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The Clearing
Directed by
Pieter Jan Brugge
R
2004
1h 35m
Drama
,
Mystery
,
and more
5.8
43%
32%
Add to Watchlist
As an executive is held captive by a former employee, it's up to his wife to deliver the ransom.
More
Where to Watch The Clearing
Amazon Video
Rent $3.79
Buy $12.99
Apple TV
Rent $3.99
Buy $12.99
Fandango At Home
Rent $3.99
Buy $12.99
+2 more
Cast of The Clearing
Robert Redford
Wayne Hayes
Helen Mirren
Eileen Hayes
Willem Dafoe
Arnold Mack
Alessandro Nivola
Tim Hayes
Matt Craven
Agent Ray Fuller
Melissa Sagemiller
Jill Hayes
Wendy Crewson
Louise Miller
Larry Pine
Tom Finch
Diana Scarwid
Eva Finch
Elizabeth Ruscio
Cindy Mack
Gwen McGee
Agent Kathleen Duggan
Sarah Koskoff
Lane Hayes
Graciela Marin
Graciela
Mike Pniewski
Detective Kyle Woodward
Geoff McKnight
John Dewitt
Tom Arcuragi
Mr. Schmidt
Audrey Wasilewski
Lisa
Peter Gannon
Agent Elkins
Jacqi Loewy
Agent Crew
Matt Miller
Another Agent
Mark Emery Moore
Agent Sullivan
Joel Nunley
Waiter
Ted Manson
Robert Gidden
Jackie Goldston
Reporter (uncredited)
Mark Golik
Convention attendee (uncredited)
John W. Iwanonkiw
FBI Driver (uncredited)
Sarah Spencer Yerger
Reporter (uncredited)
John Yost
FBI Agent (uncredited)
Nathan Wright
Airport Passenger (uncredited)
Jackson Nunn
Subway Passenger (uncredited)
Pieter Jan Brugge
Director / Writer / Producer
Justin Haythe
Writer
Jonah Smith
Producer
Palmer West
Producer
The Clearing Ratings & Reviews
Mister Arn
May 24, 2025
Talented actors without a cohesive script to match their skills.
Common Sense Media
Nell Minow
Good performances almost make it worthwhile.
The New Yorker
Anthony Lane
A thriller stripped of thrills -- or, even worse, a thriller that thinks of itself as somehow rising above the vulgar pleasures of excitement.
Austin Chronicle
Marc Savlov
The easy give-and-take between Redford and Mirren early in the film is flawlessly realistic, but even that couldn't stem the tide of this reviewer's yawns.
Houston Chronicle
Eric Harrison
An intriguing but dramatically stunted psychological thriller about a kidnapping.
Observer
Rex Reed
Everything about it is stultifying, unexceptional and dull.
Detroit Free Press
Terry Lawson
A kidnapping drama that may be too intentionally low-key to qualify as a thriller but that accrues weight and tension as it makes its way through a forest of repressed emotion.
Arizona Republic
Bill Muller
Redford and Dafoe have all the fun, but Mirren exhibits the most talent.
Dallas Morning News
Philip Wuntch
The film is written, directed and enacted with palpable intelligence. But intelligence can seem dull if unleavened by wit or excitement.
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Jeff Strickler
What had been an intelligent and intriguing thriller loses its bearing, its momentum and, eventually, its audience.
Slant Magazine
Joe McGovern
The Clearing needed the firm hand of a Hollywood insubordinate, not a sycophant.
Ebert & Roeper
Richard Roeper
The acting was very effective...
Washington Post
Desson Thomson
We are lured into the woods brimming with expectations, but ultimately, we find ourselves looking for the wrong sort of clearing: a way out.
Washington Post
Stephen Hunter
It stays in character, small, human, bitter and sad.
USA Today
Mike Clark
This is one of those moderately engrossing movies that seems to collapse all at once during the wrap-up, yet it's well-acted all around, especially by its star, who once again reminds us why audiences have liked him for 40 years.
Seattle Times
Moira MacDonald
It's still worth a look, for the pleasures of Mirren's peerlessly dry performance.
San Francisco Chronicle
Ruthe Stein
The brilliance of The Clearing lies in its ability to tell parallel stories and make both equally riveting.
New York Post
Lou Lumenick
It all adds up to an acute character study -- but as a thriller, it's too cerebral to quicken the pulse.
New York Daily News
Jack Mathews
The performances by the three principals are first-rate.
Denver Post
Lisa Kennedy
As fine a performance as Mirren gives -- capturing Eileen's apprehension and sturdiness at once -- Redford is the chief reason to see The Clearing.
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