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John Q

Play trailer Poster for John Q PG-13 2002 1h 58m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
26% Tomatometer 133 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Story centers on a man whose nine-year-old son is in desperate need of a life-saving transplant. When he discovers that his medical insurance won't cover the costs of the surgery and alternative government aid is unavailable, John Q. Archibald (Denzel Washington) takes a hospital emergency room hostage in a last-ditch attempt to save his child.
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John Q

John Q

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Critics Consensus

Washington's performance rises above the material, but John Q pounds the audience over the head with its message.

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Critics Reviews

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Jeff Strickler Minneapolis Star Tribune 11/06/2002
2/4
A polemic in search of a plot. Go to Full Review Steven D. Greydanus Decent Films 05/09/2002
D-
"What John does is heroic, but we don't condone it," one of the film's stars recently said, a tortuous comment that perfectly illustrates the picture's moral schizophrenia. Go to Full Review Neil Smith BBC.com 04/22/2002
2/5
Doesn't so much need a heart as a brain transplant. Go to Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews 02/03/2024
3.5/4
...Washington offers up a consistently spellbinding turn that goes a long way towards smoothing over the narrative’s bumps and lulls... Go to Full Review Justin Brown Medium Popcorn 11/20/2022
3/5
I liked this movie but some of the performances like Eddie Griffin threw the tone off a bit. But all in all, Denzel does such a great job in this film and does everything he can to carry it to the finish line. Go to Full Review Brandon Collins Medium Popcorn 11/20/2022
3/5
Denzel carries this movie on his back, which saves the movie from fully drowning. It should've been a great Denzel movie but because of its flaws, it is just "ok". Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Sean Z @zwick 1d Wrote a review solely to say Bob Z is a POS. I can tell he has some sort of subliminal feeling towards black people. #petitiontoexecuteBobZ See more Bob Z @Bobzacamano76 Feb 9 So ridiculous. Some creep holds up an entire ER because his son was not feeling well. Lame. See more Michael A @Kinich61 Jan 27 What a nonsensical disparity between the Tomatometer and the Popcornmeter on this film, probably because this film requires both critical thinking and being humane. Never been more relevant a topic than now. See more Matheus F @matheusf_neto Sep 8 I still think it's a good movie with an amazing cast. See more Korra N Aug 19 Gripping, heart-wrenching and propelled by Denzel's phenomenal performance, John Q is hard but necessary watch. See more karen n @karen99 Jul 28 Outstanding performances edge of your seat movie. Gripping and thrilling. All star cast! Highly recommend it! See more Read all reviews
John Q

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Cast & Crew

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Nick Cassavetes

Director

Denzel Washington

John Q. Archibald

Robert Duvall

Grimes

James Woods

Dr. Turner

Anne Heche

Rebecca Payne

Eddie Griffin

Lester

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John Q

(l to r): Robert Duvall and Ray Liotta star in New Line Cinema's John Q. Denzel Washington stars in New Line Cinema's John Q. (l to r): Kimberly Elise, Daniel E. Smith and Denzel Washington star in New Line Cinema's John Q. Denzel Washington stars in New Line Cinema's John Q. Director Nick Cassavetes on the set of New Line Cinema's John Q. (l to r): Denzel Washington and Robert Duvall star in New Line Cinema's John Q. (left to right) Denzel Washington, Daniel E. Smith and Kimberly Elise star in New Line Cinema's John Q. James Woods (left) and Denzel Washington star in New Line Cinema's action-thriller, JOHN Q. (left to right) Ray Liotta, Anne Heche and Robert Duvall star in New Line Cinema's John Q. Ray Liotta stars in New Line Cinema's John Q. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Story centers on a man whose nine-year-old son is in desperate need of a life-saving transplant. When he discovers that his medical insurance won't cover the costs of the surgery and alternative government aid is unavailable, John Q. Archibald (Denzel Washington) takes a hospital emergency room hostage in a last-ditch attempt to save his child.
Director
Nick Cassavetes
Producer
Mark Burg, Oren Koules
Screenwriter
James Kearns
Distributor
New Line Cinema
Production Co
Evolution Entertainment
Rating
PG-13 (Language|Intense Thematic Elements|Violence)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 15, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 15, 2010
Box Office (Gross USA)
$71.0M
Runtime
1h 58m
Sound Mix
Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, SDDS, DTS-ES, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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