Best Laid Plans

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Best Laid Plans

R

1999

1h 32m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

50%

Tomatometer

18 Reviews

39%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Returning to his dreary hometown as a wealthy man, Bryce (Josh Brolin) is unaware of the target his financial gain has put on his back for schemers and crooks. When Bryce swings into a local bar, he happens to meet the seductive Lissa (Reese Witherspoon), and the two are at his place by the end of the night. But by the morning, Lissa turns blackmailer by claiming she's underage. In a panic, Bryce ties her up and turns to an old friend (Alessandro Nivola) for help -- but deception is everywhere.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Jan 1, 2000

1/4

[Best Laid Plans] is so concerned with being a film that it forgets to be a movie.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Apr 10, 2008

3/4

...an above-average neo-noir...

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Chuck O'Leary

FulvueDrive-in.com

May 7, 2007

1/5

JoBlo

JoBlo's Movie Network

Jul 7, 2006

5/10

Spence D.

IGN

Feb 10, 2004

2/5

Oz

Hollywood Bitchslap

Mar 25, 2003

4/5

A surprisingly underrated little thriller which should have helped Nivola earn his Hollywood stripes.

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Farah R

@Farah Oct 25, 2026

Best Laid Plans had me gripped from the very beginning. The tension never let up, keeping me on the edge of my seat as the story unfolded. With strong acting, a gripping narrative, and a fantastic final twist, it was one of the most nerve-racking movies I’ve ever seen.

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Robert P

@Superbad Oct 19, 2026

Best Laid Plans is a *2* star Movie!

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Mar 23, 2021

I liked this movie. Cast was great, young Reese Witherspoon & Josh Brolin were terrific. The bad guy Rocky was also excellent. Scenery is desolate, but contributes to the story.

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Oct 6, 2018

Predictable thriller loses steam about halfway through.

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Oct 12, 2016

Surprisingly enjoyable. Somewhere between a 3.75-4.25.

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Cameron M

@RT65541805 Nov 3, 2015

Well framed in its Neo-Noir style and ending with some surprising sincerity, Best Laid Plans isn't perfect but it's a film that gets by on its performances, twists, and sheer perseverance.

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Mike Barker

Director

Alessandro Nivola

Nick

Reese Witherspoon

Lissa

Josh Brolin

Bryce

Rocky Carroll

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Synopsis

Returning to his dreary hometown as a wealthy man, Bryce (Josh Brolin) is unaware of the target his financial gain has put on his back for schemers and crooks. When Bryce swings into a local bar, he happens to meet the seductive Lissa (Reese Witherspoon), and the two are at his place by the end of the night. But by the morning, Lissa turns blackmailer by claiming she's underage. In a panic, Bryce ties her up and turns to an old friend (Alessandro Nivola) for help -- but deception is everywhere.

Director: Mike Barker
Producer: Sean Bailey, Betsy Beers, Alan Greenspan, Chris Moore
Screenwriter: Ted Griffin
Distributor: Columbia Tristar, Gativideo, 20th Century Fox of Germany, 20th Century Fox, UGC-Fox Distribution, 20th Century Fox de Argentina [ar], Fox
Production Co: Dogstar Films, Fox 2000 Pictures
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 10, 1999, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $25.7K
Runtime: 1h 32m
Sound Mix: Dolby, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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