Out of Time

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Out of Time

PG-13

2003

1h 45m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

148 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Matt Lee Whitlock (Denzel Washington) is the police chief of a small Florida town, going through a divorce with his detective wife, Alex (Eva Mendes). He begins a passionate affair with Ann (Sanaa Lathan), only to find out that she's stricken with terminal cancer. Matt steals a large sum of money confiscated from a drug bust in order to pay for Ann's treatment -- but when she apparently dies in a suspicious fire, the money disappears, and all the clues point to Matt as the culprit.

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Critics Consensus

A fun and stylish thriller if you can get past the contrivances.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 26, 2010

4/5

Best for older teens and their parents.

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Nick Schager

Lessons of Darkness

May 4, 2005

C

Second-rate Hitchcock.

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Oct 7, 2003

2.5/5

We've seen Washington as this character before, in Fallen, The Bone Collector, The Siege -- not the same character, but similar.

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Mitchell Beaupre

Paste Magazine

Oct 3, 2023

10/10

Out of Time comes on like a cool glass of lemonade on a hot summer day, featuring Denzel at the peak of his powers and an impeccably laidback aesthetic somewhere between the palpable sweat of Body Heat and the orange-hued romanticism of Tony Scott.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Aug 24, 2022

3.5/5

It works best as a sugar-rush thriller, light and undeniably absurd. But to be honest, that’s a big part of what makes it so much fun.

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Leigh Paatsch

Herald Sun (Australia)

Jun 19, 2020

3.5/5

The task of keeping this from getting too smart for its own good falls squarely on the dependable shoulders of Washington.

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Rob A

@RT76386004 Aug 14, 2026

A stylish thriller set in the Florida Keys with good casting. I thoroughly enjoyed it and have rewatched it several times over the years.

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Ashequl I

@Tofa13 Aug 5, 2026

Out of Time (2003) is a slick, highly watchable crime thriller that relies heavily on its strong execution and Denzel Washington's undeniable star power. Directed by Carl Franklin, the film follows a Florida police chief who steals confiscated drug money to help his sick mistress, only to find himself framed for double murder and racing against his own police department to cover his tracks. Denzel gives a great, energetic performance, anchoring the story with a compelling mix of panic and resourcefulness. The procedural sequences—where he tries to destroy evidence before his colleagues discover it—are executed with sharp pacing and tight suspense. However, the screenplay lacks psychological depth, and the central twists feel far too predictable to deliver any real shock or high-stakes thrill. Overall, it stands as a solid, enjoyable watch that ultimately misses the mark of becoming a great thriller.

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Joaquin U

@Joaquin1 Jul 19, 2026

Entertaining. Slightly above‑average action thriller. Script and direction are decent. Denzel’s character is the same one you’ve seen before, and it works for this story. Not much else—just a popcorn flick, fun in the moment, and gone from memory by tomorrow.

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Bruce F.

@MoralMaster Jul 13, 2026

Pretty good but not amazing has a bit of a b grade feeling but Denzel does well as a lead roll a few good twist the movie angles are shot well and a good overall cast worth a watch

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Lanfranco C

@Lanfrancobz Apr 5, 2026

To help could be dangerous!

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shane o

@Shanes_DVD_Shack Jan 28, 2026

Full of twists and turns , well acted over all a good thriller

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Carl Franklin

Director

Denzel Washington

Marty Walsh

Eva Mendes

Detective Alexandra Cole

Sanaa Lathan

Ann Harrison

Dean Cain

Chris Harrison

John Billingsley

Chae

Out of Time: Official Clip - Battle on the Balcony

2:13

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Out of Time: Official Clip - At the Old Boat

2:10

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Out of Time: Official Clip - Prowler in the Neighborhood

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Out of Time: Official Clip - Ann's Flowers

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Out of Time: Official Clip - Fax Tampering

2:12

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Out of Time: Official Clip - I'm Banging Your Wife

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Out of Time: Official Clip - Don't Shoot Me

2:32

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Out of Time: Official Clip - Scene of the Crime

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Out of Time: Official Clip - Double Identity

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Out of Time: Official Clip - The Usual Suspect

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Synopsis

Matt Lee Whitlock (Denzel Washington) is the police chief of a small Florida town, going through a divorce with his detective wife, Alex (Eva Mendes). He begins a passionate affair with Ann (Sanaa Lathan), only to find out that she's stricken with terminal cancer. Matt steals a large sum of money confiscated from a drug bust in order to pay for Ann's treatment -- but when she apparently dies in a suspicious fire, the money disappears, and all the clues point to Matt as the culprit.

Director: Carl Franklin
Producer: Neal H. Moritz, Jesse Beaton
Screenwriter: David Collard
Distributor: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Production Co: Original Film, Monarch Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Some Language|Sexual Content|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 3, 2003, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.9M
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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