John Q

Directed by Nick Cassavetes

PG-13

2002 1h 56mCrime, Drama,

7.126%78%7.1

Add to Watchlist

John Quincy Archibald's son Michael collapsed while playing baseball as a result of heart failure. He and his wife Denise rush him to a hospital emergency room where John is informed that Michael's only hope is a transplant. Unfortunately, John's insurance won't cover the transplant. Out of options, he takes the emergency room staff and patients hostage until the surgeons come to an agreement to do the transplant.

Where to Watch John Q

John Q Ratings & Reviews

Eric BakkeJuly 16, 2025
A fairly mediocre film, but it's elevated by one of Denzel Washington’s most powerful performances—especially in the near-final, heartbreaking scene with his son. It’s worth watching for him alone. I also fondly remember seeing this in the theatre, where the crowd shouted at Anne Heche’s character in frustration—which only added to the experience.

Watch John Q Videos

John Q
John QTrailer

John Q Trivia

John Q was released on February 15, 2002.

John Q was directed by Nick Cassavetes.

John Q has a runtime of 1h 56m.

John Q was produced by Oren Koules, Mark Burg.

The key characters in John Q are John Quincy Archibald (Denzel Washington), Dr. Raymond Turner (James Woods), Denise Archibald (Kimberly Elise).

John Q is rated PG-13.

John Q is a Crime, Drama, Thriller film.

John Q has an audience rating of 7.8 out of 10.

Take Plex everywhere

Watch free anytime, anywhere, on almost any device.

See the full list of supported devices