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The Counselor

Play trailer Poster for The Counselor R 2013 1h 57m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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34% Tomatometer 217 Reviews 24% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
A Bentley-driving Texas lawyer (Michael Fassbender) appears to have it all, including a beautiful fiancée named Laura (Penélope Cruz) -- but his financial needs force him to become involved in an ill-advised drug deal. His partners in the venture include middleman Westray (Brad Pitt), shady nightclub owner Reiner (Javier Bardem) and Malkina (Cameron Diaz), Reiner's sociopathic lover. Unsurprisingly, the counselor's deal spirals out of control, placing both him and Laura in mortal danger.

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The Counselor

The Counselor

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Critics Consensus

The Counselor raises expectations with its talented cast and creative crew -- then subverts them with a wordy and clumsy suspense thriller that's mercilessly short on suspense or thrills.

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Critics Reviews

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Larushka Ivan-Zadeh metro.co.uk 09/06/2017
2/5
It's like watching a movie in another language. Go to Full Review Alissa Wilkinson Christianity Today 04/13/2016
2.5/4
[McCarthy] reminds us (with a particularly American sensibility) that this world is broken and tragic and not fair, and that pushing past that fact too fast is an error we can't afford to make, for the good of our souls. Go to Full Review Wesley Morris Grantland 12/10/2013
It's filthy, nasty, sexy, absurd, appalling, and exhilarating, and it succeeds as a musky union of novelist Cormac McCarthy's bleakness and Ridley Scott's sense of chic. Go to Full Review Mike Thorn In Review Online 10/10/2024
The Counselor shows Scott’s pessimism alongside his obsessions with visual design and environment... Go to Full Review JD Duran InSession Film 08/15/2024
D+
The movie tries to be outside the box but only lives in despair and lifeless blunder. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 08/22/2022
4/4
Just as he's done in many of his novels, McCarthy's first screenplay follows his stylized, almost mythically cynicism with unwavering detachment and insight. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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TheChefCesar Y @RT28640343 May 17 A waste of time movie , I was very surprised Brad Pitt accepted the role for this horrible movie . Usually he is in very good movies . I want my 1.57 hrs back . See more D. Evan S @RT61196511 Apr 5 I'm always surprised when I see RT's low rating for this movie. Perhaps a philosophical movie centered on a train wreck happening in slow motion eludes the common palate. I find the movie haunting, a cautionary tale of hubris, of arrogance, greed, lust - when reality exceeds one's delusions of self, of the unrelenting lack of pity the universe extracts from all those, who are even unknowingly, in the path of rapacious predators. See more Luke T @LightSyson Feb 17 Better than I was lead to believe by other reviews but felt like a whole season of story had been completely shredded. Also I think Cormac Mcarthy really struggles to make characters believable. Every person person speaks philosophically about life and death in EVERY SINGLE SCENE. Felt very inauthentic. It had a strong idea behind it regarding the actual uncaring brutality of the cartel, which I appreciated. Javier Bardem steals the show. See more gerald h @RottenGary Jan 13 widerlicher, dummer film, der wesentlich mehr vorgibt, als er ist. nur schein. See more Rupesh P @RT79453875 Oct 31 It's like studying meticulously for an exam and still drawing a total blank the next day, except Cameron Diaz. See more M B @Timbero Aug 22 Nasty unmemorable little movie, very disappointed Ridley Scott would make such a sick screenplay See more Read all reviews
The Counselor

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Cast & Crew

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Ridley Scott

Director

Michael Fassbender

Counselor

Penélope Cruz

Laura

Cameron Diaz

Malkina

Javier Bardem

Reiner

Brad Pitt

Westray

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The Counselor

The Counselor (2013) The Counselor (2013) The Counselor (2013) The Counselor (2013) The Counselor (2013) The Counselor (2013) (L-R) Cameron Diaz as Malkina and Penélope Cruz as Laura in "The Counselor." (L-R) Brad Pitt as Westray and Michael Fassbender as The Counselor in "The Counselor." Javier Bardem as Reiner and Cameron Diaz as Malkina in "The Counselor." (L-R) Michael Fassbender as The Counselor and Javier Bardem as Reiner in "The Counselor." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A Bentley-driving Texas lawyer (Michael Fassbender) appears to have it all, including a beautiful fiancée named Laura (Penélope Cruz) -- but his financial needs force him to become involved in an ill-advised drug deal. His partners in the venture include middleman Westray (Brad Pitt), shady nightclub owner Reiner (Javier Bardem) and Malkina (Cameron Diaz), Reiner's sociopathic lover. Unsurprisingly, the counselor's deal spirals out of control, placing both him and Laura in mortal danger.
Director
Ridley Scott
Producer
Ridley Scott, Nick Wechsler, Steve Schwartz, Paula Mae Schwartz
Screenwriter
Cormac McCarthy
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Scott Free Productions, Chockstone Pictures, Nick Wechsler
Rating
R (Language|Graphic Violence|Some Grisly Images|Strong Sexual Content)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 25, 2013, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 10, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$16.9M
Runtime
1h 57m
Sound Mix
Datasat, Dolby Stereo