The Clearing

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The Clearing

R

2004

1h 35m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

42%

Tomatometer

125 Reviews

32%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) and his wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), seem to have it all. Over the years, they've built a prosperous business together while raising their two children, Tim and Jill. But the family's dream life becomes nightmarish when disgruntled employee Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe) kidnaps Wayne and holds him for ransom. The FBI invades their home and scrutinizes every detail of their life -- and ultimately, it is left to Eileen to deliver the ransom and rescue her husband.

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Critics Consensus

Though it has an excellent cast, this emotionally detached movie is the kind that one admires more than enjoys.

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Dec 28, 2010

2/5

Good performances almost make it worthwhile.

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Anthony Lane

The New Yorker

Aug 1, 2004

A thriller stripped of thrills -- or, even worse, a thriller that thinks of itself as somehow rising above the vulgar pleasures of excitement.

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Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Jul 11, 2004

2/5

The easy give-and-take between Redford and Mirren early in the film is flawlessly realistic, but even that couldn't stem the tide of this reviewer's yawns.

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Felicia Feaster

Creative Loafing

Jan 30, 2020

An evolutionary thriller, The Clearing not only reinforces the status quo, it grinds the face of the economy's losers in the dirt and does a victory dance on their head.

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Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

Apr 29, 2009

I just expected a lot more in the end, and really just didn't get it with a routine script, bland plot, and an ending that was too sudden to be accepted.

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Jeremy C. Fox

Pajiba

Sep 16, 2005

Mirren passes through entire scenes without a word, not needing to speak, as every feeling is writ large across her beautifully expressive face.

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Farah R

@Farah Oct 18, 2026

What I expected to be a thriller turned out to be a meandering drama about a wealthy man’s failing marriage. The film feels all over the place, struggling to find a coherent narrative or at least balance its various storylines. It’s a shame to see Helen Mirren and Robert Redford caught up in such a muddled, underwhelming film. With talent like theirs, The Clearing should have been far more compelling than it ultimately is.

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Robert P

@Superbad Sep 25, 2026

This movie is not any good!

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Anthony H

@RT34449855 Sep 28, 2025

This script didn't deserve the talent and always alluring presence of the beautiful Helen Mirran.

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Leslie W

@RT76364333 Sep 23, 2025

I have never liked Willem Defoe. As an actor he's always played low down, creepy, moralles azzhats. He's ALWAYS played a psychotic creeper. Ick. Viewing "The Clearing" was a boring, ridiculous movie. I will NEVER want to see any movie with this creeper in it from here on out He's revolting. I was actually rooting for Redford's character to strangle him dead, run off, expose the kidnapping plot with the dark scenes, ambiguous nonsense, taking the blood presumably from Redford's character? Cant tell WTF?. What a senseless movie.

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Bonnie L

@BonnieL Sep 22, 2025

I thought this would be a good movie due to the cast, but the pace of the story and lines made it boring. The ending was disappointing too. Boom. It concluded.

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Daniel N

@Daniel9923 Sep 17, 2025

A soft spoken abduction drama, beautifully performed. It will haunt you if you give it space. Do not even try this film if you need the greater array of contrivances and reckless pace of most films in this subgenre.

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Pieter Jan Brugge

Director

Robert Redford

Wayne Hayes

Helen Mirren

Eileen Hayes

Willem Dafoe

Arnold Mack

Alessandro Nivola

Tim Hayes

Matt Craven

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Synopsis

Wayne Hayes (Robert Redford) and his wife, Eileen (Helen Mirren), seem to have it all. Over the years, they've built a prosperous business together while raising their two children, Tim and Jill. But the family's dream life becomes nightmarish when disgruntled employee Arnold Mack (Willem Dafoe) kidnaps Wayne and holds him for ransom. The FBI invades their home and scrutinizes every detail of their life -- and ultimately, it is left to Eileen to deliver the ransom and rescue her husband.

Director: Pieter Jan Brugge
Producer: Jonah Smith, Pieter Jan Brugge, Palmer West
Screenwriter: Justin Haythe
Distributor: Fox
Production Co: Thousand Words
Rating: R (Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 2, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.8M
Runtime: 1h 35m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, Dolby SR, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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