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The Recruit

The Recruit

Action · Thriller · 2003

A brilliant CIA trainee must prove his worth at the Farm, the agency's secret training grounds, where he learns to watch his back and trust no one.

Movie details

The Recruit

“Trust. Betrayal. Deception. In the C.I.A. nothing is what it seems.”

2003 Action · Thriller 1h 55m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.4 / 10

Community rating

A brilliant CIA trainee must prove his worth at the Farm, the agency's secret training grounds, where he learns to watch his back and trust no one.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over The Recruit?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Mission: Impossible III

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16 Blocks

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An aging cop is assigned the ordinary task of escorting a fast-talking witness from police custody to a courthouse, but they find themselves running the gauntlet as other forces try to prevent them from getting there.

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After his life is turned upside down when his wife is killed in a London terrorist attack, a brilliant but introverted CIA decoder takes matters into his own hands when his supervisors refuse to take action.

The Sentinel

The Sentinel

Action · 2006

Veteran Secret Service agent Pete Garrison investigates a colleague's murder and is subsequently framed as a mole in an assassination attempt on the President due to the machinations of a blackmailer who knows the secret he is hiding. Disgraced, dismissed, and now a fugitive with two relentless federal investigators hot on his heels, Garrison must both clear his name and save the president from assassination.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

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Action · 2014

Jack Ryan, as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.

Back in Action

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Fifteen years after vanishing from the CIA to start a family, elite spies Matt and Emily jump back into the world of espionage when their cover is blown.

The Sum of All Fears

The Sum of All Fears

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When the president of Russia suddenly dies, a man whose politics are virtually unknown succeeds him. The change in political leaders sparks paranoia among American CIA officials, so CIA director Bill Cabot recruits a young analyst to supply insight and advice on the situation. Then the unthinkable happens: a nuclear bomb explodes in a U.S. city, and America is quick to blame the Russians.

Keeping Up with the Joneses

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An ordinary suburban couple finds it’s not easy keeping up with the Joneses – their impossibly gorgeous and ultra-sophisticated new neighbors – especially when they discover that Mr. and Mrs. “Jones” are covert operatives.

The Union

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Action · 2024

A New Jersey construction worker goes from regular guy to aspiring spy when his long-lost high school sweetheart recruits him for an espionage mission.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Roger Donaldson

Written by

Mitch Glazer · Roger Towne · Kurt Wimmer

Colin Farrell

Colin Farrell

James Clayton

Al Pacino

Al Pacino

Walter Burke

Bridget Moynahan

Bridget Moynahan

Layla Moore

Gabriel Macht

Gabriel Macht

Zack

Karl Pruner

Karl Pruner

Dennis Slayne

Eugene Lipinski

Eugene Lipinski

Husky Man

Mike Realba

Mike Realba

Ronnie Gibson

Court is in session

Put The Recruit on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Adrenaline Seeker

“Momentum is a formal choice.”

The velocity sharpens instinct and tension, making every beat land before self-importance can settle in.

The prosecution The Auteur Devotee

“Speed as an alibi.”

The film races past its weak spots and hopes acceleration will keep the audience from inspecting the evidence.