Motherless Brooklyn

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2:33

Motherless Brooklyn

R

2019

2h 24m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

219 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Verified Ratings

Lionel Essrog is a lonely private detective who doesn't let Tourette's syndrome stand in the way of his job. Gifted with a few clues and an obsessive mind, Lionel sets out to solve the murder of Frank Minna -- his mentor and only friend. Scouring the jazz clubs and slums of Brooklyn and Harlem, Essrog soon uncovers a web of secrets while contending with thugs, corruption and the most dangerous man in the city.

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Critics Consensus

Motherless Brooklyn's imposing length requires patience, but strong performances and a unique perspective make this a mystery worth investigating.

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

Feb 26, 2020

4/5

If that sounds worthy, well-meaning and incredibly dull, I can only say that Norton makes it work, spinning it into a twisting narrative that, admittedly, does require your concentration.

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David Stratton

The Australian

Feb 25, 2020

4/5

The narrative and the characters are so interesting, and the whole theme...so riveting that Norton's immensely ambitious film succeeds as a compelling exercise in neo-film noir.

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

Horror Nonna

Dec 10, 2019

Motherless Brooklyn is a love-letter to the long-held focus across film noir on masculinity in crisis, but through Lethem's source material and Norton's deep engagement with it, something genuinely fresh explodes out of seemingly familiar material.

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Gemma Creagh

Film Ireland Magazine

Jun 5, 2026

The striking visual themes are all elevated by the outstanding, immersive production design.

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David Griffiths

Subculture Entertainment

Oct 29, 2024

4/5

Very few films have made me feel like I wanted to turn around and go back into the cinema to watch it again – but this one did. This is a beautiful suspense film that showcases some of amazing acting talents while never losing its unique noir feeling.

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Jillian Chilingerian

Offscreen With Jillian

Aug 11, 2023

It is an interesting idea but doesn't translate well off the page.

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Michael L

Aug 7, 2020

With the star power in this movie I had HIGH expectations and it fell short of that but it was still an alright movie. If you waited for Red Box you wouldn't be disappointed.

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Karrien

Dec 31, 2019

The story was interesting but not succinct. The plot progressed too slowly and somewhat unclearly. I felt that the movie was too long and that Alec Baldwin's role was not well-written. Baldwin's talents did not shine. He could have played a stronger and more dramatic role. Ed Norton's character was interesting and well played. Bruce Willis's role was short-lived, and that was a shame.

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marie78

Dec 20, 2019

Ed Norton is a great actor but this movie lacked a lot including development, purpose and it was far too long. I waited to see it when it made it to the “discount” theater and I still feel cheated (mostly of my time). I constantly checked my watch and even heard a man snoring in the middle of the movie. Please wait for this to hit Netflix or cable.

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Oscar

Dec 3, 2019

Started out really slow in storyline/plot development. The last 25-30 minutes were very good. Norton’s acting was definitely Oscar worthy.

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Chigako Y

Dec 1, 2019

if you are live in NYC, u got to see this movie!

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D

Nov 30, 2019

It was a great detective noir film! Loved the characters and Alex Bladwins bad guy

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Director

Edward Norton

Lionel Essrog

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Synopsis

Lionel Essrog is a lonely private detective who doesn't let Tourette's syndrome stand in the way of his job. Gifted with a few clues and an obsessive mind, Lionel sets out to solve the murder of Frank Minna -- his mentor and only friend. Scouring the jazz clubs and slums of Brooklyn and Harlem, Essrog soon uncovers a web of secrets while contending with thugs, corruption and the most dangerous man in the city.

Director: Edward Norton
Producer: Bill Migliore, Edward Norton, Michael Bederman, Gigi Pritzker, Rachel Shane
Screenwriter: Edward Norton, Jonathan Lethem
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Class 5 Films, Warner Bros. Pictures
Rating: R (Language Throughout|Brief Drug Use|Some Sexual References|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 1, 2019, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.3M
Runtime: 2h 24m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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