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The Dancer Upstairs
Directed by
John Malkovich
R
2002
2h 12m
Drama
,
Romance
,
and more
6.8
64%
76%
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A police detective in a South American country is dedicated to hunting down a revolutionary guerilla leader.
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Where to Watch The Dancer Upstairs
Amazon Prime Video
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Buy $9.99
Apple TV
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Cast of The Dancer Upstairs
Javier Bardem
Agustín Rejas
Juan Diego Botto
Sucre
Laura Morante
Yolanda
Elvira Mínguez
Llosa
Alexandra Lencastre
Sylvina Rejas
Oliver Cotton
Merino
Luís Miguel Cintra
Calderón
Javier Manrique
Clorindo
Abel Folk
Ezequiel / Durán
Xabier Elorriaga
Pascual
Natalia Dicenta
Marina
John Malkovich
Abimael Guzman (uncredited) / Director / Producer
Wolframio Sinué
Santiago
Lucas Rodríguez
Gómez
Nicholas Shakespeare
Writer
Andrés Vicente Gómez
Producer
The Dancer Upstairs Ratings & Reviews
0 1
September 4, 2025
"The Dancer Upstairs", directed by John Malkovich, is set in a unnamed country but everyone who studied history/war know it's Peru, The story is inspired by the Shining Path’s insurgency. Javier Bardem shines as Agustín Rejas, a Federal Intelligence agency detective hunting a Marxist revolutionary leader before a full revolution starts. The story blends suspense with a subtle romance between Rejas and dance teacher Yolanda (Laura Morante). Malkovich’s direction pairs Peru’s beautiful landscapes Juxtaposed with scenes of extreme violence, reflecting the nation’s turmoil. It’s a compelling watch for fans of thrillers and character-driven stories. The real story of how the leader of Shining Path is captured and subtle references of Alberto Fujimori's corrupt government is well told through this movie. It's one of my favorite movies.
IndieWire
Brandon Judell
With a clever Graham-Greene-esque script, choice acting by the whole ensemble (especially Bardem), fine music by Alberto Iglesias, and the strong directorial control of Malkovich, the film zips along.
Orlando Sentinel
Jay Boyar
The Dancer Upstairs is, like its director, sleek, mysterious and intelligent. But until its last-half hour or so, it is also, unfortunately, mind-numbing.
Austin Chronicle
Marc Savlov
Falters in small but important ways ... while Malkovich stays resolutely behind the camera, a consummate professional who, this time, misses his mark by the merest of degrees.
Detroit News
Tom Long
It is not revolutionary, but it brims with promise and a love of film, and is a fine if worried dance indeed.
Denver Post
Lisa Kennedy
Moving, melancholy, and, yes, political.
Detroit Free Press
Terry Lawson
Reflects its director, being intelligent and elegantly turned-out but distant.
Arizona Republic
Kathy Cano-Murillo
Delivers a haunting story of crime and passion.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Eleanor Ringel Cater
A welcome throwback to a time when political thrillers relied more on character and tone than on car chases and gun battles.
Washington Post
Desson Thomson
A slow-burning affair that may seem exotic but mainly crawls from cliche to cliche.
Washington Post
Stephen Hunter
It's not a great film, but in its reckless audacity ... it's reassuring. Someone's still willing to take a big chance.
Seattle Times
Moira MacDonald
The film may strike some viewers as slow-paced -- it certainly struck me that way, at least some of the time -- but it's a pleasure seeing actors, particularly Bardem, given time to breathe.
San Francisco Chronicle
Mick LaSalle
An adult piece of work, made up mainly of quiet, emotional scenes and detailed performances.
Boston Globe
Ty Burr
Far from perfect but completely unique, the film could best be described as a paranoid South American metaphysical political thriller -- you heard me -- and whatever its failures, they're not ones of nerve or imagination.
Philadelphia Inquirer
Steven Rea
An elegant and intelligent drama.
San Jose Mercury News
Glenn Lovell
Smart, upmarket entertainment.
Rolling Stone
Peter Travers
From this tangled web, Malkovich weaves something delicate and devastating.
Dallas Morning News
Chris Vognar
Atmospheric but dramatically murky, a mood in search of a story.
TIME Magazine
Richard Schickel
It is really quite wonderful, in the age of hyperkinetic thrillers, to encounter a movie that takes the time to record the play of thought and emotion in its characters, to let their conflicts develop in a natural and unforced way.
Premiere Magazine
Glenn Kenny
Malkovich is more interested in hitting notes of elegiac lyricism than delivering socko action; this is a thriller that means to get under your skin rather than make you leap from your seat.
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