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George Clooney, Frances McDormand, John Malkovich, Tilda Swinton, Brad Pitt ... see more see more... , Richard Jenkins , Elizabeth Marvel , David Rasche , J.K. Simmons , Jeffrey DeMunn , Michael Countryman , Olek Krupa , Dermot Mulroney , Richard Poe , J.R. Horne , Kevin Sussman , Armand Schultz , Pun Bandhu , Hamilton Clancy , Karla Mosley

Joel and Ethan Coen's jet-black comedy Burn After Reading begins with CIA agent Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) losing his job. This prompts his long-suffering, unfaithful wife (Tilda Swinton) to consult... read more read more... a lawyer about divorcing him. Osborne decides to write a book about his exploits, but an early draft of his work ends up lost at a gym where it's found by the dim-witted Chad (Brad Pitt, and the plastic-surgery obsessed Linda (Frances McDormand). They decide to blackmail Osborne in order to help Linda pay for the numerous procedures she wants to undergo. Things grow even more complicated when Linda starts an affair with Harry (George Clooney), who also happens to be sleeping with Cox's wife. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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149,778 ratings

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78% liked it

223 critics

R, 1 hr. 36 min.

Directed by: Ethan Coen, Joel Coen

Release Date: August 27, 2008

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DVD Release Date: December 21, 2008

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Flixster Reviews (22,451)

  • fb1664868775
    March 25, 2012
    fb1664868775
    Burn After Reading proves that "No Country" was not just a fluke masterpiece and that the Coens have returned to the top of their game after a couple misfires in a row (Intolerable Cruelty & The Ladykillers). Features a wickedly hilarious script and amazing performances from the ... read moreentire cast.
  • fb1463751009
    March 9, 2012
    fb1463751009
    I love the Coen Brothers. This movie was outlandishly and wildly funny. It isn't the type of humor Hollywood is used to... it's a humor that plays throughout the entire movie. Note that this movie is definitely not for everyone for there are many that did not agree that this movi... read moree was funny, but for me, it was hilarious. You cannot doubt this cast either. George Clooney, John Malkovich, Brad Pitt, Frances McDormand and one cannot deny the incredible talent from the Coen Brothers. They directed this movie to a perfection. If I could try and find the type of humor that "Burn After Reading" is going for is the TV show "King of the Hill". Now I don't find this TV show hilariously funny, the humor plays out throughout the entire plotline, not from punch lines (though there are some punch lines). Note that this movie has some pretty dark humor. Other than that, relax and have a good time with this flick :)
  • theunknownhobo
    August 24, 2011
    theunknownhobo
    This movie confused the hell out of me and left me wondering why it was sold as a black comedy. Brad Pitt's performance is its one saving grace and Frances McDormand as always is brilliant. Surprising and attentive, I cannot say I did not enjoy it the first time but I was left wi... read moreth a bitter taste in my mouth and wondering where the laughs were to be found. Definitely a one hit wonder that I won't be watching again.
  • fb634552688
    July 10, 2011
    fb634552688
    Rather enjoyable, strange film. A good one nonetheless, but not the best from the Coen brothers
  • xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    June 14, 2011
    xXGiNoBiLiPRXx
    Intelligence is relative.

    Saw it one more time, Great movie! An Intelligent. Quirky, Surreal Delight. The Coen Brother's did it again with great Direction. This was a very wicked movie with great talented actors. The plot is just so very good and very funny. Brad Pitt made me la... read moreugh so much and all the characters are so very interesting. Love it!

    Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich) is a CIA analyst who is fired from his job at the agency ostensibly because of his drinking problem. He tells his wife he quit and wants to write a memoir about his life in the CIA. His wife, Katie Cox (Tilda Swinton), wants to divorce Osbourne and, at the counsel of her divorce lawyer, she copies many of his personal and financial files off his computer and onto a CD. Katie happens to be having an affair with US Marshall/Treasury agent Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney). The CD is found at Hardbodies, a workout gym. An employee of the gym, Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt) obtains the disc from the gym's custodian and believes that it contains classified government information. Along with his fellow employee Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand), they intend to use the disk to blackmail Osbourne - Linda needs the money to pay for cosmetic surgery. They call up Cox in the middle of the night, but he is not receptive. Frustrated in Cox' manner, Linda decides to take the information to the Russian embassy. At the embassy, she hands the disk over to the Russians, promising that she will give more information afterwards. Because Linda and Chad don't have any more information, they decide to break into Cox's house.

    Harry Pfarrer, while married to a children's book writer, is a playboy dating many women from the Internet. By chance he hooks up with Linda, also an Internet dater, and they begin seeing each other. Harry is proud to show off a homemade device he saw pictured in a "gentleman's magazine". Harry has also noticed someone seems to be following him as there is always a dark car close by.

    Meanwhile, Osbourne returns to his home only to find himself locked out because Katie changed the locks and transferred all the bank accounts in a final move in her secret divorce proceedings. He sleeps overnight in his sailboat.

    Chad stakes out the Cox's house and breaks in after Harry and Katie leave after a daytime tryst. Harry, returns after a jog, accidentally finds Chad in a closet, and suddenly shoots him in the face. Harry, thinking that Chad was a spy, disposes of the body. Days later, his paranoia increasing after murdering Chad, Harry leaves the Cox residence after a fight with Katie. On his way he manages to tackle the man who has been trailing him for some time. Harry finds out that the man is working for a law firm hired by his wife who, it is later revealed, also has been cheating on him.

    The next morning, Harry and Linda meet in a park. Linda mentions her friend Chad has been missing. When Harry realizes that Chad was the guy he shot at the Cox's, he becomes paranoid and flees in terror.

    LInda's manager at Hardbodies, Ted Treffon (Richard Jenkins), is sympathetic and agrees to help her get more info from the Cox house for the Russians.

    Osbourne, angry and drunk, breaks into his own house with a hatchet. There he finds Ted rifling through his computer. Osbourne shoots and wounds Ted, who stumbles out of the house. Osbourne grabs the hatchet and attacks Ted in broad daylight.

    At CIA headquarters, Osbournes former manager (David Rasche) and his Director (J.K. Simmons) try to sort out what happened: Chad is dead, Ted is dead, Osbourne is in a vegetative state and dying after being shot by an agent while attacking Ted, Harry has been arrested trying to board a flight to Venezuela (but the CIA Director suggests letting him go), and Linda has agreed to cooperate in exchange for the CIA financing her plastic surgery. The baffled CIA agents then decide that they have learned their lesson: to never repeat whatever it is that they did in this case; though they are still not clear what it is they did.
  • StarCrossedVoyager
    May 30, 2011
    StarCrossedVoyager
    With a brilliant cast and directors I expected this to be hilariously funny. It was slightly funny, especially the parts with Brad Pitt, especially the car scene where he first meets Cox. However I felt it was lacking something. It was good and interesting but left me with a feel... read moreing of WTF.
  • MrMarakai
    April 26, 2011
    MrMarakai
    Convoluted labyrinthine plots, sharp dialogue, eccentric characters and an exceptional ensemble of actors are what the Coen brothers are known for, and with this espionage comedy/thriller, they tick all these boxes once again.
    In Washington, D.C., the lives of several oddball ch... read morearacters cross paths when CIA analyst Osborne Cox (John Malkovich) quits over a drinking issue and his memoirs unexpectedly falls in to the hands of dumb health club employees Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) and Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), who decide to try a bit of blackmail to make a coin for themselves. Meanwhile, Cox's wife Katie (Tilda Swinton) is sleeping with horny treasury marshal Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney) who has a secret or two of his own.
    What more can you ask for, when the Coens amass a very impressive line-up of top notch actors and mix them up in a bit of espionage, extortion, illicit affairs, online dating and sex toys. They spoil us once again with their ear for side-splitting dialogue and wonderful actors to deliver it, not to mention the often zany, screwball antics of the well drawn characters. There were moments of pants-wetting hilarity in this, to rival some of the best of the Coens' work. The performances are so good from the entire cast that peoples opinions differ greatly as to who was their favourite.
    Malkovich is at his maniacal best; Swinton once again nails the cold-hearted bitch routine; McDormand is perfectly goofy and endearing; Pitt is hilarious as a naive camp dope and Clooney once again shows his range with exaggerated expressive features of vulnerability and paranoia. It's hard to pick a favourite but if I had to choose, it'd be the unsung and highly underrated Richard Jenkins. His performance is beautifully nuanced. His character is all about hiding his emotions and Jenkins' subtle expressions are heartbreaking yet hilarious. He's an actor that can do drama and comedy effortlessly and this is another of his consistently excellent deliveries.
    The only slight problem I had with the film, was the coherence. I loved every individual scene bit it somehow felt a little disjointed. However, this is a very small gripe from a highly entertaining experience.
    The Coens strike comedy gold again, and after the the near mishap of "The Ladykillers" it's good to know that they've still got their funny bone intact. Another strong argument for inventing an Oscar award for best ensemble.
  • aSpaceCowboy
    April 19, 2011
    aSpaceCowboy
    Shocking, hilarious and a great turn for the Coen brothers. A comedy with a very unusual and mysterious plot. It doesn't matter what was going on, it was just fun to sit through.



    Uh... can't say what the plot is. Not because it would ruin anything, but becaus... read moree it didn't make a lick of sense, and it didn't have to. The humor was just like the first time in front of a jack-in-the-box; winding the toy, not knowing what to expect and then... BHAM!; a total shock. The first several minutes are tiring and not too bright. It does pick up though. Ah! I wish I knew how to write a worthy review for this movie to show just how great it was, but it's really difficult.



    So... let's move on. George Clooney, ah yes. He is the movie... a big part in fact. His witty, bachelor charisma made me laugh and smile [not to give anything away, but he only gets funnier to watch when he becomes paranoid].



    Brad Pitt had a limited part, but every scene of his was top notch. He's a sweet, innocent, clueless gym trainer who has some queer incentive. from the trailer, no one can really see him as being gay [northing's wrong with homosexuality, I'm just trying to organize room for this review, is all], but how he acts in here was also... quite a shock. So much energy and emotion. I haven't seen this amount of effort from him since Fight Club. Which does bring me to his laugh, of course. His laugh was brief... and that's okay. It always bring a smile to my face when he delivers that subtle loony laugh of his. Can't wait to see him next in this December's The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.



    So... after alls the thought I put into my previous paragraphs, now it's time to see if I really can come up with an opinion on the plot. Okay, well I guess it's a mystery/thriller that involves a series of disclosed divorces i.e. - Osbourne (Malkovich) & Katie Cox (Swinton), but Katie's sleeping around with Harry (Clooney) whom is sleepy around with several woman, including Linda (McDormand), while his wife is unaware and out-of-town.



    AND: Osbourne gets laid-off from his job and decides to write a memoir. Katie kicks him out of the place and he's left to live on his boat. ALSO: Linda is self-conscience about her appearance and desperately wants it to change with a series of surgeries, only she can't afford them. Then a fellow employee of hers, Chad (Pitt), comes along with a disc of assorted documents about Osbourne Cox. So, they assist each other to blackmailing this man and getting a hefty money reward from him. One thing leads to another, letting people die, false hypothesis going underway, and having absolutely nothing to link any of this together. So... [I apologize for all the "So..."s] like I mentioned earlier, there's no plot, really. J.K. Simmons even said so himself, "Call me when... uh... when this makes sense".



    Oops! I left out J.K. Simmons. Yes, there were many others affiliated with Burn After Reading, but J.K. is a very important aspect in the humor department. Once the first act of "crime" is taken, the CIA takes it to the top with its Superior (Simmons) to sort it all out. J.K. and David Rasche, together, made two hysterical scenes that both were equally exciting to see. The conversations between the two were placed perfectly and was... uh... I'm speechless. They were perfect! There, that sums it up.



    Yahoo for the Coen brothers! I felt this was a major step up from No Country for Old Men. Most may disagree, but that movie had no effect on me. But this one was great! It may be because it was a completely different style then No Country for Old Men. If anyone is disappointment by the recent releases to the theater like Disaster Movie, College, so forth, then go and see Burn After Reading. It'll be worth it.
  • Deano78
    April 17, 2011
    Deano78
    Hmm a black comedy that wasn't that funny. A great cast line up but the story wanders a fair bit and doesn't really go anywhere. At the end I thought oh is that it? Could have been a lot better I thought, just a bit weird overall!
  • DreamExtractor
    April 10, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Burn After Reading became more and more interesting as it went along. The acting is hilarious, the face expressions on thesexguys were classic. The plot was the strong point, being a story line from beginning to end. The comedy, is it hilarious, no, but is it funny, yes. That... read mores the point of a dark comedy, they're not supposed to be hilarious. This movie was great, and I think its a underrated comedy from the Coens like Intolerable Cruelty.

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Critic Reviews

Ben Mankiewicz
November 7, 2008
Ben Mankiewicz, At the Movies

These are functioning morons, they walk and work among us. And they are brilliant and funny and in spite of the screwball-comedy nature of the story, they are completely believable. Full Review

Ben Lyons
November 7, 2008
Ben Lyons, At the Movies

, Frances McDormand might get nominated for an Academy Award in a supporting role. She was great. Full Review

Christopher Orr
September 16, 2008
Christopher Orr, New Republic

For fans of the Coens... it suggests, especially on the heels of No Country for Old Men, that they have rediscovered their cinematic vision after several lean years. Full Review

Michael Phillips
September 12, 2008
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune

On screen, delusional schmoes are more fun than smart people, and in the latest film from Joel and Ethan Coen, the imperious former spook played by John Malkovich accuses his blackmailers...of heading... Full Review

Peter Rainer
September 12, 2008
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

Burn After Reading is a piffle, but it's a savagely amusing one. Full Review

J. R. Jones
September 12, 2008
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

After the portentous No Country for Old Men, Joel and Ethan Coen return to their trademark brand of cruel, misanthropic farce, and for dark laughs and hurtling narrative momentum this spy caper is the... Full Review

Joe Morgenstern
September 12, 2008
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

Burn After Reading could just as well have been called Forget After Seeing. Full Review

Claudia Puig
September 12, 2008
Claudia Puig, USA Today

The brisk pace and sharp humor in Burn After Reading is a welcome relief after weeks of witless comedies and overblown action flicks. Full Review

Peter Howell
September 12, 2008
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

None of it makes strict sense, which is why it's called screwball, but in its own crazy way Burn After Reading nails the essential folly of humans pretending to be civilized. Full Review

Walter V. Addiego
September 12, 2008
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle

In the end, the movie doesn't add up to much, but it's fast and funny and lets a bunch of top-drawer actors exercise their comic muscles. Full Review

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    • Chad Feldheimer: Secure your shit.
    • Linda Litzke: Dribble? Dribble?
    • Linda Litzke: Organs?
    • Chad Feldheimer: You think that's a Schwinn?
    • Chad Feldheimer: Appearances can be... deceptive.
    • Chad Feldheimer: Osbourne Cox?
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Burn After Reading Trivia

  • The new Coen brother's film 'Burn After Reading' (2008) has both Joel and Ethan as co-directors and writers again.  Answer »
  • Who directed BURN AFTER READING (2008)?  Answer »
  • What movie stars George Clooney, Brad Pitt,Francis McDormand, Tilda Swinton, and John Malkovich?  Answer »
  • Who plays 'Linda' in Burn After reading'?  Answer »
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