Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- eerie
- foreboding
- paranoid
- late night horror viewing
- dark mystery marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film atmospheric and unpredictable, with Jessica Biel's committed performance standing out despite an implausible, unwieldy, and sometimes deceptive narrative.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The legend of The Tall Man, the townsfolk's accusations, and successive revelations continually redirect Julia's investigation.
Cold Rock's missing children, local legend, and hostile townsfolk create a claustrophobic rural atmosphere of collective dread.
The disappearances and Julia's pursuit after her own child is taken drive both the suspense and the film's emotional stakes.
The Tall Man legend gradually becomes entangled with the town's concealed explanation for the disappearances.
Films like The Tall Man, and why
The Empty Man
shared psychological horror, missing-child mystery, rural isolation, and reality-shifting twists
The Wicker Man
shared atmospheric mystery, folklore-driven dread, deceptive narrative structure, and emotional investigation
Prisoners
shared child-endangerment anxiety, bleak small-town atmosphere, crime investigation, and morally unsettling revelations
Martyrs
shared unpredictable psychological thriller structure, disturbing imagery, and critiques of social order
Movie Details
- Director
- Pascal Laugier
- Release Date
- 2012-03-19
- Runtime
- 106 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (1274)
Cast
- Jessica Biel
- Jodelle Ferland
- Stephen McHattie
- William B. Davis
- Samantha Ferris
- Colleen Wheeler
- Eve Harlow
- Janet Wright
- Ferne Downey
- John Mann
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo
- 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 Tall Man about?
- A grieving nurse hunts the folkloric kidnapper blamed for Cold Rock’s missing children while a hostile town conceals a far more unsettling reality.
- What is The Tall Man like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Tall Man as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Tall Man violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Tall Man as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Tall Man?
- Critics broadly found the film atmospheric and unpredictable, with Jessica Biel's committed performance standing out despite an implausible, unwieldy, and sometimes deceptive narrative.
- Which films are like The Tall Man?
- Films with a similar feel include The Empty Man, The Wicker Man, Prisoners, and Martyrs.
- How long is The Tall Man?
- The Tall Man runs 106 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Tall Man?
- In United States, The Tall Man streams on Philo.
