The Believer
A fiercely provocative young man turns hatred of his Jewish heritage into an extremist identity, forcing a collision between ideology, shame, and belonging.
Overview
A gripping exploration of faith and identity in a world of intolerance.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- confrontational
- intense
- alienated
- serious movie night
- social issue film discussion
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an intellectually provocative and emotionally powerful drama led by Ryan Gosling’s raw, electrifying performance, while some found its political movement and psychology underdeveloped.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Danny Balint’s antisemitism is inseparable from his Jewish heritage and his contempt for what he believes that heritage represents.
Danny’s private religious and cultural conflict develops alongside his involvement with a neo-Nazi political circle.
Danny commits hate crimes and publicly advocates intolerance while remaining internally divided, making the film intentionally difficult rather than redemptive.
Danny’s confrontation with Holocaust survivors connects his rage to unresolved questions about Jewish passivity, memory, and inherited suffering.
Films like The Believer, and why
American History X
Shares an intense coming-of-age drama structure centered on alienated youth, identity conflict, and self-destructive behavior.
This Is England
Like this film, it explores extremist ideology, antisemitism, and the corrosive effects of hatred through a psychologically confrontational drama.
The Basketball Diaries
Both are provocative psychological dramas about troubled young men whose identities are shaped by bigotry, shame, and social alienation.
Movie Details
- Director
- Henry Bean
- Release Date
- 2001-08-23
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 6.9 / 10 (695)
Cast
- Ryan Gosling
- Summer Phoenix
- Theresa Russell
- Billy Zane
- Garret Dillahunt
- A.D. Miles
- Glenn Fitzgerald
- Elizabeth Reaser
- Joshua Harto
- Ronald Guttman
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Believer about?
- A fiercely provocative young man turns hatred of his Jewish heritage into an extremist identity, forcing a collision between ideology, shame, and belonging.
- What is The Believer like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Believer as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Believer violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Believer as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Believer?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an intellectually provocative and emotionally powerful drama led by Ryan Gosling’s raw, electrifying performance, while some found its political movement and psychology underdeveloped.
- Which films are like The Believer?
- Films with a similar feel include American History X, This Is England, and The Basketball Diaries.
- How long is The Believer?
- The Believer runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Believer?
- In United States, The Believer streams on fuboTV.
