The Jacket

Name: The Jacket
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy, Horror
Released: March 4, 2005
Duration: 103 min
Rating: 44
Cast: Adrien Brody, Daniel Craig, Keira Knightley

2005

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 219 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 219 Ratings

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The Jacket

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Independent Pictures (WIP) | Release Date: March 4, 2005 | R

Starring: Adrien Brody, Daniel Craig, Keira Knightley

Summary: This mind-bending drama melds elements of a thriller, romance, murder mystery and time-travel fantasy. (Warner Independent Pictures)

Director: John Maybury

Genre(s): Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller, Fantasy, Horror

Rating: R

Runtime: 103 min

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Critic Reviews

Dallas Observer Luke Y. Thompson

The first great film of 2005. Read full review

James Berardinelli

This movie probably falls within the purview of a "love it/hate it" subgenre of the psychological thriller. Read full review

Chuck Wilson

The director's work is suitably unnerving, but leaves one feeling beaten senseless by reel two. When the hero's well-earned moment of clarity finally arrives, most will likely be too numbed out to care, despite the best efforts of Brody, an actor too vividly alive to be wasting his time playing dead. Read full review

Ty Burr

The acting makes the difference, and in Jacket it rises above the needs of the material. Read full review

Carrie Rickey

The Jacket is both a genre movie and a symptom, a gothic treatment of Gulf War syndrome. Read full review

Dana Stevens

This movie is terribly silly, but it's not completely terrible. Read full review

Ann Hornaday

In this case, the adage would go something like "material, material, material," also known as the Nicolas Cage Rule: Good acting can't overcome bad taste. Read full review

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User Reviews

AdamM.

Mar 30, 2007

A surprisingly intelligent and well-executed film!

2 of 2 users found this helpful

martin

Oct 16, 2005

I was just amazed at the low rating - this film is stunning - edgy, emotive and clever - some fo the best elements of one flew over the cuckoos nest and the butterfly effect. great performances, a must see.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

eva3si0n

Feb 12, 2023

The Jacket film that exceeds expectations. When you start watching, you expect to see a regular drama with a good cast. And you get one of the best films using a time loop as the main plot element. And after all, the plot is simple, not overloaded with anything. But how well Adrien BrodyThe Jacket film that exceeds expectations. When you start watching, you expect to see a regular drama with a good cast. And you get one of the best films using a time loop as the main plot element. And after all, the plot is simple, not overloaded with anything. But how well Adrien Brody played his role. You really believe his feelings. Perhaps The Jacket impresses the viewer, because he speaks in simple language and is understandable to everyone. A great film, very surprised that he recognized him only now. The Jacket can be recommended for everyone to watch, it's both great drama and a good thriller. Everyone will find their own in it… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DawdlingPoet

Nov 22, 2021

I like Brody as an actor and he gives a pretty heartfelt performance in this role - his eyes are quite expressive but he is also very good at seeming devoid of emotion as well, if this makes any sense. The story is really quite confusing, it unwinds pretty slowly and as we start to learnI like Brody as an actor and he gives a pretty heartfelt performance in this role - his eyes are quite expressive but he is also very good at seeming devoid of emotion as well, if this makes any sense. The story is really quite confusing, it unwinds pretty slowly and as we start to learn whats going on, it seems to make less and less sense, yet we become more wrapped in Jacks world, what happened in the past and what he appears to be learning about his future. Its quite upsetting when you find out what happens, given that mistakes were clearly made and to think that such horrendous supposed 'treatments' may ever happen or have happened to people - to think of people, even or perhaps especially those who have mental health issues - if you didn't beforehand you'd be more likely to afterwards but then perhaps that was the point(?) its certainly disconcerting. I noticed that in the scenes where you see Jack shouting out from within the closed or locked drawer, it seems as if he's the only one 'locked away' at the time, yet there are many, many drawers - again adding to the claustrophobia I suppose!.

While it is a dark movie, at the end there is an element of hope present - in a way its kind of like movies such as the Butterfly Effect in that Jack just manages to tip people off so that good can come and tragedies may be avoided.

Its a rather confusing and definitely dark movie but it was nicely made and there is something about it that draws you in as a viewer. It was particularly interesting to see how the characters of Jack and Jackie (ironic? sounds like a good comedy double act but anywhooo) interacted, although I found it a bit unbelievable that it seemed at a certain point in the movie, Jackie had come to terms with who exactly Jack was and the two of them set out to find out more about Jacks death - the whole concept in this instance was a bit difficult to fully comprehend but then of course its mainly science fiction based, so feasibility shouldn't really come into it. I thought that Keira Knightly did a good job portraying Jackie, who starts off and is seen in some scenes as a rather naive and friendly young girl and becomes a rather kind yet quite headstrong and somewhat untrusting young woman. The cast certainly make quite a big difference, with the wrong actors present this movie would be alot worse.

In this movie, I think it questions how people 'see' war veterans, with Jack having served in the gulf war, being near fatally attacked (in a rather shocking scene at the start of the movie), with him being sentenced to the mental health facility later on in the court scenes presumably the jurors presumed him to be suffering from some form of PTSD or more applicable I suppose would be Gulf War sydnrome (I think thats what its called?). When I think of it, its a bit unclear what the real truth is, as the movie unfolds I feel we're shown that Jack is as sane as the rest of us yet the start of the movie stills confuses me that he claims via narration that his injuries in action marked the time he died for the first time(?) I suppose with it being a head injury he very well could have been dead for a few moments on the operating table as happens but, eh, I just found it a bit confusing, or is it really science fiction and somehow he was brought back to life(?). I suppose I was a bit distracted with other things on my mind last night but I can honestly say that this is a movie you have to concentrate on to follow, it is clearly quite layered, I think thats the best term to use.

As much as this is a confusing and dark movie which im sure won't appeal to many people, indeed quite a few people will read this review and think that their glad they hadn't seen it, there are one or two scenes that could be quite disturbing to some people and the subject matter may be uncomfortable as far as treatment of war veterans are concerned, I still feel that overall its a well made movie that is rather thought provoking, in terms of the treatment of people sent to such mental health facilities. Its quite engrossing somehow and the cast portray their characters well, so I would recommend it to those who would be curious to see it but I don't feel that its for everyone, so I suppose I'd have to go with undecided as far as recommendation goes.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

vusal_iskandar

Mar 17, 2020

a girl who I crush on her recommended this film to watch. So do I. It was surprisingly okay. I didn`t understand where it was going on till nearly half of it. But after 2nd jacket time, the film went crazy. Full of fantasy and drama. Some little action, little change can change thea girl who I crush on her recommended this film to watch. So do I. It was surprisingly okay. I didn`t understand where it was going on till nearly half of it. But after 2nd jacket time, the film went crazy. Full of fantasy and drama. Some little action, little change can change the everything in our live - key point I got from it. The best thing in film was acting, especially Adrien Brody, Keira Knightley (her fav actress), apart from story (though it is fantasy)… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

FrankO.

Jan 10, 2006

Innovative flick with outstanding cast but felt like I have seen this plot before.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Nathan

Feb 4, 2006

This movie sucked! Keira Knightley's acting and accent was the worst part. It's one of the worst movies that I've seen in my life.

0 of 3 users found this helpful

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