Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- foreboding
- gritty
- paranoid
- dark movie night
- crime thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film gripping and well acted, especially praising Washington and Jolie, but considered its serial-killer plot formulaic, implausible, and dramatically underwritten.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Quadriplegic ex-cop Lincoln Rhyme recruits Amelia Donaghy to work crime scenes while he analyzes evidence from his home.
The investigation follows clues embedded in New York locations, taxi routes, books, and crime-scene details.
The killer abducts victims in a taxi and leaves them to die in carefully staged, unusually cruel circumstances.
Rhyme faces profound physical and emotional despair, while Amelia is haunted by her police father's suicide and fears becoming the next victim.
Films like The Bone Collector, and why
Se7en
shared serial killer investigation, grim urban atmosphere, procedural suspense, and psychologically threatening crime mystery
The Silence of the Lambs
shared investigator and killer cat-and-mouse structure, disturbing crime scenes, and intense psychological thriller tone
Kiss the Girls
shared police investigation, serial killer mystery, oppressive suspense, and morally dark urban setting
Along Came a Spider
shared crime procedural framework, damaged investigators, and bleak, high-tension pursuit of a murderer
Movie Details
- Director
- Phillip Noyce
- Release Date
- 1999-11-04
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (4014)
Cast
- Denzel Washington
- Angelina Jolie
- Queen Latifah
- Michael Rooker
- Michael McGlone
- Luis Guzmán
- Leland Orser
- John Benjamin Hickey
- Bobby Cannavale
- Ed O'Neill
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel, Peacock Premium Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Bone Collector about?
- A quadriplegic former detective and a haunted rookie race across New York to decode a serial killer’s sadistic crime scenes before the next victim dies.
- What is The Bone Collector like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Bone Collector as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Bone Collector violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Bone Collector as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Bone Collector?
- Critics broadly found the film gripping and well acted, especially praising Washington and Jolie, but considered its serial-killer plot formulaic, implausible, and dramatically underwritten.
- Which films are like The Bone Collector?
- Films with a similar feel include Se7en, The Silence of the Lambs, Kiss the Girls, and Along Came a Spider.
- How long is The Bone Collector?
- The Bone Collector runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Bone Collector?
- In United States, The Bone Collector streams on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel, Peacock Premium Plus.
