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Bulworth

Play trailer 1:44 Poster for Bulworth R 1998 1h 46m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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76% Tomatometer 68 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Jay Bulworth (Warren Beatty), a financially ruined senator, is now disillusioned with politics. The forlorn statesman orders a contract killing -- the target himself -- so his family will be able to collect a fortune from his insurance policy. Facing imminent death, a devil-may-care Bulworth speaks his mind in public, forsaking platitudes for honest but controversial observations. But when he falls in love with a hip young woman (Halle Berry), Bulworth urgently rethinks his impending murder.
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Bulworth

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Critics Consensus

Star and director Beatty's ambitious take on race and politics in 20th-century America isn't perfect, but Bulworth manages to provide more than its share of thought-provoking laughs.

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Critics Reviews

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Troy Patterson Entertainment Weekly Feb 7, 2025
B
Bulworth marks Beatty’s happiest stab at political farce since Shampoo. Go to Full Review Geoff Andrew Time Out Jun 24, 2006
It's a sharp, brave movie, a little ragged around the edges, but that's to its advantage. Go to Full Review Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times Feb 14, 2001
3.5/5
What gives Bulworth its unique character is that all this silliness is periodically punctuated by cogent, carefully thought-out mini-manifestos... Go to Full Review Matthew Rozsa Democracy at Work (Substack) May 23, 2025
3/4
Timid politicians shrinks in the face of that danger. Brave leaders acknowledge the danger but, if the stakes are sufficiently high, proceed anyway. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Jan 4, 2022
4/5
…not enough attention has been paid to Bulworth, a flawed but pertinent film, set at a particular moment in time where cell-phones and the internet don’t exist, but The Simpsons do…a cogent, cynical, prophetic film… with a shock ending to boot... Go to Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site Feb 16, 2021
Bulworth is an angry and politically astute film. More than that, it is in many ways a liberating film. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Brian S @BDSizemore Aug 29, 2026 Brilliant movie and prescient. See more Ari V @RT59419633 Mar 24, 2024 Holds up very, very well. Special one. See more Van E @RT92124993 Sep 21, 2023 This movie is underrated. It's got some stamps from it's time that are sort of absurd, but as far as biting political satire goes, I'm hard pressed to think of a better more current example that isn't just some try-hard nonsense. Bullworth pushes the envelope... in mainly really entertaining ways. See more Mark N @RT60508879 Aug 20, 2023 Heart, soul and plenty of laughs. A political comedy that's not afraid to draw blood literally to make its point. See more May 23, 2023 Uneventful, nothing was pulling me in See more dave s @RT68722908 Apr 2, 2022 Suicidal and on the verge of a nervous breakdown, disillusioned U.S. senator Jay Bulworth makes arrangements for his own assassination in order for his daughter to collect a ten-million-dollar insurance claim. However, things take an awkward turn on the campaign trail when he decides to speak the uncensored truth, shifting his voter base from the powerful and affluent to the poor and disenfranchised. Warren Beatty wrote, produced, directed and starred in Bulworth, a film that starts out a bit frantic, unfocused and noisy but works its way into a nice rhythm once it finds its way. The satire sometimes feels overstated, but it certainly forces the viewer to question whether or not they want their politicians to create their election platforms based on the truth. See more Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Warren Beatty

Director

Warren Beatty

Sen. Jay Billington Bulworth

Halle Berry

Nina

Don Cheadle

L.D.

Oliver Platt

Dennis Murphy

Paul Sorvino

Graham Crockett

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Bulworth

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Bulworth

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Movie Info

Synopsis Jay Bulworth (Warren Beatty), a financially ruined senator, is now disillusioned with politics. The forlorn statesman orders a contract killing -- the target himself -- so his family will be able to collect a fortune from his insurance policy. Facing imminent death, a devil-may-care Bulworth speaks his mind in public, forsaking platitudes for honest but controversial observations. But when he falls in love with a hip young woman (Halle Berry), Bulworth urgently rethinks his impending murder.
Director
Warren Beatty
Producer
Warren Beatty, Pieter Jan Brugge
Screenwriter
Warren Beatty, Jeremy Pikser
Distributor
20th Century Fox
Production Co
Twentieth Century Fox
Rating
R
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 15, 1998, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$26.4M
Runtime
1h 46m
Sound Mix
Surround
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