Demolition

Play trailer

2:20

Demolition

R

2016

1h 41m

Comedy

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

53%

Tomatometer

208 Reviews

56%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Grieving investment banker Davis Mitchell (Jake Gyllenhaal) returns to work after losing his beloved wife in a tragic car accident. After writing a letter to complain about a vending machine, Mitchell receives a phone call from Karen (Naomi Watts), a customer service rep from the company. Karen becomes moved by his complete honesty, while Davis finds someone to lend a sympathetic ear. As his new friendship with Karen and her son grows, Mitchell finds the strength he needs to rebuild his life.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Demolition benefits from a stellar cast, even if their solid work isn't always enough to prop up a confused story that aims for profundity but too often settles for clichés.

Read Critics Reviews

Dwight Brown

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Nov 8, 2016

Who knows where his displaced emotions will take him? Who cares?

Go to Full Review

Sara Michelle Fetters

MovieFreak.com

Aug 11, 2016

3/4

Demolition is a cinematic deconstruction of expectation and cliché, all of which results in a moving marvel of self-actualization I think I just might be in love with.

Go to Full Review

Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

May 1, 2016

2/5

The story of a bereaved man who starts to dismantle household appliances and, later, buildings, the whole movie is a laboured metaphor: we get it, he's falling apart.

Go to Full Review

Matt Oakes

Silver Screen Riot

Oct 14, 2026

A-

Insomuch as Jean-Marc Vallée aspires to create in the face of destruction, his film remains true to its own brand of spiritual irreverence, boldly going somewhere unpredictable and wholly exciting.

Go to Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Nov 11, 2025

2.5/4

Gyllenhaal is never less than terrific, even in those moments when the movie surrounding him threatens to completely collapse.

Go to Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Oct 15, 2024

5/10

It benefits from a credible performance by Jake Gyllenhaal, but the drama often remains situated in a demolition zone that slowly destroys, with each iteration, the potential of its premise about grief and redemption. [Full review in Spanish]

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Jasper Z

@JasperZ Oct 17, 2026

Non of y'all seemed to get it apparently

See more

Robert P

@Superbad Oct 13, 2026

Demolition is a *3* star Movie!

See more

Edgar C

@edgarcarta Sep 10, 2026

I liked this movie a lot, it’s a movie for those who want to feel identified. Jake G. plays one of his best roles by portraying a man that feels that has no emotions at all, or that’s what it looks like, because while you get more deep into the movie, you kind of understand him. This is a complex movie not to understand it or know what will happen next, this movie is complex in the emotional aspect. It makes you go through the situation that Jake is going through and you are able to discover the emotions that he is feeling. Demolition can be boring for some people, but it can become better for someone that’s going through a tough situation in their life.

See more

Slick R

@SlickReviewer Aug 24, 2026

Been going down the list of all Jake G.'s movies and finally got to this one. Jake G. is good as usual in this thought provoking movie. The first 45 mins of the movie are pretty boring. But the 2nd half is peak comedy. Some of the scenes in this movie are crazy and should not be tried at home. His relationship with the kid is hilarious. And the metaphorical subliminal messages throughout the movie are meaningful. Sometimes you have to break down everything just to build yourself back up. Worth a watch if you have nothing else to watch.

See more

Renaldo D

@RT30888824 Jul 17, 2026

An incredible movie, one of Jake Gyllenhaal's best.

See more

Maryann D

@RT17686170 Jul 11, 2026

It doesn't give you what your want and I think that's the beauty in it. It exactly what you need, like a warm bowl of soup.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Jean-Marc Vallée

Director

Jake Gyllenhaal

Davis Mitchell

Naomi Watts

Karen Moreno

Chris Cooper

Phil

Judah Lewis

Chris Moreno

C.J. Wilson

Carl

While We're Young

84%

51%

While We're Young

Watchlist

TRAILER

for While We're Young

Chef

87%

85%

Chef

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Chef

Brad's Status

78%

55%

Brad's Status

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Brad's Status

Wish I Was Here

45%

59%

Wish I Was Here

Watchlist

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

77%

62%

Jeff, Who Lives at Home

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Demolition: Trailer 2

2:20

Now Playing

Demolition: Trailer 1

2:12

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Grieving investment banker Davis Mitchell (Jake Gyllenhaal) returns to work after losing his beloved wife in a tragic car accident. After writing a letter to complain about a vending machine, Mitchell receives a phone call from Karen (Naomi Watts), a customer service rep from the company. Karen becomes moved by his complete honesty, while Davis finds someone to lend a sympathetic ear. As his new friendship with Karen and her son grows, Mitchell finds the strength he needs to rebuild his life.

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
Producer: Lianne Halfon, Russell Smith, Molly Smith, Trent Luckinbill, Sidney Kimmel, Jean-Marc Vallée
Screenwriter: Bryan Sipe
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: Mr. Mudd, Black Label Media, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
Rating: R (Drug Use|Disturbing Behavior|Language|Some Sexual References)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 8, 2016, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 3, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.8M
Runtime: 1h 41m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings