Don't Say a Word

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Don't Say a Word

R

2001

1h 53m

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

24%

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114 Reviews

49%

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50,000+ Ratings

Ruthless crook Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) and his partner capture young Jessie Conrad (Skye McCole Bartusiak) and hold her for an unusual ransom. Koster wants Jessie's therapist father, Nathan (Michael Douglas), to somehow coax traumatized teen Elisabeth (Brittany Murphy) into divulging a mysterious code number that will lead the criminals to a hidden jewel worth a fortune. Unfortunately, it may be impossible to convince the delusional Elisabeth to cooperate: she hasn't spoken in 10 years.

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Critics Consensus

Don't Say A Word is slick and competently made, but the movie is routine and stretches believability with many eye rolling moments.

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Manohla Dargis

L.A. Weekly

Oct 21, 2002

Fleder can only fling the camera about and indulge in some familiar screen sadism ... as he tries to squeeze a few thrills from material as desiccated as his leading man.

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Jane Crowther

BBC.com

Nov 19, 2001

3/5

A smart script and great casting elevate a pedestrian premise to the status of satisfying thriller.

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Michael Atkinson

Village Voice

Oct 2, 2001

As an odyssey of paternal qualm, Fleder's forgettable thriller has a convincing edge, and Douglas remains unchallenged as Hollywood's most tremulous and disquieting dad-under-pressure.

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Andrea Beach

Common Sense Media

Nov 11, 2025

4/5

Viewers who like dark psychological thrillers and being kept on the edge of their seats will find this one well worth watching.

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Pat Stacey

The Herald (Ireland)

Oct 17, 2017

Don't Say a Word is mediocre, shrink-wrapped Hollywood pap.

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Kit Bowen

Hollywood.com

Nov 20, 2008

2/5

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chris M

@RT09457707 Aug 27, 2026

Nicely made atmospheric thriller. Well acted.

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Carlos T

@RT67858720 May 6, 2026

🎭 Principais atores e personagens Michael Douglas — Dr. Nathan Conrad Brittany Murphy — Elisabeth Burrows Famke Janssen — Aggie Conrad Sean Bean — Patrick Koster Skye McCole Bartusiak — Jessie Conrad 🎭 Gêneros: Suspense | Thriller | Drama 📖 Estória Tudo começa com um assalto violento, onde um raro diamante vermelho desaparece após uma traição interna. Anos depois, o passado cobra seu preço. Patrick, recém-libertado da prisão, retorna obcecado por recuperar o que acredita ser seu. A única pista está na mente fragmentada de Elisabeth, uma jovem traumatizada que presenciou um assassinato quando criança. Para acessar essa memória, ele sequestra a filha do psiquiatra Dr. Nathan Conrad e o força a extrair da mente da garota um código escondido — seis números que podem levar ao diamante. O tempo corre. A pressão aumenta. E a verdade está trancada dentro de uma mente quebrada. ⭐ Nota final: 8 / 10

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Melissa L

@Agent99 Feb 2, 2026

Good plot, and great acting by Brittany Murphy and Michael Douglas, I thought this was a great movie...and I have no idea why RT has such poor ratings for this movie, yet IMDB doesn't. I recommend this movie.

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Horror fan 4

@Horrorfan4life Jan 2, 2026

A very interesting movie with good characters. The psychological part is great. The thriller part was soft. Brittany Murphy's portrayal of Elisabeth was my favorite part of the movie. Oliver platts talent was wasted in this movie. Tim Treakle

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David Lee K

@RT17066284 Jan 2, 2026

Don't Say A Word is a movie that screams depth and urgency while saying absolutely nothing at all. It is too loud, too dumb, while convinced it’s clever, much like someone who should’ve taken its own title as an advice. I'd "say" to everybody to skip this one.

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mitchell C.

@mitch89014 Dec 25, 2025

Descent thriller, if you don’t think hard about the villain going to get lengths for something so absurd as a tiny jewel, MacGuffin

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Gary Fleder

Director

Michael Douglas

Dr. Nathan Conrad

Sean Bean

Patrick B. Koster

Brittany Murphy

Elisabeth Burrows

Skye McCole Bartusiak

Jessie Conrad

Guy Torry

Martin J. Dolen

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Synopsis

Ruthless crook Patrick Koster (Sean Bean) and his partner capture young Jessie Conrad (Skye McCole Bartusiak) and hold her for an unusual ransom. Koster wants Jessie's therapist father, Nathan (Michael Douglas), to somehow coax traumatized teen Elisabeth (Brittany Murphy) into divulging a mysterious code number that will lead the criminals to a hidden jewel worth a fortune. Unfortunately, it may be impossible to convince the delusional Elisabeth to cooperate: she hasn't spoken in 10 years.

Director: Gary Fleder
Producer: Arnon Milchan, Arnold Kopelson, Anne Kopelson
Screenwriter: Anthony Peckham, Patrick Smith Kelly, Andrew Klavan
Distributor: 20th Century Fox
Production Co: New Regency Pictures, Kopelson Entertainment
Rating: R (Some Gruesome Images|Language|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 28, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $55.0M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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