Inside Man poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, Jodie Foster, Christopher Plummer, Willem Dafoe ... see more see more... , Chiwetel Ejiofor , Kim Director , David Brown , Ken Garito , Ken Leung , Peter Gerety , Carlos Andrés Gómez

The volatile showdown between a determined cop and a perfectionist bank robber is sent spiraling toward disaster when a scheming power broker steps in to take control of the situation in this hair-rai... read more read more...sing heist flick directed by Spike Lee and starring Denzel Washington, Clive Owen, and Jodie Foster. Dalton Russell (Owen) is a bank robber with a difference. In his quest to execute the perfect heist, Dalton has taken every possible factor into consideration. Dalton's uncanny ability of staying one step ahead of the law thwarts even-tempered Detective Keith Frazier's (Washington) best efforts. But there's another factor at play. The bank president (Christopher Plummer) has requested the services of high-profile negotiator Madeline White (Foster). Despite her commendable track record, Madeline is something of a wild card, and before the day is over, this bank robbery will go down in history as one of the most elaborate heists ever executed. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Flixster Users

81% liked it

319,552 ratings

Critics

86% liked it

196 critics

R, 2 hr. 9 min.

Directed by: Spike Lee

Release Date: March 24, 2006

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: August 8, 2006

Get It:

Stats: 20,125 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Willem Dafoe at the Premiere of Inside Man. Denzel Washington & Director Spike Lee (2006) Inside Man Inside Man Inside Man Inside Man Ashlie Atkinson Jodie Foster Inside Man Inside Man Inside Man Inside Man Inside Man Inside Man Inside Man Inside Man Inside Man Inside Man
Upload a Photo | View All Inside Man Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (20,125)

  • fb1463751009
    March 10, 2012
    fb1463751009
    I understand that I am alone in this, but I still stand by my opinion. I was not engaged in this heist thriller. Did not enjoy the score. Loved the cinematography and the acting, but the plot failed to impress and draw me in.
  • fb1664868775
    October 30, 2011
    fb1664868775
    A new area for Lee, this exciting thriller features great performances but also Lee is still able to inject his usual social commentary subliminally, this is Spike Lee's late masterpiece.
  • fb100001048934982
    June 23, 2011
    fb100001048934982
    Spike Lee's 'Inside Man' is a pulse-pounding ride that has plenty of entertainment value. This script is top-notch, and Lee really uses it to his advantage to flesh out everything the story has to offer. Performances from Owen and Washington will keep you entranced the entire fil... read morem, but Foster was laughable. I could not take her character seriously, and its sometimes hard to watch. Plummer did nice as a rather small but important character. The cinematography was fine as well. Crisp editing made it easy to distinguish between the crime and the interviews, scenes of the movie that were very well done. Also, the best and most interesting villains are the ones that are smart, crafty, and acted very well. Think of the 'Dark Knight's Joker, for example. And Owen played that part perfectly. A great script is vital for great entertainment, and there is plenty of that here.
  • DreamExtractor
    April 29, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Spike Lee hasn't had a hit in a long time, here he brings us back the magic. The acting is good in this movie but Clive Owen steals the show. The plot is genius and not just a hostage movie, but something much more. The music was really good but sometimes it was a little weird... read more. I lived Inside Man.
  • fb619846742
    April 5, 2011
    fb619846742
    An energetic, fast-paced bank heist thriller concerning a cop (Denzel Washington) looking to free himself of a "dirty" label that has been attached to his name, who is put on the case of a bank robbery, where the robbers (led by Clive Owen) demands or motives remain largely in th... read moree dark. The scenes between Washington and Owen alone merit it a view, but Lee's stylistic choices work wonders for the most part. Yes, it gets a little to preachy and there's the obligatory racial take on New York City, but this is mostly terrific stuff. Not Lee's best film, but certainly an impressive entry into his filmography.
  • crunchbunch
    February 20, 2011
    crunchbunch
    Smart and clean, the Inside Man is probably the most engaging Bank Robbery flick out there and will leave you hard at work to figure out what is actually going on throughout, its really that good.

    The pairing of Denzel Washington and Clive Owen as the good guy / bad guy combo wo... read morerks brilliantly as our loyalties never quite fall on either side fully and herein lies the genius of this film. Even at the end you aren't really sure of the integrity of either character but still end up liking both in their own way.

    The whole film will keep you guessing until the very end and is so creative, it may even give you an idea or two as to how to rob a bank!

    "Who ever heard of a bank robbers escaping on a plane with fifty hostages? Why? I don't know. "
  • sanjurosamurai
    January 15, 2011
    sanjurosamurai
    clive owen and denzel together, they should do this more often
  • danperry17
    September 5, 2010
    danperry17
    This wasn't as good as people had told me it was (maybe because I watched it on TV, with commercials?), but it was still a fine action movie. Lee makes some interesting visual choices and as a whole the cast is good - surprisingly, I found the only underwhelming performance came ... read morefrom one of my favourites, Jodie Foster. She just seemed kind of flat.

    Plot-wise, there are some unconventional twists, and you are still guessing until the end. Bummer that the sequel's not happening after all, the ending is open to it. As worth watching as any other Denzel Washington movie: very.
  • TheDudeLebowski65
    September 2, 2010
    TheDudeLebowski65
    I usually hate Spike Lee films. I find his films preachy and sentimental, and personally, I have little respect for the guy. I find him arrogant, rude, obnoxious. And if you hate his films, you're automatically a racist. Well I've hate a lot of his work. Do The Right Thing, I fou... read morend it preached a conflicting message of rights. I thought that film was very hypocritical. Anyways, I'm not writing a review for that film just yet. Inside Man is a drastic departure for Lee as it is a heist film, not a civil rights films. Which I thought was a bit weird. But this was a surprise. A good little heist film, but not the best, this film feels like it's been done before. Done before, and done better. The cast assembled here is well chosen.
  • 76Majikat
    August 1, 2010
    76Majikat
    Certainly one of the most creative bank robbery style films out there and in my opinion Owen's best role to date. A cleverly plotted robbery and enjoyable interaction between Robber and Detective (Owen and Washington).

    Definitely a recommendation.

View All Inside Man Reviews

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones
April 29, 2008
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

[A] wily thriller, which revitalizes a familiar premise by turning it inside out. Full Review

David Ansen
November 1, 2007
David Ansen, Newsweek

As unexpected as some of its plot twists is the fact that this unapologetic genre movie was directed by Spike Lee, who has never sold himself as Mr. Entertainment. But here it is, a Spike Lee joint th... Full Review

Andrew Sarris
April 5, 2006
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

I gloried in the sheer spectacle of Jodie Foster as Madeline White, an exquisitely groomed, fearlessly feline fixer striding on her high heels and her high horse into one supposedly perilous situation... Full Review

Richard Roeper
March 28, 2006
Richard Roeper, Ebert & Roeper

It's very satisfying. Full Review

Rick Groen
March 24, 2006
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Even past the midway point, it's all working -- it's taut, it's funny, it's trenchant, it's stylish. And then it isn't. Full Review

Ruthe Stein
March 24, 2006
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle

Inside Man has an abundance of riches. Full Review

Geoff Pevere
March 24, 2006
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

Inside Man is an exercise in showy, cynical hollowness. Full Review

Claudia Puig
March 24, 2006
Claudia Puig, USA Today

Exceptionally well written with clever twists and witty dialogue by first-time screenwriter Russell Gewirtz, Inside Man is adroitly executed by director Spike Lee. Full Review

Steven Rea
March 24, 2006
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Intercutting post-robbery interrogation scenes with the action at hand, makes Inside Man a substantial and satisfying affair.

Roger Moore
March 24, 2006
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

It's a leisurely stroll through the caper genre, with twists aplenty. Full Review

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • Ocean's Eleven
    Ocean's Eleven (68%)
  • The Bank Job
    The Bank Job (96%)
  • The Thomas Crown Affair
    The Thomas Crown Affair (97%)
  • Quick Change
    Quick Change (40%)

More Movies like Inside Man

Facts

Submit a Fact | View All
    • Dalton Russell: Fact is, all lies, all evil deeds, they stink. You can cover them up for a while, but they don't go away.
    • Dalton Russell: My name is Dalton Russell. Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself. I've told you my name: that's the Who. The Where could most readily be described as a prison cell. But there's a vast difference between being stuck in a tiny cell and being in prison. The What is easy: recently I planned and set in motion events to execute the perfect bank robbery. That's also the When. As for the Why: beyond the obvious financial motivation, it's exceedingly simple... because I can. Which leaves us only with the How; and therein, as the Bard would tell us, lies the rub.
Submit a Fact | View All

Inside Man : Watch Free on TV

Inside Man Trivia

  • Which actor got closer to Julia Roberts, was derailed with Jennifer Aniston, and was an inside man fooling Jodie Foster?   Answer »
  • who was the ringleader of the bank robbery in the Inside man?  Answer »
  • Which actress has starred in all of the following films? Taxi Driver Contact Inside Man The Accused  Answer »
  • which actor plays the Bank Robber in the movie "The Inside Man"  Answer »
More Inside Man Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

Upload a Video |

All Inside Man Videos

Meet Other Fans

Add Inside Man to favorites

Recent News

Submit a Story |

View Inside Man News

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?