The Town
Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: September 17, 2010
7.3
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 577 Ratings
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Negative:
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8
hamadcriticsOct 1, 2011
Overall a great movie. A little bit slow in the first half of the movie, other than that i would have gave it a 10. Great effects and i loved the realism. Some scene of this movie gave me chills down my back. From the masks, to flashOverall a great movie. A little bit slow in the first half of the movie, other than that i would have gave it a 10. Great effects and i loved the realism. Some scene of this movie gave me chills down my back. From the masks, to flash grenades. Also, Great special features. Definitely one to pick up!… Expand
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10
StevenFFeb 26, 2013
Ben Affleck leads and directs an excellent cast in what can only be described as the most intelligent and grounded heist movie in a long, long time.
We lead in with a few snippets about a square mile place in Boston called Charlestown, whichBen Affleck leads and directs an excellent cast in what can only be described as the most intelligent and grounded heist movie in a long, long time.
We lead in with a few snippets about a square mile place in Boston called Charlestown, which apparently is where the most professional of bank heist robbers come from, accounting for around 300 robberies in Boston each year. This isn't dramatisation...this is fact.
We then lead in with Doug McCrea (Affleck) and his associates robbing a bank, but in a very professional manner, they rid the place of DNA traces, they know who works there and they know when the time lock allows the safe to open, these boys have did their homework, and Affleck has certainly stayed up late in mastering witty and intelligent script to go along with this fantastic movie.
Jeremy Renner also stars in a very unique and vastly different role from the one he played in The Hurt Locker, sure, he still has the persona, but there is no mistake that his character of 'Jem' Coughlin is dangerous and very unpredictable.
Th opening heist sequence is smooth, slick and full of ideas to which the viewer can just sit and enjoy what is going on in front of them. This doesn't stop, as the mistake is made of taking a hostage, Claire (Rebecca Hall) who Doug soon starts a relationship with, thus complicating his friendship with the ever loose cannon of Coughlin, and the new investigation from the FBI, headed by agent Frawley (Jon Hamm).
Affleck has created the perfect balance of characters in that we don't know exactly how to feel towards them, should we forgive them for robbing banks or beating people up? Perhaps not, but of course is where the film shows depth, as Doug is looking at the long term future and has plans to get out of Boston, and its difficult in a film like this to draw the line as a viewer as to what is right and what is wrong, thus making this superbly acted and written., with excellent action and set pieces to go along with the crime caper.
Affleck delivers a fine performance as the conflicted leader Doug, but its his directing skills and co-writing that really shine through. Renner is arguably the best performance of the film, his consistent disregard for the rules and basic human life is sometimes worrying to the point of anxiety at the film as it unfolds, he shows signs of emotional depth around Doug, but apparently nobody else.
Rebecca Hall gives a sound performance as Claire, the kidnapped bank worker, her consistent questions regarding bank robberies to Doug are perhaps something to think about, but maybe not too much, with smaller roles for the late great Pete Postlethwaite and the ever expanding CV of Titus Weliiver, (seriously, this guy is in everything) this is perhaps one surprise thriller that is definitely worth seeing.… Expand
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9
tallmanwritingDec 27, 2011
Ben Affleck has made another exceptional crime movie, following up Gone Baby Gone with this gem that takes place in the town he loves so much -- Boston. Affleck directs and stars in this story about Charlestown, a Boston neighborhood whereBen Affleck has made another exceptional crime movie, following up Gone Baby Gone with this gem that takes place in the town he loves so much -- Boston. Affleck directs and stars in this story about Charlestown, a Boston neighborhood where bank robbin' runs in the family. Jeremy Renner is phenomenal. Affleck himself is very very good. I didn't expect to love this movie but I loved it.… Expand
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10
RonaldOVOXOFeb 3, 2012
Greatest thriller of all time. I thought this movie was going to be soo bad. But once i watched this movie with Deadlybrooke i thought this was the greatest movie of all time. I watch it from time to time and it gets better every time i watch it
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6
beingryanjudeSep 2, 2014
A meticulous look at bank robberies in Boston, specifically Charlestown, over the past several years. Boldly delivered performances--along with fine direction from Ben Affleck.
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7
dev92Aug 25, 2012
Ben Affleck is continually proving himself to be a very talented director. The story is perhaps just a little too slow for my liking but I really enjoyed the chemistry between him and Jeremy Renner. Everyone pulls their weight in thisBen Affleck is continually proving himself to be a very talented director. The story is perhaps just a little too slow for my liking but I really enjoyed the chemistry between him and Jeremy Renner. Everyone pulls their weight in this slow-burning, bank robbery thriller.… Expand
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7
Captain_KirkAug 25, 2012
While a decent heist thriller, 'The Town' sadly isn't much more than that. When the film is concentrated on anything besides the love story between Ben Affleck and Rebecca Hall, it's pretty interesting. Sadly, the love story is anything butWhile a decent heist thriller, 'The Town' sadly isn't much more than that. When the film is concentrated on anything besides the love story between Ben Affleck and Rebecca Hall, it's pretty interesting. Sadly, the love story is anything but interesting. Most will disagree, but I found the romance to be dull and lifeless. There's a 2 and half hour extended cut of the film that, to me, only makes matters worse by extending the romance. I wanted to like the film more and hopefully get past that main gripe, but I just couldn't. Jeremy Renner steals the show here, although I really did not find his performance to be great enough to be an Oscar contender. I think. As you can tell, I find 'The Town' to be over-rated, but that doesn't mean I didn't like it, it just means that I found nothing special about it. It's good for a single viewing, but I have no real reason to see it again. 7/10 for theatrical version, 6/10 for extended cut.… Expand
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8
cameronmorewoodNov 7, 2012
This is no Departed, but Affleck, in the second film he directed as well is very good. The Town is a well-paced thriller, and is highlighted by Jeremy Renner, who is extraordinary here.
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8
Compi24Nov 28, 2012
"The Town" proves once again that Ben Affleck not only knows how to work in front of the camera. It's taut, brilliant, and modestly optimistic.
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9
worleyjamersDec 8, 2012
So excellent! I would have loved to see this film grab the 10th Best Picture nominee slot last year...one of the best films of 2010. Ben Affleck has really turned into a great director.
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6
sanyrubApr 4, 2013
Ben Affleck has directed 3 great movies. But the last one, Argo, is definitely better. Not the most impressive ever or passionate or fun, but it´s flaw-less. This second one (The Town) is well executed, is interesting enough, but there wereBen Affleck has directed 3 great movies. But the last one, Argo, is definitely better. Not the most impressive ever or passionate or fun, but it´s flaw-less. This second one (The Town) is well executed, is interesting enough, but there were moments in the film when I thought it was going to be so great, but it never got there. I found the ending predictable, or at least like I´ve seen similar things in some other movies a while ago. Good film for a new director. But not one that will stick with you… Expand
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8
BradySmithOct 18, 2013
The Town is a very good thriller. It's nearly a great one, but falls just shy of that mark. It's extremely well acted, and I actually believe Affleck did a better job directing here than with Argo. A noticeable tension runs through theThe Town is a very good thriller. It's nearly a great one, but falls just shy of that mark. It's extremely well acted, and I actually believe Affleck did a better job directing here than with Argo. A noticeable tension runs through the film, mostly due to the realism of the whole thing. You really get the feeling that this is a lived in world and not just a studio's production. The love story dealing with Affleck's character and a hostage actually gives the movie more meaning instead of making it feel cheezy, which is a hard thing to do but it still slows down the pacing too much. The action scenes are done with vigor and energy, which is refreshing compared to other films' usually flat time fillers. Where the movie does fall kind of short is in its formulaic one last job scenario. The screenplay is actually extremely well written and full of fiery dialogue exchanges and desperate situations, but it's all set in a limited frame. I let Inception slide with its one last job cleche because it was so innovative in other areas and not affected or limited by that plot point at all. Despite these gripes The Town is still an exhilarating, engaging, and surprisingly atmospheric crime thriller which is definitely worth buying. It's too bad that it only got one Oscar nomination.… Expand
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8
BrianMcCriticJul 8, 2013
Ben Affleck shows he is a very talented director and does a strong job on screen as well. The robbery scenes look good and Jeremy Renner is good as well.
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9
Movie1997Apr 13, 2013
Before his academy award winning movie "Argo", Ben Affleck has created this intense crime thriller that proves that he's got what it takes to make a Bad-A** movie. It is tremendous in storytelling. Even though the love story portion is a bitBefore his academy award winning movie "Argo", Ben Affleck has created this intense crime thriller that proves that he's got what it takes to make a Bad-A** movie. It is tremendous in storytelling. Even though the love story portion is a bit strange, it still manages to work fantastically. Plus, it features a tremendous ensemble of actors such as Ben Affleck, John Hamm, Blake Lively, Rebecca Hall and of course, Jeremy Renner. They all really keep the story very well interesting and entertaining, especially Jeremy's portrayl of James Coughlin. It's also thrilling with the bank robbery scenes. God were they intense. Overall, it's a crime thrilling 21st century version of "Heat."… Expand
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10
jpwelsh101Dec 21, 2013
All i can say is wowwww!!!!! One of the best movies of the 21st century.. i gotta say this is in my top 10 favorite movies of all time.. ben affleck has found his calling as a supreme director... i love the authenticity of this movie actuallyAll i can say is wowwww!!!!! One of the best movies of the 21st century.. i gotta say this is in my top 10 favorite movies of all time.. ben affleck has found his calling as a supreme director... i love the authenticity of this movie actually taking real life people from the streets of Charlestown and putting them in movie.. the setup w fenway park and how they take down the cathedral of boston is simply amazing! Ben affleck not only directed a gem here but he also put up an oscar wwinning performance in my opinion.. especially w the way hisaccent was.. this is a great masterpiece and shouldnt be thought of anything less… Expand
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4
ypomoniJul 5, 2013
I know this film got great reviews, but it just didn't do it for me. It felt like I had seen this all before (and I have! In i.e. Heat). The characters were mostly unlikable to me, and the love story hard to believe. It's not a bad film, butI know this film got great reviews, but it just didn't do it for me. It felt like I had seen this all before (and I have! In i.e. Heat). The characters were mostly unlikable to me, and the love story hard to believe. It's not a bad film, but it's not one of my favourite heist movies and it's hardly original....… Expand
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9
MovieGuysSep 18, 2013
Riveting drama by Ben Affleck, falling only a hair short from perfection. The execution is done with a touch of sense and reality, and the style of filming and the way it jumps from scene to scene keeps your eyes glued to the screen.
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8
najlepszaNov 1, 2013
Much better than the overrated Ben Affleck's movie "Argo". Engrossing cliffhanger simply.
Great guises of robbers, I think nuns and skeletons are rocking :D
Blake Lively perfectly come in to her own with the bad woman role.
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8
heeldavidJun 5, 2014
The Town reminds me a lot about another film named Heat from 1995 starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Like Heat, The Town gives a message, that message is that heist movies are not only about explosions and guns. The Town has very niceThe Town reminds me a lot about another film named Heat from 1995 starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino. Like Heat, The Town gives a message, that message is that heist movies are not only about explosions and guns. The Town has very nice dialogue and camera work. Great performances from Affleck, Renner, Hamm and Hall… Expand
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7
Meth-dudeDec 25, 2014
This movie is really well structured and the acting is really good.Jeremy Renner was probably the best of them.The story is original and the robberies are exciting.Unfortunately there is not enough action and there is too much slow moments inThis movie is really well structured and the acting is really good.Jeremy Renner was probably the best of them.The story is original and the robberies are exciting.Unfortunately there is not enough action and there is too much slow moments in the movie.… Expand
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7
edpoopstuffJul 12, 2015
Ben Affleck did a great job on this and think he even brought his career back up from this film, not saying that because of how he did in the movie but I think he actually did because of the other films he has done and also not all about BenBen Affleck did a great job on this and think he even brought his career back up from this film, not saying that because of how he did in the movie but I think he actually did because of the other films he has done and also not all about Ben Affleck but everyone did a great job in the film. Also easy to get sucked into these characters that they build up, wasn't really unrealistic and sort of smart or cool in a way how they did some things… Expand
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5
JumpmanJan 7, 2016
Better than your average hollywood action-crime movie but still lacking originality. Ben affleck is handsome but that's it............................
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8
BarneyOnMTNov 12, 2016
WHAT I LIKED: A crime thriller with surprising depth; 'The Town' isn't just great edge-of-your-seat cops and robbers stuff - it genuinely makes you understand both sides too. That's a rare thing, and it's only possible with this mad yetWHAT I LIKED: A crime thriller with surprising depth; 'The Town' isn't just great edge-of-your-seat cops and robbers stuff - it genuinely makes you understand both sides too. That's a rare thing, and it's only possible with this mad yet successful story and script. I just love the idea behind the whole thing as it also allows for these surprisng social narratives and brilliant character interactions to come together really well. The reason the experience you have watching it is so great though is that it's all delivered so expertly, thanks to an excellent performance from Affleck behind the camera, and from his strong supporting cast in front of it.
WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: That 'mad' story is just a little too mad for you to genuinely get attatched to the core relationship. That isn't helped either by the lack of 'show not tell' when it comes to the characterisation.
VERDICT: A thrilling ride that engages you with it's heart on one side and it's gritty elements on the other. Well done Affleck.… Expand
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0
andythewhaleJul 18, 2020
This is one of the worst most 1-dimensional character development movies I’ve ever seen. No character grew from their events. Ben Afflack is a talentless fool.
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7
DawdlingPoetNov 24, 2021
This is a long and somewhat complicated movie - it features plenty of action, some fight/gun scenes and car chases whilst also maintaining a pretty strong plot, as we start to get a better insight into Doug's family and troubled past while heThis is a long and somewhat complicated movie - it features plenty of action, some fight/gun scenes and car chases whilst also maintaining a pretty strong plot, as we start to get a better insight into Doug's family and troubled past while he tries to also maintain a semi-normal relationship with Claire.

There's alot of violence and some particularly strong language in the movie, which is pretty prominent and as such I thought I ought to mentiont that quite soon into my review, so consider yourself warned, this isn't for those who get faint a the sight of blood, although having said that, there are more graphic movies around. I thought this movie was quite good as it had an interesting story behind it, it wasn't simply violence for entertainments sake or not entirely - the relationship between Doug and Claire and the truths Doug finds about his past slowly develop as the movie continues. I found the story a bit confusing in parts in terms of keeping track of the different characters and what their motives were and I also thought it was generally quite long, at a little over two hours in length, although I dislike when movies try to squeeze too much into a short running time and your left wondering what the heck it was all about, so I feel I can't criticise it too much for playing the story out.

Its certainly quite a tense movie, with Doug having to try and lead a double life and those in his team of fellow robbers not trusting him knowing that he's let Claire, the only witness who could be able to identify them as the culprits, get so close to him. Infact at one stage, she says that she could probably identify the robbers by the sound of their voice, although she says this to Doug, who responds that it may not be as easy as she thinks(!). Affleck does quite a good job of portraying the bank robber with a conscience, who questions his past and potentially puts alot on the line - it may seem a little corny but I felt he did give a decent performance as someone re-evaluating things, although it takes a while for the conclusion to be reached but its clear that he's the main leader of the criminal gang he's involved with and he does well acting out this somewhat conflicted character - he's not shy to show his frustrations at times while also seeming genuinely interested in what he learns of Claires background. I'd also like to point out that this movie features the late Pete Postelthwaite as Fergus or 'Fergie' (no, not THAT Fergie lol well either of 'em) Colm, who reveals some painful home truths to Doug. Another piece of trivia worth highlighting is that Ben Affleck not only stars as one of the main characters but he also co-wrote the screenplay and directed the movie as well - his directorial debut, as far as feature length movies are concerned, was 'Gone Baby Gone' which came out a couple of years earlier, starring his brother, Casey, thus The Town is the second movie he's directed. Given that, I'm quite impressed - both movies have been quite gritty, urban movies that are quite well thought out, so kudos to Ben for that.

It should also be said that the movie turns slightly more 'Hollywood' towards the end, as the message or tone becomes a bit more serious than it may have seemed earlier on perhaps, indeed the end of the movie could be said to be quite poignant. I thought the mix of plot and action and the fact that there's some character development made it a pretty solid movie, in my opinion. I'd recommend this movie as it has a good mix of action and character development/plot, which some movies sadly lack. Its pretty entertaining and the ending was quite good too, making you think.… Expand
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10
SupaModeDec 12, 2019
Love everything about this movie the actions and pro ness of the characters was on point if only the ain’t had no rats in this movie if only the had robbers that can get away but at the end of day it’s a good movie to watch
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