RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / Upcoming / The Machinist
The Machinist

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

The Machinist (2004)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
75 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:131

Fresh:98

Rotten:33

Average Rating:6.6/10

Consensus: A suspenseful low-budget thriller where Christian Bale completely inhabits his role.

Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins

Genre: Dramas

US Box Office: $939,471

Synopsis: Christian Bale delivers one of cinema's most sacrificial performances in Brad Anderson's mesmerizing thriller. Written by Scott Kosar (2003's THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE), THE MACHINIST takes place... Christian Bale delivers one of cinema's most sacrificial performances in Brad Anderson's mesmerizing thriller. Written by Scott Kosar (2003's THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE), THE MACHINIST takes place in a bleak and nondescript American city, where Trevor Reznick (Bale) is quite literally withering away to nothing. During the day Trevor works in a colorless industrial factory, while at night he seeks refuge in the bed of a tender prostitute, Stevie (Jennifer Jason Leigh). For reasons unknown even to Trevor, he hasn't been able to sleep for an entire year. In the process, he has shed over sixty pounds, making him look like a walking skeleton. After an accident at the factory costs Trevor his job, he finds himself tracking a mysterious figure that may or may not, in fact, provide some answers to his confusion. Meanwhile, he begins to connect with a pretty airport waitress, Marie (Aitana Sanchez-Gijon), who shows Trevor some much-needed sympathy. By the time the film builds to its revelatory conclusion, it becomes quite clear just what has been tormenting Trevor all along. Anderson and Kosar's vision is brought to spectacular life by cinematographer Xavi Gimenez and composer Roque Banos, whose haunting atmospherics recall the best work of Alfred Hitchcock. And then, of course, there is Bale, whose performance is as terrifying, brave, and devastating as the screen has ever seen. [More]

Starring: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, Michael Ironside

Starring: Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sanchez-Gijon, Michael Ironside, John Sharian

Director: Brad Anderson

Director: Brad Anderson
Screenwriter: Scott Kosar
Producer: Julio Fernandez
Composer: Roque Banos
Studio: Paramount Classics

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Exclusive Clip: The Machinist
    >
1 of 1

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for The Machinist

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

There's no avoiding getting overwhelmingly hooked on this character, and ready to follow him into whatever nightmare realm.

Full Review Source: WBAI Web Radio | comment Comment
11/01/04
Prairie Miller
Prairie Miller
WBAI Web Radio

Don't know about you, but I'm going out for some prime rib, a pitcher of beer and some kind of whipped cream desert. And, Mr. Bale, you're invited to join me!

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
11/01/04
Jules Brenner
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
10/30/04
Boston Phoenix

It's more of an idea, like the premise for a Twilight Zone episode or the skeleton of a 20-minute short film awkwardly stretched to feature length.

Full Review Source: Premiere Magazine | comment Comment
10/30/04
Peter Debruge
Peter Debruge
Premiere Magazine

Anderson and Bale build something that only sounds like a chore: a character study as its own prison

Full Review Source: Filmcritic.com | comment Comment
10/29/04
Jesse Hassenger
Jesse Hassenger
Filmcritic.com

Give Anderson credit for at least sustaining a mood.

Full Review Source: USA Today | comment Comment
10/29/04
Mike Clark
Mike Clark
USA Today
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The movie is ingeniously designed. It is also repulsive and I wish I hadn't seen it.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Daily News | comment Comment
10/29/04
Gary Thompson
Gary Thompson
Philadelphia Daily News

A stylish but fatally shallow puzzler that suggests a Twilight Zone episode filmed on the leftover sets of Seven.

Full Review Source: Boston Globe | comment Comment
10/29/04
Ty Burr
Ty Burr
Boston Globe

Psychological suspense at its finest.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
10/29/04
Michael O'Sullivan
Michael O'Sullivan
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Not the most entertaining thriller you'll sidle up to, but its relentlessly grim tale has that timeless car crash quality.

Full Review Source: Boston Herald | comment Comment
10/29/04
Paul Sherman
Paul Sherman
Boston Herald

There is more to Bale's performance than the stick figure physique. Trevor is a man literally being consumed with angst, eyes hollow, posture stooped and mouth agape.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
10/28/04
Lisa Rose
Lisa Rose
Newark Star-Ledger

Elegant and shatteringly creepy.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
10/28/04
Carrie Rickey
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer

[A] powerful evocation of guilt, anxiety, and incipient insanity...

Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher | comment Comment
10/28/04
MaryAnn Johanson
MaryAnn Johanson
Flick Filosopher

Next year, everyone will know him as Batman, but this year Christian Bale wants us to know he can act. Mission accomplished.

Full Review Source: WaffleMovies.com | comment Comment
10/28/04
Willie Waffle
Willie Waffle
WaffleMovies.com

Stylishly grim and nervously intriguing for most of its running length, but concludes with an underwhelming, derivative whimper.

Full Review Source: DustinPutman.com | comment Comment
10/28/04
Dustin Putman
Dustin Putman
DustinPutman.com

It is tortured and it’s consistently fascinating.

Full Review Source: Ebert & Roeper | comment Comment
10/26/04
Richard Roeper
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Christian Bale delivers an expert performance...

Full Review Source: Talking Pictures (U.S.) | comment Comment
10/24/04
Tony Toscano
Tony Toscano
Talking Pictures (U.S.)

Imagine if the twist in The Sixth Sense had turned out to be something as depressingly ordinary as, say, Bruce Willis’ character never having been a licensed psychologist.

Full Review Source: FilmStew.com | comment Comment
10/23/04
Brett Buckalew
Brett Buckalew
FilmStew.com

Bale is skeletal, magnetic, mesmerizing in this adult horror tale.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
10/22/04
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

The film's persuasively doom-haunted atmosphere and star Christian Bale's astonishing transformation into an emaciated walking skeleton are hypnotic, in a roadkill, rubbernecking sort of way.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
10/22/04
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide
 
 
81 - 100 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | |< << 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 >> >|
all

Latest News for The Machinist

December 01, 2006: The Weekly Ketchup: A Third "Starship Troopers," Jack Black Collaborates With Michel Gondry, Tension Between Fox And Marvel Over "X-Men," And More!
In this week's Ketchup, the campy classic "Starship Troopers" may finally get a proper successor with Casper Van Dien returning for "Starship Troopers 3"... More...

October 19, 2006: Critical Consensus: "Flags" Flies High; "The Prestige" Is Magic; "Flicka" Is A Pretty Good Ride; "Marie Antoinette" Spared Critical Guillotine
This week at the movies, we've got a complex tale of heroism (Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers," starring Ryan Phillippe), a story of dueling magicians... More...

December 16, 2005: London Movie Critics Present Their '05 Nominations
Movie City News shares with us a press release from the London Film Critics Group in which their various nominations are announced. Keep in mind that the Brit crits use their... More...

November 01, 2005: New Distributor Makes a "Fragile" Purchase
You might not be familiar with the name "Bauer Martinez" just yet, but if you're a frequent moviegoer, you'll know it soon enough. Bauer Martinez Distribution is a... More...

See All

More Movies

Coming Soon in Australia
Tomatometer Percentage Movie Date

71% 71% Where the Wild Things Are 03/12
83% 83% Paranormal Activity 03/12
89% 89% Zombieland 03/12
77% 77% The Informant! 03/12
— The Strength of Water 03/12

What’s Hot On RT

Ban Them All!

Ban Them All!

10 Most Controversial Movies

Zombieland

Zombieland

Director Ruben Fleischer's favourites

New Avatar action

New Avatar action

Watch an exclusive chase clip from the film

Kids' Book Films

Kids' Book Films

We fly through 10 of the best

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
51
  • First Look (Sort Of) at New Nightmare's Freddy Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com
24
  • First Look at Shrek Forever After Source: USA Today
48
  • Woody Harrelson Will Battle Zombies in 3-D Source: Moviehole
26
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
34
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
128
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
181
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
92
  • Ban Them All! 10 Infamously Controversial Movies
77
  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more!
76
  • 5 Facts About The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
69
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
45
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer
22
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
17
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
16
  • Total Recall: Children's Book Adaptations
3
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
16
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
11
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
21
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
2
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
21
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • The Machinist at Rotten Tomatoes
  • The Machinist at IGN
  • The Machinist at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
Dressing Wonderland
Dressing Wonderland External Link

Tim Burton's costume designer talks to Movieline about her long collaboration with the filmmaker and Johnny Depp.

Wes Anderson on Fox
Wes Anderson on Fox External Link

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Win Glee DVDs
Win Glee DVDs External Link

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

Win tickets to Cold Souls
Win tickets to Cold Souls External Link

Double passes up for grabs to the new comedy starring Paul Giamatti.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Win Star Wars prizes External Link

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Win the entire 007 collection
Win the entire 007 collection External Link

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more External Link

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.