Reindeer Games

Name: Reindeer Games
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: February 25, 2000
Duration: 104 min
Rating: 37
Cast: Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron

2000

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Overwhelming dislike based on 150 Ratings

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1.6

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1.6	User Score Overwhelming dislike based on 150 Ratings

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Reindeer Games

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Movie Details & Credits

Dimension Home Video | Release Date: February 25, 2000 | R

Starring: Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron

Summary: The film enters the colorful and conniving world of lowlife criminals scheming to turn a straightened ex-con (Affleck) crooked again. (Dimension Films)

Director: John Frankenheimer

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 104 min

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Critic Reviews

Mick LaSalle

One of the smartest action thrillers to come along in the past few years. It's also one of the freshest. Read full review

Michael Wilmington

This new heist movie by the great thriller director John Frankenheimer flails around like its own dysfunctional gang of casino robbers. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

Displays no ambition to be anything more than a synthetic sense-jolt conveyor of the week. Read full review

David Edelstein

The picture is an empty parlor trick, but it's carried out with a master's concentration. Read full review

Susan Wloszczyna

As late Christmas presents go, Reindeer Games is best left unwrapped. Read full review

Film.com Gemma Files

About an hour after you've seen it, you'll already be fuzzy on just who was screwing who, and why Read full review

Diana Abu-Jaber

While you may like comedies and you make like thrillers, this film does neither of the above with any pizazz. Read full review

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User Reviews

NinaM.

Jun 16, 2006

Director's Cut- Huge improvement over the original. Adds alot more character development along with even more action.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

LoRevisor

Jan 28, 2015

Ótimo suspense de ação,creio que ao contrário do que Charlize Theron disse esse não é o pior filme dela e de fato não é um filme ruim do diretor John Frankenheimer infelizmente seu último filme.
História intrigante,com um desenvolvimento inteligente. Com sólidas atuações de BenÓtimo suspense de ação,creio que ao contrário do que Charlize Theron disse esse não é o pior filme dela e de fato não é um filme ruim do diretor John Frankenheimer infelizmente seu último filme.
História intrigante,com um desenvolvimento inteligente. Com sólidas atuações de Ben Affleck,Charlize Theron,Gary Sinise,Donal Logue,James Frain.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Spangle

Dec 19, 2016

Reindeer Games is an incredible disposable action flick with a silly and cliched plot. Fortunately, it is tremendously fun. Directed by John Frankenheimer, Reindeer Games has a largely silly plot with odd plot twists along the way that do not really seem to make sense. It is as if they areReindeer Games is an incredible disposable action flick with a silly and cliched plot. Fortunately, it is tremendously fun. Directed by John Frankenheimer, Reindeer Games has a largely silly plot with odd plot twists along the way that do not really seem to make sense. It is as if they are thrown in there at the very end just to make the film seem less predictable. While I was enjoying the movie up until the ending, this element really detracted from the final product.

Starring Ben Affleck, Gary Sinise, and Charlize Theron, Reindeer Games features solid acting performances that are largely hammed up a good bit. In particular, Sinise turns in a hammy and over-the-top performance as the villainous Gabriel Mercer. A kooky sort of criminal who is dead set on pulling off this robbery at all costs, Gabriel. He is the "brother" of Ashley Mercer (Theron), who assists him in roping in Nick Cassidy, a convict being let out of jail, into helping them knock off a casino Nick once worked for. However, unfortunately, Nick is killed and in his place, his cellmate Rudy Duncan (Affleck) pretends to be Nick. Tasked with helping Santa fly his sleigh, Rudy is forced to assist them in robbing the casino while also keeping up the ruse that he is Nick Cassidy. What ensues is an action-packed and a tense robbery, betrayals, and constant deception. Admittedly, Reindeer Games did not quite end up as I would have expected, so I cannot predictable. That said, in its action, the film is certainly quite cliche.

Fortunately, John Frankenheimer knows action and makes the film compelling. In particular, the robbery sequence is filled with twists and fun action set pieces. Throughout, Frankenheimer instills the scene with tension and keeps the audience guessing as to what will transpire next. Unfortunately what transpires next is a ludicrous conclusion. Yes, the rest of the film is absolutely nuts too. I admit. However, the ending is a step above and really seems incredibly contrived and convenient just to make the film longer and seem more twisty than it really was.

Other than this though, Reindeer Games does not really deserve its poor reputation. Is it good? Not by any means. Is it disposable? Again, yes. However, it is fun while it lasts and watching three very good actors in Affleck, Sinise, and Theron, have this much fun in a Frankenheimer film is worth a little over an hour and a half of your time. For action junkies, Reindeer Games should more than fit the bill with the last half hour feeling as though it were lifted straight out of a Michael Bay movie.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Nick96

Oct 14, 2019

Reindeer Games could have been a good film, but it is not. It is not even a serviceable one. With the possible exception of the talent involved, everything about this movie smacks of a B movie, the kind of film that, with a lesser cast, would have been shipped directly to Cinemax orReindeer Games could have been a good film, but it is not. It is not even a serviceable one. With the possible exception of the talent involved, everything about this movie smacks of a B movie, the kind of film that, with a lesser cast, would have been shipped directly to Cinemax or Showtime. Reindeer Games suffers from a poorly written screenplay that, coupled with static and uninspired direction, lends the production a cheap and cheesy feel. And the big "twist" at the end, which will undoubtedly become one of the film's prime selling hooks, comes from so far afield that it's impossible to logically predict. The real problem is the storyline these actors find themselves trapped in. Written by Scream 3 scribe Ehren Kruger, Reindeer Games is an inept blend of routine action sequences, howlingly bad dialogue, and standard thriller plot elements. There are far better movies in its category to even watch it for free.(Rent Mission Impossible instead).… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TheShadowRuins

Jan 5, 2021

Worst Christmas action movie. Thought it would be good as it is a Ben Affleck movie. But the worst, Reindeer Games is directed by John Frankenheimer, a legend who directed the original The Manchurian Candidate (the best political thrillers), Birdman of Alcatraz and just now saw Ronin, aWorst Christmas action movie. Thought it would be good as it is a Ben Affleck movie. But the worst, Reindeer Games is directed by John Frankenheimer, a legend who directed the original The Manchurian Candidate (the best political thrillers), Birdman of Alcatraz and just now saw Ronin, a movie which was the return of John Frankenheimer. A very decent cast, with Ben Affleck, Charlize Theron and Gary Sinise, it has sub-par acting and a bad plot. A lot of plot twist, won't recommend this. This movie was a critical and commercial failure, and a disappointing film from John Frankenheimer before his death.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DavidT_Williams

Mar 2, 2012

The little action that exists in Reindeer Games is let down by the nonsensical plot turns, the uninspired performances and unlikeable characters. The heist storyline has been done over one hundred times, every one better than this.

4 of 4 users found this helpful40

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