High Fidelity

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High Fidelity

R

2000

1h 53m

Romance

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

165 Reviews

90%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Rob Gordon (John Cusack) is the owner of a failing record store in Chicago, where he sells music the old-fashioned way -- on vinyl. Although they have an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music and are consumed by the music scene, it's of no help to Rob, whose needle skips the love groove when his long-time girlfriend, Laura (Iben Hjejle), walks out on him. As he examines his failed attempts at romance and happiness, the process finds him being dragged, kicking and screaming, into adulthood.

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Critics Consensus

The deft hand of director Stephen Frears and strong performances by the ensemble cast combine to tell an entertaining story with a rock-solid soundtrack.

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Steven Rea

Philadelphia Inquirer

02/10/2014

3.5/4

High Fidelity, with its knowing take on men, messed-up romance and music, is like one long, hook-filled pop song for the eyes.

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Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

02/10/2014

It is still a bit wimpy and sugary, but it's definitely entertaining, and the translation to American accelerates the tempo refreshingly.

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Nathan Rabin

AV Club

02/10/2014

A film pragmatic enough to concede that almost every relationship is doomed, but romantic enough to realize that it's worth it to carry on in spite of that fact, High Fidelity is one of the smartest and funniest romantic comedies of the past few years.

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Andy Punter

InSession Film

04/28/2025

B

For all its flaws, its structural scruffiness, its occasionally indulgent protagonist, High Fidelity remains compelling because it understands something fundamental about fandom, identity, and the fear of commitment.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

09/16/2023

3.5/4

Insightful in exploring the manner in which people’s perceptions of each other are colored not by actual shifts in personality but by circumstances that are often beyond anyone’s control.

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Charlotte Harrison

Charlotte Sometimes Goes to the Movies

08/24/2021

Few films capture the healing power of music or the harsh reality of love & break-ups.

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Sabra P

@Sabrapriz Aug 6

High Fidelity understands that the biggest battles rarely happen in the streets, they happen inside the stories we tell ourselves about love, regret, and the songs that soundtrack both. It's sharp, funny, and unexpectedly tender, peeling back layers of ego until something honest is left standing. The film reminds you that growing up isn't about finding the perfect ending; it's about learning to stop editing the past and start listening to the present.

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Blobbo X

@Blobbo Jul 31

Cusack really not leading man material. Movie too long, thin. Jack Black annoying turd, clown. Couple nice shots Chicago.

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Andy S

@PappyVanHalen Jul 18

This movie is objectively horrible. Waste of cast. No plot, tedious, bad dialogue. Cusak talking to the camera for tiresome quickly.

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Jennifer M

@buttonsthecat Jul 13

This movie is bad and I could barely finish it. The movie spends more than an hour trying to convince the main character that the love interest is a catch, but she is not. She is full of herself. She is a manipulator. For example, she uses her father's death to try to get the guy to get back with her. She acts as though she is wiser than him, but she quickly moves on to another guy, even if the main character cheated on her. Throughout the film, she is actually creating an illusion of what a love story should be and further shows that the character is being manipulated into believing a fantasy, despite the character saying he is not after a "fantasy".

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Brian E.

@Bryno Dec 19

With all the flaws that Rob has, you can’t help but want to hang out in the record store.

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Julian B

@Spursy153 Nov 2

My favourite John Cusack movie, highly recommend to watch

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Stephen Frears

Director

John Cusack

Rob

Iben Hjejle

Laura

Todd Louiso

Dick

Jack Black

Barry

Lisa Bonet

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High Fidelity: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Rob Gordon (John Cusack) is the owner of a failing record store in Chicago, where he sells music the old-fashioned way -- on vinyl. Although they have an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music and are consumed by the music scene, it's of no help to Rob, whose needle skips the love groove when his long-time girlfriend, Laura (Iben Hjejle), walks out on him. As he examines his failed attempts at romance and happiness, the process finds him being dragged, kicking and screaming, into adulthood.

Director: Stephen Frears
Producer: Tim Bevan, Rudd Simmons
Screenwriter: Nick Hornby, D.V. DeVincentis, Steve Pink, John Cusack, Scott Rosenberg
Distributor: Touchstone Pictures
Production Co: New Crime Productions, Touchstone Pictures, Working Title Films, Dogstar Films
Rating: R (Some Sexuality|Language)
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 31, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 23, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $27.3M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, DTS, SDDS, Surround, Dolby Digital, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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