The Rules of Attraction

Play trailer

1:54

The Rules of Attraction

R

2002

1h 50m

Comedy

Drama

Romance

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

45%

Tomatometer

142 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, "Rules" centers around Patrick Bateman's younger brother and his college friends' bizarre mating rituals that mix sex, drugs, music and mayhem in a kaleidoscopic story about three students entangled in a curiously surreal romantic triangle...

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

A tiresome movie about unsympathetic college kids engaging in self-destructive behaviors.

Read Critics Reviews

Barbara Ellen

The Times (UK)

01/03/2018

This is an exercise that is in love with its own superficiality, delighted with an emptiness that was all it ever aspired to, and yet it manages to turn into a better movie than it has any right to be.

Go to Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

12/29/2010

2/5

Not for kids, and not for many adults, either.

Go to Full Review

J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

02/11/2008

Actually I quite enjoyed the movie--but how do I get rid of this awful discharge?

Go to Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 16

1/4

This atrocious movie hits all the keywords for conjuring up foul imagery: "misogyny"; "rape"; "vomit"; "scatology"; "nose-picking"; "Bret Easton Ellis."

Go to Full Review

Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Feb 13

5/5

…an anything-goes adaptation of a fairly unfilmable novel, Roger Avary's The Rules of Attraction is without a doubt the best thing that James Van Der Beek ever did, a courageous and shocking piece of acting that is a great way to remember him….’

Go to Full Review

Michael Cuby

them.

11/02/2022

The Rules of Attraction is a mind-blowingly fun comedy about young college students that apparently have nothing better to do...

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Trevor B

@TrevBills Apr 14

So sad that these kinds of movies don't really exist anymore

See more

Ryein E.

@mustyladonna Feb 18

RIP James Van Der Beek!!

See more

thiago s

@Thiagostone Oct 29

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajudou a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom.

See more

Horror fan 4

@Horrorfan4life Sep 2

A well made movie with a stellar cast. The ending was fantastic. Tim Treakle

See more

Shaun R

@Shaun666 06/20/2025

Underrated film. Enjoyable and surprisingly dark, without taking itself too seriously. The joys and tragedy of being young is well caught here.

See more

Brad S. R

@RT07389644 03/30/2025

A well made film about a group of shallow and unpleasant people.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Roger Avary

Director

James Van Der Beek

Sean Bateman

Ian Somerhalder

Paul Denton

Shannyn Sossamon

Lauren Hynde

Jessica Biel

Lara

Kip Pardue

Victor

View more videos

Adaptation

90%

85%

Adaptation

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Adaptation

Human Nature

48%

61%

Human Nature

Watchlist

11:14

91%

76%

11:14

Watchlist

TRAILER

for 11:14

Storytelling

54%

67%

Storytelling

Watchlist

Coffee and Cigarettes

63%

75%

Coffee and Cigarettes

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Terry Gilliam’s Good Omens — and Bad

"Silent Hill" Inspired by a (Real) Creepy Town?

Trailer Bulletin: Silent Hill

The Rules of Attraction: Trailer 1

1:54

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Based on the novel by Bret Easton Ellis, "Rules" centers around Patrick Bateman's younger brother and his college friends' bizarre mating rituals that mix sex, drugs, music and mayhem in a kaleidoscopic story about three students entangled in a curiously surreal romantic triangle...

Director: Roger Avary
Producer: Greg Shapiro
Screenwriter: Bret Easton Ellis, Roger Avary
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: Kingsgate Films
Rating: R (Language|Drug Use|Strong Sexual Content|Violent Images)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 11, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 2, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.5M
Runtime: 1h 50m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings