Overview
A hostage situation spirals into a race against time to uncover the truth behind a deadly conspiracy.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- tense
- paranoid
- urgent
- movie night
- thriller marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film entertaining and well acted, with F. Gary Gray's confident direction and the formidable Jackson-Spacey pairing compensating for an overlong, overwrought story.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Danny Roman is framed for his partner's murder and pension-fund embezzlement while uncovering corruption within the department.
Roman seizes Internal Affairs hostages and forces Chris Sabian into an extended battle of persuasion, trust, and tactical inference.
Samuel L. Jackson and Kevin Spacey anchor the film as rival expert negotiators whose primary weapons are argument, deception, and psychological pressure.
The central hostage situation unfolds inside a barricaded Internal Affairs office, using confinement to sustain suspense.
Films like The Negotiator, and why
Inside Man
shared hostage negotiation premise, conspiracy thriller mechanics, and intense verbal standoffs
L.A. Confidential
shared police corruption, urban crime investigation, and pressured law-enforcement protagonists
Dog Day Afternoon
shared contained siege structure, escalating suspense, and morally complicated police conflict
Movie Details
- Director
- F. Gary Gray
- Release Date
- 1998-07-29
- Runtime
- 140 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (2501)
Cast
- Samuel L. Jackson
- Kevin Spacey
- David Morse
- Ron Rifkin
- John Spencer
- J.T. Walsh
- Siobhan Fallon Hogan
- Paul Giamatti
- Regina Taylor
- Bruce Beatty
Where to watch in United States
- 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 Negotiator about?
- A framed Chicago police negotiator takes hostages to expose the conspiracy that destroyed his career, forcing a rival specialist into a high-stakes battle of trust and strategy.
- What is The Negotiator like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Negotiator as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Negotiator violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Negotiator as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Negotiator?
- Critics generally found the film entertaining and well acted, with F. Gary Gray's confident direction and the formidable Jackson-Spacey pairing compensating for an overlong, overwrought story.
- Which films are like The Negotiator?
- Films with a similar feel include Inside Man, L.A. Confidential, and Dog Day Afternoon.
- How long is The Negotiator?
- The Negotiator runs 140 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Negotiator?
- In United States, The Negotiator is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
