kay certainly could have used a little more screen time to plug up some significant plot holes in their sub-story, but writers Patrick Massett and John Zinman do a much better job with Kenny and Acosta, balancing the progression of their connection as friends and their professional aspirations in a way that makes Gold well worth a second watch. The movie takes a little while to gain momentum, but once Kenny and Acosta’s dig is underway, director Stephen Gaghan does manage to establish an effective build that peaks with one heck of a climax that’ll stick with you well after the movie is over. However, another place the script could have used a little reshaping is a non-linear narrative component Massett and Zinman add that features Toby Kebbell . The scenes play well enough and they wind up serving a bigger purpose, but not in a way that would justify the misdirection throughout the movie.

Where Gold runs into its biggest problems, however, is in the technical department. Pacing is a serious issue in the first act and there are also noticeable flaws with the lighting, editing and shot composition. Simply put, it’s often just not a very pretty picture. The story and performances are strong enough to carry the movie regardless, but dim lighting and unappealing framing may catch your eye every so often. And the same goes for particular scene transitions, too. There’s a small handful that feel more like bandaids than natural transitions from one moment to the next, and usually they involve fades or abrupt cuts between scenes with drastically different tones to the them.

Every part of a film production is vital to creating a successful whole, but Gold highlights the importance of character and story, and the simple fact that if you care enough about the character and are engaged in his or her journey, the movie can still work. McConaughey delivers a wildly dynamic performance that’ll have you bouncing between rooting for and against Kenny all the way through, but most importantly, McConaughey gets you to understand Kenny’s decisions - whether you agree with them or not - and that’s what makes his story impactful and memorable.

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‘Gold’ Review: Matthew McConaughey Shines in Twisted-Up Tale of American Greed

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

Matthew McConaughey dives into his role as mad-dog prospector Kenny Wells like a starving man sitting down to a feast. As a movie, Gold is slim pickings. But McConaughey keeps you riveted. Based loosely on a 1990’s gold-mining scandal involving John Felderhof, who partnered with a Filipino geologist Michael de Guzman to mine a mineral fortune in the Indonesian jungles, the movie changes names and dates and messes with the facts at will. Why? Director Steve Gaghan ( Syriana ) and screenwriters Patrick Massett and John Zinman ( Lara Croft: Tomb Raider ) apparently wanted to mate The Treasure of the Sierra Madre with The Wolf of Wall Street and birth a box-office bonanza out of an orgy of greed and hedonism. It’s a scary hybrid tribute to capitalism run amok.

McConaughey plays Kenny as a sweaty, balding, pot-bellied fantasist. Too much? Nah. Watching a dynamite actor take risks is exhilarating. The man has inherited a Nevada mining company from his daddy. But he doesn’t know what to do with it until a level-headed geologist, Michael Acosta (a sly, stellar Édgar Ramírez), tells him there really is gold in them thar hills. Kenny is always in a fever, so when he contracts malaria in Indonesia, you think he might collapse in a puddle. Instead, Mr. Can-Do strikes it rich – which brings on the vultures, including the Indonesian government, all in for a piece of the action in the biggest gold strike of the 20th century. Meanwhile, Kay (Bryce Dallas Howard), the girl back home, tries to keep him off the ledge.

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No such luck. As Gold hits its bad-news phase – the F.B.I. starts sniffing around and the gold strike is unmasked as a fraud – the life goes out of this wildly uneven movie. Only through the deep-drill thrill of McConaughey’s performance do we learn something worth knowing about human nature and the legacy of a broken American dream.

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‘Gold’ Review: Dry Heave

Zac Efron stars in an unrelentingly miserable post-apocalyptic movie from the Australian actor and director Anthony Hayes.

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Anthony Hayes, left, and Zac Efron in “Gold.”

By Amy Nicholson

There’s a type of blunt, brutal fable about men and avarice that has been reworked every decade or so since Erich von Stroheim’s silent epic “Greed” was released in 1924. The middling “Gold,” directed by Anthony Hayes from a screenplay he wrote with Polly Smyth (who is also Hayes’s spouse), is one of them. It rides on the dusty coattails of touchstones of the genre: think “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre,” the “Mad Max” franchise and “There Will Be Blood.”

“Gold” is set on a sunbaked wasteland, in a future in which an apocalyptic war has scarred the earth. (The film was shot in Australia, so the mettle of “Mad Max” hovers over each frame.) Among the blackened craters left by the war live a few sweaty, irritable survivors, all of whom go unnamed — as if they’d waste too much saliva introducing themselves. Zac Efron and Hayes play antisocial strangers car-pooling across the badlands. During an unplanned pit stop, Efron’s character, the more soft-bellied of the two travelers, discovers a massive chunk of gold bigger than both men combined. Hauling it out of the sand will be a test of endurance for the characters — who Efron and Hayes ground in a weary, wary reserve — and for the audience, which must suffer watching Efron’s skin become riddled with sun blisters that appear to be supercharged by radiation. There’s no missing the message that we’re in a dog-eat-dog world. But we’re shown an actual dog eating a dog just in case.

The movie’s mood is unrelentingly miserable. Its cinematography, by Ross Giardina, is bleached-bone bright; its soundscape features more buzzing flies than music. The closest thing to hope comes from a line that the script — apparently calling for us to value our own planet while we still can — has Efron pant to a scorpion: “Look at you, crawling on a massive cluster of gold your whole life and you don’t even know it.”

Gold Rated R for pain and anguish. Running time: 1 hour 37 minutes. In theaters.

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Review: Helen Mirren shines (and smokes) in an otherwise lackluster ‘Golda’

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The first time you see Helen Mirren as the Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, she comes at you in stern little fragments: a puckered mouth taking a long, slow drag on a cigarette (one of many), then the back of a head, the hair pulled back in a severe bun. “Golda,” a title card declares over a closeup of two thick-browed eyes. It’s like watching an illusion come together slowly, piece by piece, in a movie that all but dares you to see the great actor hidden beneath the meticulously applied wrinkles. The last time Mirren played a world leader on the big screen, in “The Queen,” she reminded us that heavy lies the head that wears the crown. In “Golda,” apparently, no less heavy lies the head that wears layers upon layers of prosthetic pancake.

Directed by the Israeli American filmmaker Guy Nattiv ( “Skin” ) from a script by the English screenwriter Nicholas Martin ( “Florence Foster Jenkins” ), “Golda” purports to track the bloody events of October 1973, when Egyptian and Syrian forces, armed with Soviet-supplied weapons, mounted a surprise attack on Israel on the holiest day of its calendar. Through this harrowing 18-day conflict, known as the Yom Kippur War, the movie also seeks to illuminate the indomitable spirit of a leader who steered her young nation, imperfectly but with great courage, through failures of intelligence, crises of political conscience and thousands of military casualties.

Really, though, “Golda” isn’t about any of these things. It’s much more about Mirren’s anxious but determined gait as her Golda enters a room full of distracted male colleagues, or strides across a Tel Aviv rooftop to be alone with her thoughts and have another smoke. It’s about all the vividly cinematic ways she can wield a cigarette, as both a signifier of defiance (she’s dying, slowly, of cancer) and an emblem of personal style. It’s about all the external details, those fleeting but eminently exploitable points of contact between Mirren’s brilliance as a performer and Meir’s brilliance as a leader. “Golda” feeds that time-honored tradition of watching a virtuoso screen performer vanish behind a famous name and a wall of cinematic artifice.

Hoary as it can be, the practice still reliably wows audiences and awards voters, as recent-ish Oscar winners like Jessica Chastain , Renée Zellweger , Rami Malek and Gary Oldman can attest. Lately, though, the tradition has also taken on some critical and culturally specific baggage, some of it tied to the forthcoming, much-buzzed biopic “Maestro,” in which a non-Jewish actor, Bradley Cooper, dons a fake schnoz to play a Jewish celebrity, Leonard Bernstein . “Golda,” arriving with far less fanfare in theaters this week, has been caught up in a quieter version of the same controversy.

The “should only Jews play Jews?” debate won’t be revived here, much less resolved. Suffice to say that if this is artifice, then it is artifice of a very high caliber. As the sickly, septuagenarian Meir, Mirren packs fierce authority, grandmotherly warmth, touching uncertainty and wry resignation into an uncharacteristically stooped and heavily padded frame. (She also suggests, with her distinctly American intonations, a hint of Golda’s hardscrabble Milwaukee upbringing.) Her performance, far from being the movie’s greatest drawback, is the best and perhaps only interesting thing about it.

The more glaring problem is that “Golda” itself never rises above the level of an actor’s showcase, never achieves — despite some noticeable effort — a more complicated, challenging reading of history. An expository prologue doesn’t inspire confidence; moving from Israel’s founding in 1948 to its triumph over its Arab neighbors in the Six-Day War of 1967, it plows through roughly two decades of tumultuous history with all the verve of an awards show highlights reel. Equally perfunctory is a framing device set in January 1974, as unsmiling members of the Agranat Commission grill Meir about the intelligence failures that precipitated the surprise Yom Kippur attack months earlier.

The movie’s account of those failures — but also the failures of Egypt and Syria, which seize but cannot maintain the upper hand — is appreciably absorbing, even if the war itself, waged on two fronts on the Sinai Peninsula and in the Golan Heights, is kept largely hidden from view. It thus falls to the swift, fluid movements of Jasper Wolf’s camera and the suspenseful thrum of Dascha Dauenhauer’s score to bring this rickety war room procedural to life. The tension is heightened by the steady clacking of typewriter keys and, from time to time, the soldiers’ screams we hear being transmitted from the battlefront, screams that lodge indelibly in Meir’s memory and give the life-and-death stakes an insistently human voice.

Her concern for her people could scarcely be more palpable; watch how Mirren softens Golda’s face and posture in the presence of her secretary, whose ill-fated soldier son becomes a convenient stand-in for thousands of other young men on the front lines. But her natural empathy turns out to be the flip side of her utter ruthlessness as a tactician and negotiator. You see that mix of vulnerability and steel at play as Golda submits to lymphoma treatments, furiously chain-smoking through every one. You also see it in her compassionate yet highly strategic dealings with her closest colleagues (played by actors including Lior Ashkenazi, Dvir Benedek and Rami Heuberger), whose occasional lapses of judgment and failures of nerve provide ample opportunity for Golda to step in and do what she can to redeem an impossible situation.

She can only do so much, of course, since she, like the state she governs, operates at the behest of bigger, more powerful geopolitical entities. Martin’s script acknowledges the fragile, conditional nature of Israel’s alliance with the U.S., especially given the latter’s newfound reliance on Middle East oil imports. That gives rise to a few juicily entertaining scenes involving U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (a guarded Liev Schreiber), who emerges as Meir’s most significant ally and sparring partner. She is never more fully at the peak of her negotiating powers than when Kissinger briefly passes through Tel Aviv, where she forces him to consume a bowl of borscht and offer Israel some badly needed reinforcements.

Given the deliberate narrowness of the movie’s perspective, it makes sense that Kissinger should be presented solely in terms of his significance to Israel. But if the more troubling aspects of his own legacy are left pointedly off-screen, so is a deeper, longer view of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the hard lessons of the Yom Kippur War and the anguish that Israel would both endure and inflict in the decades to follow. The movie opens with an on-screen acknowledgment of Israel’s 1967-fueled “hubris,” a provocative notion that is left to linger and finally fade away at roughly the same moment Golda does. The morally ambiguous fog of war that this movie seems so intent on conjuring, and peering into, ultimately dissipates like cigarette smoke.

'Golda'

In English, Hebrew and Arabic, with English subtitles Rating: PG-13, for thematic material and pervasive smoking Running time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Playing: Starts Aug. 25 in general release

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Gold review – Matthew McConaughey is insufferably hammy

This film about a 1990s financial scandal lacks the requisite insight and satirical wit, leaving McConaughey’s gold miner hero to seem smug and grandstanding

M atthew McConaughey is insufferably hammy and tiresomely self-regarding in this shapeless, unsatisfying movie, taken from a real-life South Sea Bubble case of credulity and greed. But the film has neither the steel and wit necessary for satire, nor the insight for an engaging human drama in the style of something like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre . Finally, McConaughey’s smug hero makes an unearned claim on our sentimental affections; he is the roistering entrepreneur who wants to be both the victim of a fraud yet somehow also its lovably cheeky beneficiary. Moreover, McConaughey has zero bromantic chemistry with his co-star, Edgar Ramírez, who phones in a dull, blank performance.

The story is based on a 1990s mining scandal: a phoney claim to have found gold in Indonesia created a stock-market tulip fever based on nothing. McConaughey plays Kenny Welsh, a veteran mining engineer who is staring failure and poverty in the face; then a visionary dream tells Kenny to look for gold in Indonesia, where he bankrolls an exploratory drill by geologist Michael Acosta (Ramírez), who assures him they have hit paydirt. All sorts of greedy bankers and players get involved, and Kenny’s stock price goes through the roof. But Acosta may have lied to everyone, including Kenny. McConaughey’s grandstanding is not as charming as he thinks it is, and can’t put any life or interest into this stodgy film.

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2017, Adventure/Drama, 1h 43m

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Gold   photos.

Spanish soldiers battle indigenous tribes and their own brutal natures as they search for a legendary city built of gold.

Rating: R (A Rape|Some Sexuality and Nudity|Brutal Violence)

Genre: Adventure, Drama

Original Language: Spanish (Spain)

Director: Agustín Díaz Yanes

Producer: Mikel Lejarza , Enrique López Lavigne

Writer: Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Release Date (Streaming): Feb 20, 2018

Runtime: 1h 43m

Cast & Crew

Óscar Jaenada

Anna Castillo

Luis Callejo

Raúl Arévalo

Bárbara Lennie

José Coronado

Juan José Ballesta

Juan Carlos Aduviri

Antonio Dechent

Juan Echanove

Andrés Gertrúdix

Ignacio Herráez

Diego París

José Manuel Cervino

Agustín Díaz Yanes

Arturo Pérez-Reverte

Mikel Lejarza

Enrique López Lavigne

Javier Limón

Paco Femenia

Cinematographer

José Salcedo

Film Editing

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Despite a very divisive Rotten Tomatoes score, Lindsay Lohan's new Netflix movie is climbing the streamer's ranking

According to fans, Irish Wish is the best bad movie ever

Just days after hitting the streamer, Lindsey Lohan’s new movie Irish Wish has shot up the Netflix top 10 rankings, but despite the views, the movie has left audiences divided.

Released on March 15, the movie follows one unlucky-in-love woman named Maddie (Lohan) who puts her feelings aside to be a bridesmaid at her best friend's wedding in Ireland. As per the Netflix synopsis, "Days before the pair are set to marry, Maddie makes a spontaneous wish for true love and finds herself in an alternate reality where a chance encounter shows her that sometimes you need to be careful who you wish for. With her dream seeming to come true, Maddie soon realizes that her real soulmate is someone else entirely."

As of March 18, Irish Wish is the second most popular movie worldwide on the streamer, losing first place to fellow Netflix original Damsel starring Stranger Things’ Millie Bobby Brown. But despite its impressive ranking, Irish Wish is leaving audiences and critics divided, which is reflected in its 34% score and 42% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes . 

Many critics have pointed out the movie’s stereotypical commentary on Irish culture as Wendy Ide from The Guardian puts it, "There are no leprechauns in this abysmal romantic comedy. Otherwise, though, pretty much no theme-park Ireland cliche is left unturned,". Whilst Roger Moore from Movie Nation adds, "Saints preserve us, one and all wasted a good trip to Ireland on this."

However, many are seeing the pot of gold at the end of the rather lackluster rainbow so to speak, concluding that Irish Wish is so bad, it’s kind of… good. "It’s genuinely terrible, but also oddly watchable," says Kevin Maher from The Sunday Times , and fans seem to agree as one tweets , "Irish Wish is like if they made My Best Friend’s Wedding in Ireland and it was bad… by which I mean it is an instant classic."

Alongside the Mean Girls star, the cast also includes Star Trek: Picard ’s Ed Speleers, Versailles Alexander Vlahos, Jane Seymour, Elizabeth Tan, and Ayesha Curry.

Irish Wish is available to stream on Netflix right now. For more, check out the best Netflix movies , or keep up to date with upcoming movies heading your way in 2024 and beyond.  

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I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.  

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13 Movies That Totally Deserve Their 100% Rotten Tomatoes Score

Posted: March 6, 2024 | Last updated: March 6, 2024

The 'Flawless Club'

The Golden Age of Hollywood gave us some of the most unforgettable movies in film history — stories that stuck with us, characters we'll never forget, and innovative filmmaking that filmmakers still look up to. We turned to Rotten Tomatoes to find the crème de la crème of this era and selected those with a flawless 100% rating.

Here are 13 timeless movies with a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Editor's note: This story was updated in February 2024

1. ‘Seven Samurai’ (1954)

Rotten Tomatoes Score : 100%

Seven Samurai is a timeless masterpiece of world cinema that has captivated audiences for decades. Directed by the legendary filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, the film tells the story of a group of samurai who come together to protect a village from marauding bandits. The film is renowned for its masterful storytelling, complex characters, and epic battle sequences that still leave audiences in awe to this day. The film's expertly crafted screenplay, innovative cinematography, and nuanced performances have solidified its place in cinematic history, and its influence can be seen in countless films that have followed in its wake.

Critics said : “Arguably Akira Kurosawa's masterpiece, The Seven Samurai is an epic adventure classic with an engrossing story, memorable characters, and stunning action sequences that make it one of the most influential films ever made.” RT

2. ‘ The Philadelphia Story’ (1940)

Rotten Tomatoes Score: 100%

The classic 1940 romantic comedy-drama boasts a star-studded cast, including Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart. The film follows the wealthy and headstrong Tracy Lord (Hepburn) as she navigates the complexities of love and marriage during her highly publicized wedding.

"The Philadelphia Story" became an instant hit and received six Academy Award nominations, winning two for Best Actor and Best Screenplay. It remains a beloved classic with its witty banter, impeccable performances, and enduring themes, "Philadelphia Story" continues to captivate audiences over 80 years later.

Critics said : “Offering a wonderfully witty script, spotless direction from George Cukor, and typically excellent lead performances, The Philadelphia Story is an unqualified classic.”   RT

3. 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' (1938)

Rotten Tomatoes Score : 100%

A classic swashbuckling adventure film from 1938  “The Adventures of Robin Hood”  has remained a beloved favorite among audiences of all ages. Starring the iconic Errol Flynn as the dashing hero Robin Hood, the film tells the story of a band of Merry Men who rob from the rich to give to the poor, all while trying to outsmart the wicked Prince John and his henchman, the Sheriff of Nottingham.

The film's enduring legacy is also due in part to its impact on pop culture. From its iconic theme song to its influence on countless films and television shows over the years. It won three Academy Awards, including Best Art Direction and Best Original Score.

Critics said : “Errol Flynn thrills as the legendary title character, and the film embodies the type of imaginative family adventure tailor-made for the silver screen.”  RT

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1000355-adventures_of_robin_hood/reviews?intcmp=rt-what-to-know_read-critics-reviews

4. 'Laura' (1944)

Directed by Otto Preminger, 'Laura' is a captivating film noir murder mystery. The movie revolves around a detective, played by Dana Andrews, who becomes increasingly obsessed with the enigmatic Laura (Gene Tierney), a woman presumed dead. As the detective delves deeper into Laura's life, he uncovers a web of deceit and unrequited love. The film won an Academy Award for Best Cinematography and was nominated for four more. 'Laura' is celebrated for its hauntingly beautiful score, atmospheric cinematography, and nuanced performances, and it has secured its place as a classic of the film noir genre.

5. 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre' (1948)

Rotten Tomatoes Score:  100%

This gritty tale of greed, directed by John Huston and starring Humphrey Bogart, remains as impactful today as it was upon release. The film follows the journey of three Americans in Mexico who set out to prospect for gold, only to have their camaraderie disintegrate under the strain of suspicion and paranoia. 'The Treasure of the Sierra Madre' won three Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Supporting Actor for John Huston's father, Walter Huston, making them the first father-son duo to win Oscars for the same film. With its powerful performances and enduring themes, the film remains a classic of American cinema.It took home three Academy Awards, including Best Director and Best Supporting Actor for Huston's father, Walter Huston.

Critics said :“Remade but never duplicated, this darkly humorous morality tale represents John Huston at his finest.” RT

6. 'Singin' in the Rain' (1952)

This Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen-directed musical comedy is a love letter to the Golden Age of Hollywood. Starring Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, and Donald O'Connor, it was not only a box-office success but is also considered one of the greatest musicals ever made. Despite being overlooked at the Academy Awards with only two nominations, 'Singin' in the Rain' has since been acknowledged as one of the greatest musicals and one of the finest films ever made. Its titular song-and-dance sequence, performed by Kelly, remains one of the most iconic scenes in film history.

Critics said : “Clever, incisive, and funny, Singin' in the Rain is a masterpiece of the classical Hollywood musical.”  RT

7. '12 Angry Men' (1957)

Sidney Lumet's courtroom drama, starring Henry Fonda, is a tense exploration of justice and prejudice. It was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Picture, but its real victory is its enduring influence and reputation as one of the greatest films ever made. The film's expertly crafted screenplay, masterful direction, and powerful performances have made it a classic of the courtroom drama genre. With its perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, it is clear that 12 Angry Men has stood the test of time as a cinematic masterpiece.

Critics said : “Sidney Lumet's feature debut is a superbly written, dramatically effective courtroom thriller that rightfully stands as a modern classic.”  RT

8. 'The Kid' (1921)

This silent film marked Charlie Chaplin's debut as a feature-length director. In 'The Kid', Chaplin's iconic character, the Little Tramp, finds an abandoned baby and decides to raise him. The film navigates between heartfelt drama and comedy as the Tramp and the kid, played brilliantly by Jackie Coogan, form an unconventional family. Although it predates the Academy Awards, 'The Kid' is widely celebrated for its blend of humor and sentimentality, and it solidified Chaplin's status as a master of silent cinema.

Critics said : “Charles Chaplin's irascible Tramp is given able support from Jackie Coogan as The Kid in this slapstick masterpiece, balancing the guffaws with moments of disarming poignancy.” RT

9. ‘M’ (1931)

M is a groundbreaking German thriller directed by Fritz Lang, released in 1931. The film tells the story of a city gripped by fear as a serial killer preys on young children. What makes M so remarkable is Lang's innovative approach to filmmaking. The film was one of the first to use sound in a creative way, and Lang's use of shadow and light to create a dark and foreboding atmosphere is unparalleled. The film's star, Peter Lorre, delivers a haunting performance as the killer, conveying a chilling sense of desperation and psychosis. M has since become a seminal work of German cinema and is widely regarded as a classic of the thriller genre. 

Critics said : “A landmark psychological thriller with arresting images, deep thoughts on modern society, and Peter Lorre in his finest performance.”  RT

10. 'The Grapes of Wrath' (1940)

Directed by John Ford and based on John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, 'The Grapes of Wrath' is a poignant depiction of the Joad family's struggle to escape the Dust Bowl of Oklahoma for the promised land of California during the Great Depression. The film is a powerful exploration of human resilience in the face of brutal economic forces and societal hardships. Henry Fonda's performance as Tom Joad is particularly memorable, earning him an Academy Award nomination. The film itself won two Academy Awards for Best Director and Best Supporting Actress (Jane Darwell as Ma Joad), and was nominated for five others.

Critics said : “A potent drama that is as socially important today as when it was made, The Grapes of Wrath is affecting, moving, and deservedly considered an American classic.”  RT

11.'Pinocchio' (1940)

The 1940 Disney animated film nails a perfect score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it's easy to see why. Based on Carlo Collodi's Italian children's novel, this animated classic tells the story of a wooden puppet brought to life by a fairy, with the promise of becoming a real boy if he proves himself brave, truthful, and unselfish. The movie set the bar high for animation, with its groundbreaking techniques and storytelling that still captures hearts today. The 2022 adaptation starring Tom Hanks has brought new attention to the original, and proves it's still relevant. We might say we don't sit down with the kids to watch the original anymore, but let's be honest — saying that might just make our noses grow.

Critics said:  "Ambitious, adventurous, and sometimes frightening,  Pinocchio  arguably represents the pinnacle of Disney's collected works — it's beautifully crafted and emotionally resonant."  RT

12. 'Shadow of a Doubt' (1943)

Released in 1943, "Shadow of a Doubt," is recognized as one of Alfred Hitchcock's finest American films, intertwining suspense and psychological depth in a way that was pioneering for its time. This thriller, which revolves around young Charlie Newton and her growing suspicion that her beloved uncle may be a serial killer, remains a masterful study of evil lurking in the most ordinary places. The film's ability to incorporate the charm of small-town America with the creeping dread of hidden malevolence is unparalleled, making it a standout in Hitchcock's illustrious career.

Critics said:  "Alfred Hitchcock's earliest classic — and his own personal favorite — deals its flesh-crawling thrills as deftly as its finely shaded characters."  RT

13. ' Anatomy of a Murder' (1959)

In this Otto Preminger 1959 courtroom drama, James Stewart delivers one of his finest roles as a small-town lawyer tasked with defending a soldier accused of murder. 

The film's subtle approach to controversial subjects and use of real locations instead of studio sets were revolutionary at the time. The jazz score by Duke Ellington also adds to the film's atmosphere and tension. 

Critics said: " One of cinema's greatest courtroom dramas, Anatomy of a Murder is tense, thought-provoking, and brilliantly acted, with great performances from James Stewart and George C. Scott."  RT

This article was produced and syndicated by  MediaFeed.

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‘The Idea of You’ Review: Only Anne Hathaway Could Look This Confident Dating One of Her Daughter’s Pop Idols

Hathaway’s rockin' single-mom character doesn't need a boyfriend, much less a boy-band fling to fulfill her. But her on-and-off romance with Nicholas Galitzine's smitten pop star feels like one for the ages.

By Peter Debruge

Peter Debruge

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When you’re 10, it sounds like every line your favorite boy band sings is being aimed directly at you. Somewhere along the way, the illusion shatters. Teenagers are smarter than we give them credit for, and they eventually figure out how parasocial relationships operate: Basically, the fans do all the work, saving up for concert tickets and glitter-painting their idols’ names on their notebooks, while the lab-tested singers soak up all the love … and the allowance money. But what if, instead of the feelings flowing in one direction, a pop star fell hard for one of his followers? Or her mom?

Dad bought them all VIP passes to a meet-and-greet with August Moon, the band Izzy used to be obsessed with in seventh grade (emphasis on “used to be”). Now that she’s in high school, the fivesome just seems corny — which is the same opinion parents had all along, but somehow had to put aside to support their kids. So imagine Solène’s surprise when she goes looking for the honey bucket and winds up face-to-face with Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), “the British one.” Solène recognizes him, but doesn’t get all star-struck, and something about that dynamic excites him. Here’s a woman he might actually have to put some effort into getting to know.

Miraculously enough, audiences don’t question it. The meet-cute seems a little contrived, but the chemistry between Hathaway and Galitzine feels real. She subtly conveys signals that show she’s lost faith in romance, suggesting that because Solène’s been burned by love before, she can’t be bothered to flirt. For his part, Galitzine plays Hayes as instantly interested, but emotionally cautious as well. Watching these two warm up to one another over the course of an art-shopping afternoon back in Los Angeles proves far more romantic than the whirlwind tour of Europe that follows. Surprisingly, the sexiest scene in the whole film doesn’t involve sex but a hungry first kiss — though there’s steam enough to come, as they ravage hotel rooms in Barcelona, Rome and Paris.

In a sense, the eponymous “idea of you” refers to an aspect of the relationship Solène naively thinks she can keep to herself, despite the vulture-like way the paparazzi follow them everywhere. Showalter takes us into a pop star’s inner circle, bringing the cameras backstage at concerts, aboard private jets and along for a glitzy vacation in the south of France. (Weirdly, reverse shots of the arena-show crowds seem downright tame, nothing like the delirious hysteria of “A Hard Day’s Night” or “TRL.”) Celebrities belong to the public in a way civilian Solène has never experienced before, and because she wants no part of that attention, their love affair may as well have no future.

That’s one aspect of the book that upset its readers, and which Showalter has carefully reengineered here so that audiences can have the ending they want. For all its fantastical qualities, the movie is realistic in the way it anticipates social media and real media (the online tabloids, at least) reacting to the news of Solène and Hayes’ being together. It’s a sad truth that, as Solène tells art-world bestie Tracy (Annie Mumolo), the world doesn’t want her to be happy. Technically, the fans don’t want Hayes to be happy either, preferring to think of him as single and searching for them to fill that empty space in his heart.

There are a thousand ways that Showalter could have tilted the film toward parody. Instead, he resists poking fun at the whole pop-tart phenomenon, which meta-comedies like “Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping” and “Josie and Pussycats” treated as self-aware satire. Here, Hayes is terrified of being seen as a joke, and though Solène insists he’s not, she doesn’t take the relationship seriously enough to tell a soul. But Showalter does, tapping songwriter Savan Kotecha to come up with a slew of plausible hits, including a track called “Closer” that turns the May-December dynamic into catchy Top 40 gold. For all the challenges that adapting Lee’s book posed, getting the music right had to be the toughest — with fixing that ending being a close second.

Reviewed at SXSW (Headliners, closer), March 16, 2024. MPA Rating: R. Running time: 116 MIN.

• Production: A Prime Video release of a Amazon MGM Studios presentation of a Somewhere Pictures, Welle Entertainment production. Producers: Cathy Schulman, Gabrielle Union, Anne Hathaway, Robinne Lee, Eric Hayes, Michael Showalter, Jordana Mollick. Executive producers: Douglas S. Jones, Jason Babiszewski, Jennifer Westfeldt, Kian Gass.
• Crew: Director: Michael Showalter. Screenplay: Michael Showalter, Jennifer Westfeldt, based on the book by Robinne Lee. Camera: Jim Frohna. Editor: Peter Teschner. Music: Siddhartha Khosla. Music supervisor: Frankie Pine.
• With: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Rubin, Annie Mumolo, Reid Scott, Perry Mattfeld, Jordan Aaron Hall, Mathilda Gianopoulos, Raymond Cham Jr., Jaiden Anthony, Viktor White, Dakota Adan.

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A marvel project finally gets a perfect rotten tomatoes score.

The critic reactions for Disney+ animated series 'X-Men '97' give Marvel a 100 percent Fresh rating.

By James Hibberd

James Hibberd

Writer-at-Large

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A Marvel project has received the studio’s first perfect Rotten Tomatoes score since the launch of the MCU.

Disney+ ‘s newly launched animated series X-Men ’97 has a very rare 100 percent “Fresh” rating.

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Marvel Animation ’s X-Men ’97 , which premiered Wednesday, reboots 1992’s X-Men: The Animated Series . From the official descriptions: X-Men ’97 “revisits the iconic era of the 1990s as The X-Men, a band of mutants who use their uncanny gifts to protect a world that hates and fears them, are challenged like never before, forced to face a dangerous and unexpected new future.”

A sample of some of the reviews:

CNN : “Taking advantage of the streaming format and passage of time, X-Men ‘97 is a little more adult in tone than the original, though it remains true to its spirit and incorporates plenty of familiar trappings, from the animation style to the memorable musical theme.”

Slashfilm : “ X-Men ’97 is tighter and cleaner, a brushed-up version of the ’92 series, complete with the Jim-Lee-era X-Men costumes that mutant fans seem to be the most fond of. It’s trying to re-create in 2024 your memories from 1992. Luckily, that semi-insufferable nostalgia carries with it an efficiency of storytelling that has been lacking in the previous 15 years of superhero entertainment.”

The series consists of 10 episodes and includes voice actors Ray Chase as Cyclops, Jennifer Hale as Jean Grey, Alison Sealy-Smith as Storm, Cal Dodd as Wolverine, J.P. Karliak as Morph, Lenore Zann as Rogue, George Buza as Beast, A.J. LoCascio as Gambit, Holly Chou as Jubilee, Isaac Robinson-Smith as Bishop, Matthew Waterson as Magneto, and Adrian Hough as Nightcrawler. Beau DeMayo serves as head writer; episodes are directed by Jake Castorena, Chase Conley and Emi Yonemura.

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2020, Mystery & thriller, 1h 40m

What to know

Critics Consensus

An intriguing debut for writer-director Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour, Black Box compensates for a lack of surprises with strong performances and an emotionally rewarding story. Read critic reviews

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Black box videos, black box   photos.

After losing his wife and memory in a car accident, a single father undergoes an agonizing experimental treatment that causes him to question who he really is.

Genre: Mystery & thriller

Original Language: English

Director: Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour

Producer: John H. Brister

Writer: Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour , Stephen Herman

Release Date (Streaming): Oct 6, 2020

Runtime: 1h 40m

Production Co: Amazon Studios, Black Bar Mitzvah, Blumhouse Television

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Mamoudou Athie

Phylicia Rashad

Amanda Christine

Tosin Morohunfola

Charmaine Bingwa

Donald Watkins

Backwards Man

Nyah Marie Johnson

Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour

Screenwriter

Stephen Herman

John H. Brister

Executive Producer

Aaron Bergman

Marci Wiseman

Jeremy Gold

Mynette Louie

Hilda Mercado

Cinematographer

Glenn Garland

Film Editing

Brandon Roberts

Original Music

Ryan Martin Dwyer

Production Design

Nealy Orillion

Art Director

Elizabeth Humphrey

Set Decoration

Eulyn Colette Hufkie

Costume Design

John McAlary

News & Interviews for Black Box

Indie Fresh List: The Wolf of Snow Hollow , The Forty-Year-Old Version , and More

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Sony’s $100 million sequel Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is looking at a $45 million opening at the domestic box office this week, give or take. The previous installment, Ghostbusters: Afterlife — released during the pandemic in 2021, directed by Jason Reitman and produced by the late Ghostbusters filmmaker Ivan Reitman — opened to $44M and legged out to $129M domestic.

Through four movies, the Ghostbusters franchise box office stands at $945.2M; the fifth title easily will put the brand past the $1 billion mark globally, if not this weekend then shortly thereafter .

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Overseas, Frozen Empire is going in 25 markets this weekend representing about 55% of international. Top markets are the UK, Mexico, Australia, Spain and Germany.

Ghostbusters: Afterlife was a reboot set on reinvigorating the comedy series with his die-hard male fans after Sony made an all-female comedy in 2016 with Kate McKinnon, Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig and Leslie Jones. That opened to $46M and actually finaled at $128.3M domestic. Despite those good numbers, that Ghostbusters wasn’t well received by the fans, with a B+ CinemaScore.

The Reitman reboot — which co-stars original cast members Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Ernie Hudson — was promptly hailed by exhibition who watched it at August CinemaCon 2021 as being a throwback to the warm, fuzzy Spielberg kid sci-fi and fantasy movies of the 1980s. Afterlife received an A- CinemaScore and a Rotten Tomotoes critics grade of 64% fresh — the third-best RT critics grade in the franchise. No RT reviews yet for Frozen Empire.

Ghostbusters is always a domestic driven property, read Afterlife made 67% of its $204.3M global here in U.S. and Canada. The 2016 version did 56% of its $229.1M worldwide box office here in the states. In addition, Ghostbusters is typically an older guy skewing property. 60% dudes showed up for Afterlife with 72% over 25 and 47% over 35. Expect something similar, though Sony is also going after families with teens and older kids. Men first choice is hot with those over 25, followed by women over 25. First choice for the sequel is substantially higher on tracking than Afterlife, which makes sense given Covid’s impact on the numbers at the time; Afterlife arriving in theaters 8 1/2 months after cinemas reopened in major markets like LA, NYC and San Francisco.

And Sydney Sweeney isn’t bringing back the romcom this weekend, but rather scary nun movies with Immaculate from NEON. The pic made its world premiere at SXSW and the reviews for the Michael Mohan directed and written title aren’t shabby at 70% fresh on RT. Sweeney also produces. Despite showing similar definite interest among both men and women to New Regency/20th Century Studios’ Barbarian ($10.5M opening), Immaculate is looking at a low-single-digit start at roughly 2,354 theaters.

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