Law Abiding Citizen (2009)
Justice at any cost.
A frustrated man decides to take justice into his own hands after a plea bargain sets one of his family's killers free. He targets not only the killer but also the district attorney and others involved in the deal.
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| Type | Movie |
|---|---|
| Released | 15 October 2009 |
| Genre | Drama, Crime, Thriller |
| Director | F. Gary Gray |
| Starring | Jamie Foxx, Gerard Butler and Colm Meaney |
| Runtime | 109 min |
| Rated | R |
| Scores | Rotten Tomatoes (average) 4.4/10 · Rotten Tomatoes 26% · Metacritic 34/100 · TMDB users 7.4/10 |
| Budget | $53 million |
Where to watch Law Abiding Citizen
Law Abiding Citizen is streaming on Netflix ($19.99 a month) in the US. If that is the only reason to subscribe, one month of Netflix is $19.99 at list price.
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Rent or buy
You can rent or buy Law Abiding Citizen on Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube and Fandango at Home.
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| Brazil | Netflix R$51.90, Max R$34.90 |
| Chile | Netflix $7190 CLP, Prime Video $6490 CLP, Max $9590 CLP |
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| Ecuador | Netflix $5.99, Prime Video $5.99, Max $8.29 |
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| Finland | Prime Video €6.99, Viaplay €13.99 |
| French Guiana | Netflix |
| Germany | Netflix €15.99 |
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| Italy | Skygo, Now TV |
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| Japan | Hulu, U-NEXT ¥2189 JPY |
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| Luxembourg | Netflix €10.99 |
| Mexico | Netflix $269 MXN, Prime Video $99 MXN, Max $149 MXN |
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| Norway | Prime Video 79 kr NOK, Viaplay 169 kr NOK |
| Panama | Netflix $5.99, Prime Video $5.99, Max $8.29 |
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| Peru | Netflix S/28.90, Prime Video S/25.90, Max S/35.90 |
| South Korea | Netflix ₩13500 |
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| Sweden | Prime Video 69 kr SEK, Viaplay 169 kr SEK |
| Switzerland | Netflix CHF14.90 |
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| Uruguay | Netflix about $U482, Prime Video $U249, Max $U399 |
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What kind of watch this is
F. Gary Gray directs a 109-minute thriller where the line between victim and villain gets deliberately blurred. Gerard Butler plays Clyde Alexander Shelton, a man whose grief curdles into a systematic campaign against the legal system that let his family's killers walk free. He does not just hunt the killer; he targets the district attorney and the police who facilitated the plea bargain. The tone is cold and procedural, stripping away the usual emotional catharsis for a colder, more calculated dread. It is a film about the terrifying efficiency of someone who has decided the rules no longer apply to them.
What the critics said
Rotten Tomatoes assigns it a 26% score, based on 162 reviews. That translates to an average of 4.4 out of 10. Metacritic lands at 34 out of 100, which signals generally unfavorable reception. Critics often liked the premise but disliked the execution. Roger Ebert gave it three out of four stars. He called it "the kind of movie you will like more at the time than in retrospect." He added, "Still, there's something to be said for a movie you like well enough at the time." The consensus notes the film is "plagued by subpar acting and a story that defies reason.
How it did with audiences
Budgeted at $53 million, Law Abiding Citizen grossed $128 million worldwide. That margin is comfortable enough to satisfy an accountant, though the studio likely preferred a wider gap. In the US and Canada, it earned $73.4 million, while other territories added $54.6 million. The opening weekend pulled in $21 million, landing second behind Where the Wild Things Are. On TMDB, users rate it 7.4 out of 10.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Law Abiding Citizen.
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Sources
- Law Abiding Citizen on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q951071 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Law Abiding Citizen” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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