Law Abiding Citizen

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Law Abiding Citizen

R

2009

1h 48m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

26%

Tomatometer

161 Reviews

75%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Clyde Shelton is an honorable family man, until the day his wife and daughter are murdered in a home invasion. He hopes for justice, but a rising prosecutor named Nick Rice cuts a deal with one of the killers in exchange for testimony. Ten years later, that man is found dead.

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Critics Consensus

Unnecessarily violent and unflinchingly absurd, Law Abiding Citizen is plagued by subpar acting and a story that defies reason.

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Keith Uhlich

Time Out

Jan 6, 2021

2/5

It's basically Saw with Gerard Butler as Jigsaw, which means he's as righteous of body as he is of mind.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Sep 12, 2017

B+

There were surprises, twists and turns and could get graphic at times, but overall the movie was fast-paced, well performed, and kept your attention until the very end.

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Giles Hardie

Sydney Morning Herald

Jan 30, 2010

4/5

For large portions of Law Abiding Citizen we're not sure who is going to be the winner here, nor who we want to be, and though it won't make for much of a date flick, as far as intelligent action flicks go, it gets two big burly thumbs up.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 13, 2025

1.5/4

A gruesome melodrama that, too afraid to tackle the issues it brings up, instead elects to transform into a ridiculous thriller about a psychopath terrorizing a city.

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Jeff Beck

The Blu Spot

Jul 9, 2025

3/5

What we end up with here is about two-thirds of a good film that's regrettably ruined by some poor writing in the third act.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Aug 30, 2023

2/4

Filled with equal parts bloody carnage and plot holes, this vigilante yarn, more concerned with explosions and bloodletting than voicing its potential social commentary, unravels into a disorganized tangle

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Nick B

@NickBtheHorrorOG 6 days ago

A decent crime thriller that's definitely dark at times. The ending was kinda stupid though.

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John H

@Holloway805 Sep 5, 2026

26 rating by RT???? what a joke. The whole premise of this movie is revenge. A powerful human emotion. Which one of us wouldn’t do what Butler did? 5 star movie. RT blew it on this one

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Dee H

@RT15327790 Sep 2, 2026

Wonderful movie 🍿 it had great plot and plans

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Tyson D

@Spudsprout Aug 30, 2026

(Overall Rating: 2.88/5) (OK) --- (Cinematography/Atmosphere: 3/5) It was ok for what it was for and there were a few cool effects, otherwise fairly average. --- (Storyline/Plot: 3/5) A fun revenge story that may have a few holes (pun intended) but if you take at face value is a good time. --- (Acting: 2.5/5) There was something about Butler's acting that threw me off. Foxx along with everyone else was just OK. --- (Character Quality: 2.5/5) Pretty cliche characters that could be much deeper but we just get the surface of. --- (Entertainment Value: 3.5/5) Moves at a good pace and is a fun watch if you like revenge stories. Has a few decent twists. --- (Expectations vs. Reality: 2.75/5) If you're looking for Oscar worthiness go elsewhere. If you want a fun little crime thriller this could suffice.

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Parker G

@pgrason1 Aug 21, 2026

I am absolutely shocked at the critic score for this film because it is genuinely so captivating the entire time! At the very first scene I was so hooked it is crazy and then the slow burn of every strategic choice was so surprising at every turn it kept me on my feet the entire time.

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Mickey B

@Mickerdoo Aug 21, 2026

Very well balanced. Makes you think about real justice. Has a twist thrown in. Just a guy doing the wrong things for the right reasons.

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F. Gary Gray

Director

Jamie Foxx

Nick Rice

Gerard Butler

Clyde Shelton

Colm Meaney

Det. Dunnigan

Bruce McGill

Jonas Cantrell

Leslie Bibb

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Law Abiding Citizen: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Clyde Shelton is an honorable family man, until the day his wife and daughter are murdered in a home invasion. He hopes for justice, but a rising prosecutor named Nick Rice cuts a deal with one of the killers in exchange for testimony. Ten years later, that man is found dead.

Director: F. Gary Gray
Producer: Lucas Foster, Gerard Butler, Alan Siegel, Mark Gill, Kurt Wimmer, Robert Katz
Screenwriter: Kurt Wimmer
Distributor: Overture Films
Production Co: Warp Films
Rating: R (Rape|Pervasive Language|Strong Bloody Brutal Violence|Torture)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 16, 2009, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 5, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $73.3M
Runtime: 1h 48m

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