The Believer (2002)
86%RT Audience Score: 82%
Awards & Nominations: 6 wins & 10 nominations
Gosling commands the screen with a raw, electrifying performance
Ryan Gosling shines in The Believer, playing a complex and unpredictable character that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The film explores themes of religion, hate, and personal identity, all while keeping you engaged with its thought-provoking storyline. While some may find it controversial, it’s definitely worth a watch for those looking for a movie that challenges their beliefs and makes them think. Plus, who doesn’t love a good Ryan Gosling performance?
Production Company(ies)
Nouvelles Éditions de Films,
Distributor
IDP Distribution
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong violence, language and some sexual content
Year of Release
2001
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.66 : 1
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Runtime:1h 38m
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Language(s):English, Hebrew
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): May 17, 2002 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 1, 2004
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
starring Ryan Gosling, Summer Phoenix, Glenn Fitzgerald, Theresa Russell, Billy Zane, Garret Dillahunt, directed by Henry Bean, written by Henry Bean, produced by Christopher Roberts, Susan Hoffman, drama, R rating, anti-Semitism, neo-fascism, box office performance, budget, reviewed by John Leonard, Charlotte O’Sullivan, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Peter Howell, Jennie Punter, Michael Wilmington, B Ruby Rich, Philip French, Jordan Hiller, Emanuel Levy, Pablo Villaça, Danny Balint, Carla Moebius, Lina Moebius, Curtis Zampf, Drake, The Believer, Henry Bean’s, IDP Distribution, Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo, Flat (1.85:1)
Worldwide gross: $1,309,316
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,206,575
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,389
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 240,630
US/Canada gross: $416,925
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $702,639
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,256
US/Canada opening weekend: $26,263
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $44,261
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,251
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $1,500,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $2,527,933
Production budget ranking: 2,005
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $1,361,292
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$1,682,649
ROI to date (est.): -43%
ROI ranking: 1,644
Summer Phoenix – Carla Moebius
Glenn Fitzgerald – Drake
Theresa Russell – Lina Moebius
Billy Zane – Curtis Zampf
Garret Dillahunt – Drake
Director – Henry Bean
Producer – Christopher Roberts, Susan Hoffman
Writer – Henry Bean
Director(s)
Henry Bean
Writer(s)
Henry Bean
Producer(s)
Christopher Roberts, Susan Hoffman
Film Festivals
Tribeca
Awards & Nominations
6 wins & 10 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (93) | Top Critics (32) | Fresh (77) | Rotten (16)
… stars an astonishing Ryan Gosling…
February 3, 2018
John Leonard
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
People have a right to make godless films. Bean’s made one, and it’s as brilliant as it is humane.
November 15, 2017
Charlotte O’Sullivan
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
An exploration of what it means to be Jewish and what it means to hate – two separate subjects that happen to overlap in this case.
October 15, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
An important movie, a reminder of the power of film to move us and to make us examine our values.
August 16, 2002 | Rating: 4/5
Peter Howell
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
[Gosling’s] combination of explosive physical energy and convincing intelligence helps create a complex, unpredictable character.
August 16, 2002 | Rating: 3/4
Jennie Punter
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
One of the year’s most thought-provoking, hard-hitting films, gutsily opening up a subject rarely done with this kind of all-out chutzpah.
July 20, 2002 | Rating: 3.5/4
Michael Wilmington
Chicago Tribune
TOP CRITIC
A traditional but well-made examination of one Danny Balint, a disgruntled yeshiva student turned skinhead thug.
February 25, 2020
B. Ruby Rich
The Nation
Gosling’s Danny is frighteningly believable, in his mad hatreds and when gradually confronting inner doubts.
January 1, 2013
Philip French
Observer (UK)
The underlying premise of The Believer is simple and understandable to any one of us who have grown indifferent to many of the teachings we accepted with such naivet, such open hopeful hearts throughout our early education.
September 27, 2006 | Rating: 2.5/4
Jordan Hiller
Bangitout.com
Loosely based on Daniel Burros (a Nazi who killed himself when the NY Times revealed his Jewishness), the film offers a stimulating meditation on the inescapable impact of religion and burden of history on personal identities.
April 6, 2006 | Rating: A-
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Em uma performance absolutamente brilhante, o jovem Ryan Gosling cria um personagem que, mesmo moralmente desprezvel, fascina por seu conflito interior.
June 7, 2004 | Rating: 4/5
Pablo Villaça
Cinema em Cena
The underdevloped Believer has at its core a performance of searing and genuine intensity, yet it also regrettably handles the psychological turmoil of its antagonistic protagonist with kid gloves.
July 18, 2003 | Rating: C-
Brent Simon
Entertainment Today…
Plot
“The Believer” follows the story of Danny Balint, a Jewish yeshiva student turned neo-fascist skinhead, as he struggles with his identity and beliefs.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises Ryan Gosling’s “raw, electrifying performance” in The Believer.
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