The Lookout

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The Lookout

R,

2007,

1h 38m,

Mystery & Thriller/

Crime/

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

87%

163 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

50,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

163 Reviews

74%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Chris (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a star athlete, has the world at his feet. Then a devastating car accident leaves him with brain damage and his bright future dimmed. He takes a job as a bank janitor and must write everything down in a small notepad in order to remember. Some former schoolmates lure Chris into their inner circle and rope him into helping them carry out a heist at the bank.

Critics Consensus

The Lookout is a genuinely suspenseful and affecting noir due to the great ensemble cast and their complex, realistic characters.

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

Nov 2, 2007

3/5

The Lookout is a well made psychological thriller which only disappoints with its ending.

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Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph (UK)

Nov 2, 2007

It's a pity Frank is too busy laying on the wintry atmospherics to make the story grip as it should.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Nov 2, 2007

4/5

A cracking armed-robbery thriller.

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Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

Jul 20, 2025

3/5

The heist plot's cleverness and preparation is still its strength.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Feb 24, 2021

4/5

...unexpectedly menacing and with a palpable tension throughout...

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

Nov 26, 2020

5/10

There are too many loopholes in the storyline and an undefined set of rules regarding the main character's brain damage, which generate more aggravation than satisfaction.

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Luke P

Nov 3, 2018

Average movie that never really develops into much.

Draco R

May 11, 2018

Great cast. Excellent movie. I'm surprised it wasn't more popular.

Luke R

May 6, 2018

A great movie, but can be slow at times, even though it's never boring.

Rey S

Apr 4, 2018

***1/2 It starts a little slow, and you can't shake the feeling that you've seen it all before, but 'The Lookout' has enough creative input from Writer/Director Scott Frank to make it a worthwhile experience. There's a number of nice little moments and character arcs throughout, and the performances from Joseph Gordon Levitt and Jeff Daniels ensure that the movie is always entertaining; if nothing else.

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Han S

Oct 14, 2017

An original story about a kid with a memory loss problem who can't live a normal life anymore and gets roped into a criminal scheme to rob a bank. Excellent movie.

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Harry M

Oct 1, 2017

It's somewhat predictable with a number of characters story-lines that don't seem to go anywhere, both of which make it seem as if could have done with a little editing. Nevertheless, the pacing isn't put off too much and the story makes its transition from a drama to a thriller smoothly enough. Add to that a compelling performance from Gordon-Levitt (without him, I don't know that it would have been half as good) as the lead, as well as strong supporting cast, and you have a film that isn't quite as clever as it set out to be, but still suspenseful and engaging enough to hold your attention.

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Scott Frank

Director

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Chris

Jeff Daniels

Lewis Canfield

Carla Gugino

Janet

Matthew Goode

Gary

Isla Fisher

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Critical Consensus: Here’s To You, "Robinsons"; "Blades" Needs Sharpening; "Lookout" Worth A Look

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Synopsis

Chris (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a star athlete, has the world at his feet. Then a devastating car accident leaves him with brain damage and his bright future dimmed. He takes a job as a bank janitor and must write everything down in a small notepad in order to remember. Some former schoolmates lure Chris into their inner circle and rope him into helping them carry out a heist at the bank.

Director: Scott Frank
Producer: Gary Barber, Roger Birnbaum, Laurence Mark, Walter F. Parkes
Screenwriter: Scott Frank
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Parkes/MacDonald Image Nation, Miramax Films, Laurence Mark Productions, Spyglass Entertainment
Rating: R (Sexual Content|Language|Some Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 30, 2007, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 21, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $4.6M
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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