In the Loop (2009)
86%RT Audience Score: 82%
Awards & Nominations: Nominated for 1 Oscar
16 wins & 43 nominations total
In the Loop is an uncommonly funny political satire that blends Dr. Strangelove with Spinal Tap for the Iraq war era
If you’re looking for a movie that will make you laugh out loud and question the sanity of politicians, In the Loop is the perfect choice. This political satire is so hilarious that you’ll forget you’re watching a movie about the lead-up to the Iraq War. The performances are top-notch, and the dialogue is so sharp that you’ll be quoting it for days. Just be warned, there’s some strong language, so maybe don’t watch it with your grandma.
Production Company(ies)
Selznick International Pictures,, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
Distributor
IFC Films
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Royal Festival Hall, South Bank Centre, South Bank, Lambeth, London, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2009
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 46m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United Kingdom
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Jul 24, 2009 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 12, 2010
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
starring Tom Hollander, Peter Capaldi, Gina McKee, James Gandolfini, Chris Addison, Anna Chlumsky, directed by Armando Iannucci, written by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche, political satire, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Alonso Duralde, Deborah Ross, Ed Koch, Ben Kenigsberg, Joshua Rothkopf, Giles Hardie, Matt Brunson, Jason Best, Tom Cassidy, MPAA rating, produced by Kevin Loader, Adam Tandy, comedy, English language, limited release, streaming release, distributor IFC Films, runtime 1h 46m, cast Peter Capaldi as Malcolm Tucker, Tom Hollander as Simon Foster, Gina McKee as Judy, James Gandolfini as General Miller, Chris Addison as Toby, Anna Chlumsky as Liza
Worldwide gross: $7,787,487
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $10,763,169
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,947
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 1,173,737
US/Canada gross: $2,388,804
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,301,592
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,918
US/Canada opening weekend: $191,866
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $265,180
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,573
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): £612,650
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Tom Hollander – Simon Foster
Gina McKee – Judy
James Gandolfini – General Miller
Chris Addison – Toby
Anna Chlumsky – Liza
Kevin Loader – Producer
Adam Tandy – Producer
Armando Iannucci – Director, Writer
Jesse Armstrong – Writer
Simon Blackwell – Writer
Tony Roche – Writer
Director(s)
Armando Iannucci
Writer(s)
Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando Iannucci, Tony Roche
Producer(s)
Kevin Loader, Adam Tandy
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
16 wins & 43 nominations total
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
All Critics (179) | Top Critics (60) | Fresh (168) | Rotten (11)
You probably wouldn’t want to spend three hours listening to Alan Partridge’s drive-time radio broadcast, but this idiotic DJ delivers a solid 90 minutes of cinematic entertainment.
October 24, 2018
Alonso Duralde
TheWrap
TOP CRITIC
The performances are outstanding, and there are many laugh-out-loud moments as confirmed by the fact that I laughed out loud.
August 29, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
This alleged satire, which received four-star treatment from other critics, left me with a ho-hum and sorry feeling that I had wasted an evening seeing it.
January 17, 2018
Ed Koch
The Atlantic
TOP CRITIC
November 18, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Ben Kenigsberg
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Joshua Rothkopf
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Prepare yourself for an hour and a half of political farce made only funnier by the fact that these ludicrous actions and explanations all feel so terrifyingly plausible.
January 30, 2010 | Rating: 4.5/5
Giles Hardie
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
A vicious satire with ice in its veins and poison in its fangs.
April 10, 2022 | Rating: 3.5/4
Matt Brunson
Film Frenzy
For all those still seething over the cynical manipulation and mendacity behind Bush and Blair’s rush to war in Iraq, Armando Iannucci’s blistering political satire In the Loop offers a measure of catharsis.
November 24, 2020
Jason Best
Movie Talk
Hilarious political satire has very strong language.
November 13, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
Tom Cassidy
Common Sense Media
This almost unconscionably hilarious black satire imagining the behind-the-scene mishaps leading up to the Iraqi invasion plays like a latter-day Dr. Strangelove.
June 18, 2020
David Lamble
Bay Area Reporter
Possessing boundless cynicism, this caustic satire might not be for everyone but not a single performer’s comic timing is off.
February 14, 2020
Jim Ross
Roobla
Not only is In the Loop one of the funniest things you’ll see this year, but it’s also one of the most intelligent pieces of British satire for some time.
October 29, 2019
Nikki Baughan
Roll Credits…
Plot
The US President and UK Prime Minister fancy a war. But not everyone agrees that war is a good thing. The US General Miller doesn’t think so and neither does the British Secretary of State for International Development, Simon Foster. But, after Simon accidentally backs military action on TV, he suddenly has a lot of friends in Washington, DC. If Simon can get in with the right DC people, if his entourage of one can sleep with the right intern, and if they can both stop the Prime Minister’s chief spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker rigging the vote at the UN, they can halt the war. If they don’t… well, they can always sack their Director of Communications Judy, who they never liked anyway and who’s back home dealing with voters with blocked drains and a man who’s angry about a collapsing wall.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Peter Capaldi’s profane vocabulary steals the show in In the Loop, according to audience reviews.
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