Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- Moderate
- raunchy
- witty
- chaotic
- casual movie night
- road trip movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly agreed that Melissa McCarthy's energetic, emotionally layered performance could not overcome a thin, contrived, and uneven road-comedy script.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Diana's impersonation of Sandy disrupts his credit, employment, and family life, making modern identity fraud the central engine of the plot.
Sandy transports Diana across the country while pursuing justice, and their hostile arrangement slowly becomes collaborative.
The journey includes bounty hunters, police trouble, prison-related danger, and repeated violent or humiliating comic set pieces.
Diana's criminal behavior is gradually placed alongside remorse, loneliness, and the possibility of changed relationships.
Films like Identity Thief, and why
Midnight Run
shares a mismatched buddy pairing, cross-country pursuit, criminal complications, and abrasive comedy
Planes, Trains & Automobiles
shares a reluctant pair forced together during a chaotic journey, with escalating misadventures and personal growth
The Heat
shares a crime-comedy setup, a difficult fugitive, and comedic tension between incompatible personalities
Due Date
shares a road comedy structure, identity-related deception, and broad physical humor
Movie Details
- Director
- Seth Gordon
- Release Date
- 2013-02-07
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 5.9 / 10 (3576)
Cast
- Jason Bateman
- Melissa McCarthy
- Jon Favreau
- Amanda Peet
- T.I.
- Genesis Rodriguez
- Morris Chestnut
- John Cho
- Robert Patrick
- Eric Stonestreet
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel
- 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 Identity Thief about?
- A mild-mannered accountant chases the woman who stole his identity across America, only to become her unlikely partner in survival and self-discovery.
- What is Identity Thief like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Identity Thief as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Identity Thief violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Identity Thief as moderate.
- What did critics think of Identity Thief?
- Critics broadly agreed that Melissa McCarthy's energetic, emotionally layered performance could not overcome a thin, contrived, and uneven road-comedy script.
- Which films are like Identity Thief?
- Films with a similar feel include Midnight Run, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, The Heat, and Due Date.
- How long is Identity Thief?
- Identity Thief runs 111 minutes.
- Where can I watch Identity Thief?
- In United States, Identity Thief streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Starz Apple TV channel.
