The Believer

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Stephen C @bob25009 Mar 30, 2026 The worldwide gross is $1,300,000.00, less than the budget of $1,500,000.00. See more Kyle M @RT77296778 Feb 16, 2026 Generally strikes a discomforting chord across its discourse that studiously compels upon its lengthened factual basis that was psychologically fleshed out in an unexpected flow confronting religiously complex themes critiqued within the sense of rooted identity. Though the unpleasant unbalance of expressive hatred overwhelms any sense of assuring morality alongside no less extent of insightful seeding that lacked counseling for nuanced attribution, Ryan Gosling’s early role was bitterly met with raw conviction in delving his soulfully layered character. (B) See more Steve D @RT35616104 Sep 25, 2023 Well intended but I found it clunky. See more Ben D @RT87620530 Jan 4, 2023 Where is the missing link? It is established early on that violent skinhead, Danny (Ryan Gosling) is actually Jewish. But… how? The flashbacks show a young Danny (Jacob Green) arguing with his Yeshiva teacher over interpretations of the Torah, but nothing that got us to where we are in early-2000s NYC, where Danny walks around in a red t-shirt adorned with a giant swastika, like, the biggest swastika you could fit on a t-shirt. Danny is the "self-hating Jew" taken to the extreme. The plot see-saws with Danny literally planning and realizing the killing of innocent Jews and showing obeisance to his heritage. It's a struggle that feels unbelievable, yet, Danny even joins a meeting of fascist elites in NYC pontificating on loving Jews because we hate them… or something. It wasn't salient even within the absurdity of the plot. The actual good points the fascists make concern "free trade" and IPOs as the answer to losing community, jobs, and purpose — when these are the people making this argument in the early 2000s, it's unsurprising to see where we are now. Movies from this time period have a feel to them and The Believer is no different — it's something about the lighting and use of close-ups…so many close-ups. The plot almost feels like something you'd see come out of the second half of the 2010s, and yet, Danny is based on a real person. The more I thought about this movie the more points I deducted from my original score. What made Danny change and then change back? It wasn't like he got too in over his head? We first see him pestering, stalking, and then assaulting a Jewish young man on the subway. There also seemed to be one bomb too many to stick the message. Ending was good though and Gosling rules. See more Jul 23, 2021 Just another love they neighbor , kumbiyah fest. Stop picking on me! Wah wah wah. Nine billion people on the planet, humans, you're not that important. Get over yourselves! See more Leaburn O @RT35452347 Feb 15, 2021 Probably the best I've seen of Gosling, his presence is intense and superbly nuanced. A film recommended to me and it is fascinatingly twisted and contorted as a man wrestled with his demons and angst as well as his self identity. Very interesting film. See more Read all reviews

The Believer

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