Rotten Tomatoes
Suggestions will appear as you start typing. Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

Thank You for Smoking

Play trailer Poster for Thank You for Smoking R 2005 1h 32m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
86% Tomatometer 181 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 250,000+ Ratings
Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), a lobbyist for big tobacco, finds it difficult to balance his duties defending the dangerous substance with those of being a good role model for his young son. Nick's life gets even more complicated when a liberal senator mounts an anti-smoking campaign that he must counter. Based on the novel by Christopher Buckley.
Watch on Fandango Stream Now

Where to Watch

Thank You for Smoking

Thank You for Smoking

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Loaded with delightfully unscrupulous characters and and a witty, cynical script, Thank You For Smoking is a sharp satire with a brilliantly smarmy lead performance from Aaron Eckhart.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Stephanie Zacharek Salon.com Oct 7, 2006
The picture is obviously a satire, but it has no sharpness, no sense of daring. Go to Full Review
Mark Kermode Guardian Jun 24, 2006
There's enough bite in the dialogue and performances to provoke a hacking cough of approval, and the laugh-out-loud moments are many, not least in scenes featuring Rob Lowe's unctuous Hollywood agent. Go to Full Review
Jessica Winter Time Out Jun 24, 2006
Aiming at all targets and hitting none of them, the movie is as harmless and inconsequential as a candy cigarette. Go to Full Review
Diana Tuova Spotlight on Film Aug 9, 2024
4/5
Thank You for Smoking may have an uneven plot and its emotional message does go astray, but it is still a thought-provoking satire on the corporate world and human dilemmas within. Go to Full Review
Michael Clark Epoch Times Oct 17, 2023
4.5/5
If we were to eliminate and outlaw everything that rubbed someone else’s morals the wrong way, we’d never be able to leave our homes, watch R-rated movies, or consume anything but tap water and a vegan diet. Go to Full Review
Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault Sep 20, 2022
B
A fast, bubbly satire that does full justice to the addictive Christopher Buckley novel it’s based on. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Robert P @Superbad 1 day ago Thank You For Smoking is a 4.5 star Movie! See more Evan M @EvanAl 6 days ago Thank You for Smoking is a razor-sharp satire that turns spin, greed, and corporate hypocrisy into a comedy with real bite. Aaron Eckhart is a slick, silver-tongued delight as a lobbyist who can sell just about anything to anyone. The laughs land, the targets deserve it, and the film leaves you wondering if the best liar in the room is also the smartest guy in it. Fresh! See more Gareth V @geewah Oct 16, 2026 It doesn’t bite as hard as it could, and the story is a little light, but the dialogue crackles and Reitman’s debut is a lot of fun. See more Oliver C @OliverClose Oct 7, 2026 Thank You for Smoking is a sharp comedy about the art of selling a lie. Aaron Eckhart gives Nick Naylor the charm of a man who can argue both sides and believe neither. The dialogue is fast, cruel, and smart. Every debate is a fight. Every truth has a price. The film knows the trick. If you control the argument, you do not need to win the truth. See more Maria Q @MariaQe Aug 25, 2026 Thank You for Smoking is a wicked little masterclass in making bad behavior sound like a terrific career opportunity. The dialogue is barbed-wire, the performances are delightfully slippery, and the satire gleefully takes a flamethrower to corporate morality. It’s funny, cynical, and gloriously unapologetic, a movie where the best defense is apparently having a better argument than everyone else. Thank You for Smoking doesn’t just sell the smoke; it sells the whole damn chimney. See more Don J @DonJuilio Aug 12, 2026 Thank You for Smoking is what happens when someone decides that the best defense against an indefensible argument is a really, really good argument. It’s sharp, funny, cynical, and ridiculously entertaining. The dialogue moves like everyone in the room has somewhere else to be and a point they desperately need to win before they get there. And the best part? The movie doesn’t ask you to agree with anyone, it just challenges you to keep up. It’s basically a masterclass in talking your way out of trouble. Which, considering the subject matter, feels pretty appropriate. See more Read all reviews
Thank You for Smoking

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING
The Weather Man 59% 56% The Weather Man Watchlist Duane Hopwood 53% 59% Duane Hopwood Watchlist Lonesome Jim 60% 57% Lonesome Jim Watchlist Game 6 62% 38% Game 6 Watchlist One Last Thing ... 13% 61% One Last Thing ... Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis Nick Naylor (Aaron Eckhart), a lobbyist for big tobacco, finds it difficult to balance his duties defending the dangerous substance with those of being a good role model for his young son. Nick's life gets even more complicated when a liberal senator mounts an anti-smoking campaign that he must counter. Based on the novel by Christopher Buckley.
Director
Jason Reitman
Producer
David Sacks
Screenwriter
Jason Reitman
Production Co
Room 9 Entertainment
Rating
R (Some Sexual Content|Language)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Mar 17, 2006
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 12, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$24.8M
Runtime
1h 32m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings