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The Guard

Play trailer Poster for The Guard R,  2011,  1h 35m,  Comedy/ Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 94% 136 Reviews Tomatometer 81% 25,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
94% Tomatometer 136 Reviews 81% Popcornmeter 25,000+ Ratings
A vulgar Irish cop (Brendan Gleeson) and a straight-laced American FBI agent (Don Cheadle) uncover police corruption among the former's superiors while probing a drug-trafficking ring.
The Guard

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A violent, crackerjack comedy with a strong Irish flavor and an eminently likable Brendan Gleeson in the main role.

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Critics Reviews

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Jim Schembri The Age (Australia) Oct 18, 2011
3.5/5
The Guard offers an offbeat take on a genre without skimping on the violence or gunplay. Go to Full Review
Liam Lacey Globe and Mail Aug 26, 2011
3/4
Although The Guard is primarily a language romp, it's also a terrific showcase for veteran pug-faced character actor Brendan Gleeson. Go to Full Review
Peter Howell Toronto Star Aug 26, 2011
3/4
Brendan Gleeson is a blooming marvel. Go to Full Review
Mike Massie Gone With The Twins Apr 28, 2026
9/10
Gleeson is perfectly cast as the disgruntled, bitter lead – a no-nonsense yet excessively sardonic character who doesn’t do anything by the books, but get results anyway. Go to Full Review
Mark Seneviratne Vague Visages Mar 26, 2024
There is no analytical framework to guide audiences towards a hollow understanding of raw talent. Gleeson's charisma is built-in, like all legendary performers, and this is most evident when his characters behave despicably. Go to Full Review
Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review Mar 1, 2023
3.5/4
Gleeson has rarely been better or been given such a showcase for his talent. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Kylo L Jan 22, 2019 I'm not sure I've ever seen a movie with as dry a wit and as gorgeous a cinematography. If you can't handle racist jokes or a good amount of swearing don't bother seeing this movie otherwise it's definitely worth your time. See more
Luke R Nov 9, 2018 This film was solid.
Anakin S Oct 5, 2018 Got it right with "THE GUARD'. Nice to see intelligence rewarded...
Albus P Sep 17, 2018 fixated in its self-created hallucination of updating the mockery.. The Guard The Guard is a plot driven comic thriller about two cops of different personalities working together in order to catch drug smugglers that results in a chaos. It is flat out hilarious on every single uncouth line of it, that is not only amusing to the core but is deeply honest and is quoted humorously too by the cast. The primary reason why the humor works so smoothly in here is because it doesn't rely upon forcibly imputed sketchy sequences nor the gags in here are repetitive or futile. The structure of the script is familiar considering the "buddy cop" genre, it is fixated in its self-created hallucination of updating the mockery. The background score isn't up to the mark but the sound effects are sharp, cinematography isn't that impressive and neither is camera work and editing; accounting all in, makes it short on technical aspects. Gleason's behemoth hearty performance pumps this tale louder and harder than it ever could where the key to its instant connection is the innocence that his portrayal dwells on. Cheadle is sensible yet equally funny with a decent supporting cast like strong Strong and cunning Cunningham. The writer-director McDonaugh's world may be funny and skeptic but is accurately practical that helps ground these characters of such range and offer this lighter bubble the appropriate gravitas. The investigation followed in here isn't rudimentary at all, it is just a breath of fresh air. As the screenplay enfolds, it gets more intense, personal, gritty and sharp that offers the apt cathartic experience to the viewers. The slick whimsical tone of each character that defines them, three dimensional characters and brimful of tiny smart notions that ups the ante of the game are the high points of the feature. The Guard adds their name to the richest of those "buddy cop" genre features with its busy font. See more
Anakin R Aug 20, 2018 The greatest Irish film of all time
Poe M May 20, 2018 Amazing film, gets better every time you watch.
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The Guard

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis A vulgar Irish cop (Brendan Gleeson) and a straight-laced American FBI agent (Don Cheadle) uncover police corruption among the former's superiors while probing a drug-trafficking ring.
Director
John Michael McDonagh
Producer
Chris Clark, Flora Fernandez-Marengo, Ed Guiney, Andrew Lowe
Screenwriter
John Michael McDonagh
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Element Films, Reprisal Films, UK Film Council
Rating
R (Pervasive Language|Drug Material|Sexual Content|Some Violence)
Genre
Comedy, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 29, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 25, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$5.4M
Runtime
1h 35m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital
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