Falling Down

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Falling Down

R

1993

1h 55m

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

77%

Tomatometer

60 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

A middle-aged man dealing with both unemployment and divorce, William Foster (Michael Douglas) is having a bad day. When his car breaks down on a Los Angeles highway, he leaves his vehicle and begins a trek across the city to attend his daughter's birthday party. As he makes his way through the urban landscape, William's frustration and bitterness become more evident, resulting in violent encounters with various people, including a vengeful gang and a dutiful veteran cop (Robert Duvall).

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Critics Consensus

Falling Down's popcorn-friendly take on its complex themes proves disquieting -- and ultimately fitting for a bleakly entertaining picture of one man's angry break with reality.

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Mick LaSalle

San Francisco Chronicle

01/11/2023

4/4

A brilliant drama with black-comic undertones. The film is directed by Joel Schumacher and stars Michael Douglas, in what may be the best performance of his career,

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

07/18/2011

None of the characters ever rises beyond the level of his or her generic functions, and by the end the overall emptiness of the conception becomes fully apparent.

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Richard Schickel

TIME Magazine

07/18/2011

Let's face it, there is an element of truth in the character of D-FENS. But it is, finally, tabloid truth.

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Nick Rogers

Midwest Film Journal

Jul 21

3.5/5

Despite strong performances from Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall, "Falling Down" gets more toothless as it goes. While it's engaging and slick, it's ultimately a eunuchized provocation.

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Niall Browne

Movies in Focus

Jul 21

4/5

Joel Schumacher’s Falling Down is a film which manages to be as relevant and incendiary today as it was when it was first released back in 1993.

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Joshua Tyler

Giant Freakin Robot

Jun 23

Falling Down achieved the opposite of its intent. Rather than empowering real-world Martin Prendergasts, it finished the job of silencing them.

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Romas M

@Romas 3d

Greetings from Lithuania. Michael Douglas starred in "Falling Down" (1993), a good thriller about a desperate and a bit of unstable man caught in a desperate world, until the braking point makes him grab a weapon and unleash his rage on streets. If that premise sounds like a clear social commentary, well then it is - it is written all over it. I liked this movie back in the day and I liked it as much in 2026 upon revisiting it on newly released 4K remaster. Michael Douglas and Robert Duvall both are excellent here and directing by Joel Schumacher bring a lot to this simple story. The city itself is represented like hell itself and a man tries to get through it to home. Overall, at its running time 1 h 48 min this is a solidly paced movie and the good premise is executed great as well. Good movie in every way.

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Oscar T

@ScarfaceRampage May 11

Growing up is realizing he was the good guy

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Dave P

@RT77480603 May 2

Maybe one of the most important and slightly underrated films of the 90's. An incredible cinematic exploration of the psychological effects of urban society and American apathy.

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Troy R

@Grim16 Apr 25

Expected more comedy, more serious show of how someone can breakdown in society. As with Fight club the similarities between now and then are so sadly similar. Better cop side than I expected, all the clips of the movie are based around the insane acts of the main character, but the main cop had some decent story as well. Overall great acting.

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Chandler T

@RT01674623 Apr 10

It's a great movie! The plot has NO loose ends and it is a cinematic master piece. I would recommend you to watch this if you are on a date. Good sex movie if you know what i mean. #blumpkin!

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Michael M

@Scatman Mar 28

This is Joel Schumacher's awesome masterpiece and for sure one of Michael Douglas‘ best performances. I could watch this one over and over again. Hard to believe it did not win any relevant accolade - in fact, it wasn’t even nominated for Golden Globes and the Oscars.

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Synopsis

A middle-aged man dealing with both unemployment and divorce, William Foster (Michael Douglas) is having a bad day. When his car breaks down on a Los Angeles highway, he leaves his vehicle and begins a trek across the city to attend his daughter's birthday party. As he makes his way through the urban landscape, William's frustration and bitterness become more evident, resulting in violent encounters with various people, including a vengeful gang and a dutiful veteran cop (Robert Duvall).

Director: Joel Schumacher
Producer: Timothy Hyde Harris, Arnold Kopelson, Herschel Weingrod
Screenwriter: Ebbe Roe Smith
Distributor: Warner Bros.
Production Co: Regency Enterprises, Warner Bros., Le Studio Canal +, Alcor Films
Rating: R
Genre: Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 26, 1993, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): May 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $40.4M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR

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