The Broken poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

Asier Newman, Lena Headey, Melvil Poupaud, Michelle Duncan, Richard Jenkins

Lena Headey (TV's TERMINATOR: THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES) stars in this disturbing horror film as a woman who glimpses someone who looks just like her. In her search for answers, she comes to the sta... read more read more...rtling realization that her loved ones may be involved in this sinister mystery. THE BROKEN is directed by CASHBACK's Sean Ellis, and it also features Richard Jenkins (THE VISITOR) and Melvil Poupaud (BROKEN ENGLISH).

Flixster Users

61% want to see it

2,201 ratings

Critics

44% liked it

36 critics

R, 1 hr. 28 min.

Directed by: Sean Ellis

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: March 31, 2009

Get It:
report incorrect info

Photos

The Broken The Broken The Broken
Upload a Photo | View All The Broken Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (426)

  • binky013
    October 2, 2011
    binky013
    The Broken is a stunning metaphor for the depersonalization of a narcissistic society so mesmerized with self-image that it literally breaks through the self-absorbing mirrors --

    Sheez, who am I kidding. Freakin' ridiculous movie that I wasted my life energy on so you

    ... read morewon't have to. Can't believe I actually watched this all the way through.

    It got under my skin, all right -- like a flesh-eating virus.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    September 21, 2011
    FiLmCrAzY
    im not to sure i understand it really i love lena headey but this wasnt i good choice for her !!
    this movie i think misses the concept of a horror/thriller movie and does little to keep you watching.
    this movie isnt great i dont think the storyline was particurly good it wasnt ... read morewell explained and just didnt keep you entertained which is a shame because i love lena headey.
    its boring with some good killing scenes but its not enough to save the movie.
    unless you really REALLY like lena headey this movie just isnt worth a watch!
  • bbcfloridabound
    September 18, 2011
    bbcfloridabound
    Another 8 Films to Die for Movie from Series #, this is a twisted mine blowing movie, that has to be seen to beleive and figure out. Worth 4 stars.
  • deano
    October 26, 2010
    deano
    This is not bad as boredom, it's like 2008's Mirrors, and it's a mystery without a solution, a tense psychological drama that reveals nothing other than how tense and psychological it is. It plays mind games only with itself, leaving the audience to watch from the sideline... read mores in a bored, confused stupor.
  • briandeguelle
    July 19, 2009
    briandeguelle
    A well make thriller/horror with good performances and great direction with a intresting promise.Its is let down by what little gos on, there are sence of just pure boredom wondering if something is going to happen.And with the lack of any explanation in to won't really is going... read more on is a let down and will piss a lot of viewer off including me.The whole thing isn't all to orignal with hint of other movies like "invasion of the body snatchers and Mirriors" put to good mesurer.
    All in all ok movie well made lust needed more meat on its bones...
  • thefog1331
    May 8, 2009
    thefog1331
    Another film involving mirrors but unlike Aja's crapfest misfire this one is effectively creepy and a mature piece of work.
    Some will be put off by its refusal to give an explanation to the events and its ambiguous ending but I found it to fit quite well.
  • romy861
    April 21, 2009
    romy861
    No one I've ever heard of star in this dull horror. It does pick up in the last half hour, but it's pretty tedious going up to that point, and even then does not really go quite deep enough into an explanation, although you can figure out what was going on.
  • lewiskendell
    March 28, 2009
    lewiskendell
    I tend to be annoyed when film-makers feel the need to explain every detail of a movie to the audience. I'm not a moron, and I don't need my hand held to understand a story. But at the same time, movies need to have some semblance of a complete story in order to be satisfactory. ... read more

    The Broken is like a novel with many of the important plot points left out. Motivations are unexplained, and some scenes make little sense in the context of the overall story. I appreciated the slower pace and lack of annoying jump moments, but this story just didn't seem original enough to make up for its faults.

    The Broken is the most psychological of psychological horror movies. The thrills are few and far between, but at least it gives an opportunity or two for reflection or discussion after viewing. Just remember, this movie isn't for everyone.
  • moviewaffle
    June 22, 2009
    moviewaffle
    "The Broken" is a visually stylish but atmospherically flat British Body-snatchers rip-off. Lena Headey is completely wooden as a dcotor who sees a double of herself and uncovers a sinister plot. Richard Jenkins looks embarressed to be in this and it was a surprise to see him in ... read moresomething like this. The twist is predictably awful and it's really not worth waiting for. Watch the first two Bodysnatchers instead.
  • anastasia57001
    December 30, 2009
    anastasia57001
    There are three things going for "The Broken": 1) the inventive title which you have to be a language expert to get (it reads somewhat silly in Norwegian and Danish since the Ø in broken is a letter in the alphabet in these languages and sounds like the "u" in "burden". In additi... read moreon "brøken" is a Norwegian word meaning "the fraction"), 2) the creepy Edgar Allan Poe quote that opens the film ("You have conquered and I yield. Yet henceforward art thou also dead - dead to the World, to Heaven, and to Hope! In me didst thou exist - and, in my death, see by this image, which is thine own, how utterly thou hast murdered thyself") and 3) The "solution" of the riddle (without giving a spoiler, the way the case of "Situs Inversus" is used to explain the existence of the doubles).

    I have watched the film for 2 reasons, a) I liked "Cashback" and I thought Sean Ellis might be able to live up to the promise, and b) Lena Headey, whom I admire as an actress.

    But " The Broken" for me proved to be yet another reason not to watch horror flicks. Too many cliches: i.e. the protagonist when in deep trouble, never calls the police, she puts herself in unnecessary danger, she never manages to get real help, and when she contacts her family members, she doesn't give them enough info, either to help her or themselves, etc etc and all the rest of the stupid things a protagonist does when in a state of confusion; which is frankly, a thing too tiring to watch AGAIN. Also, the film is not very clear as to what the hell this story means for the rest of the world. There is not a real answer in the end- only the allusion of perpetual darkness.

    So, all the things that the film's got going for it, it just manages to outbalance with a heavy dose of "been there and done that". I think that the director ought to work more on his handful of smart ideas, to give us something that's not only hinting at something big, but it's big in itself.

    If you are a Lena Headey fan, you probably will want to see this, anyway. But if you are a viewer that wants their film fast and well paced, you are bound to be disappointed.

View All The Broken Reviews

Critic Reviews

Justin Chang
January 23, 2008
Justin Chang, Variety

A brooding, atmospheric exercise in upscale psychological horror. Full Review

R. L. Shaffer
January 16, 2011
R. L. Shaffer, IGN DVD

While the film might not work for fans of today's faster-paced horror/thrillers, The Broken is a creepy little pot boiler that's likely to get under the skin of many horror fans. Full Review

Anton Bitel
December 1, 2010
Anton Bitel, Little White Lies

The Brøken may offer a somewhat derivative resolution, but it gets there via an aptly fractured narrative, intertwining two radically different kinds of story type to disorienting effect. Full Review

Rich Cline
July 6, 2010
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

This rather nutty thriller begins to fall apart the more it tries to explain its premise, but it maintains a terrific sense of suspense right to the end Full Review

Brian Webster
May 13, 2009
Brian Webster, Apollo Guide

This film looks good, is capably acted and builds excellent atmosphere. And then it gets lost, and so do we. Full Review

Staci Layne Wilson
March 23, 2009
Staci Layne Wilson, Horror.com

I was on board with The Broken through the first three quarters, but the sucker punch of nothingness at the end soured me on the whole thing. Full Review

Edward Porter
February 5, 2009
Edward Porter, Sunday Times (UK)

A slick but unscary spine-chiller. Full Review

Philip French
February 5, 2009
Philip French, Observer [UK]

Occasionally scary, often laughably portentous, never explained. Full Review

Allan Hunter
February 5, 2009
Allan Hunter, Daily Express

An extremely stylish, emotionally aloof film that lacks a strong enough story to create a great horror yarn. Full Review

Neil Smith
January 30, 2009
Neil Smith, thelondonpaper

Part mystery, part horror, it keeps us wondering what the hell is going on, while the sombre lensing ups the air of menace. The silly finale undoes a lot of the fine work, though. 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.

  • Jacob's Ladder
    Jacob's Ladder (0%)

More Movies like The Broken

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

The Broken : Watch Free on TV

The Broken Trivia

  • what is the name of the broken tea cup in beauty and the beast?  Answer »
  • WHAT WAS THE MUCSIC VIDEO AT THE END OF HILLS HAVE EYES? [hint: The Finalist ]  Answer »
  • In "Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest" what was it that Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) was to get from Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp)?  Answer »
  • Captain Jack Sparrow drops the jar of dirt and it breaks. He runs to the broken jar and digs through the dirt and asks "where is it, where is the ___________?"  Answer »
More The Broken Trivia

Movie Quizzes

No quizzes for The Broken. Want to create one?

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add The Broken to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

JennifairyW Skin by JennifairyW
12 Profiles
Add to Profile

More Skins