The Negotiator
1998 · Movie · R · 140 min · ★ 7.1 · 69% critics
A skilled hostage negotiator is arrested after his partner’s death, convinced he’s being framed as part of a larger conspiracy. He takes people hostage inside a police office and requests another well-known negotiator to step in while he works to find evidence and uncover the truth.
Also known as Le négociateur
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Streaming on Disney+ — or rent from $2.99.
2 hours to watch.
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Details
- Years
- 1998
- Release date
- 1998-07-29
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 140 min
- Critic score
- 69/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.1/10 (2,389 votes)
- Box office
- $44,500,000
About
You’ll probably like this if you enjoy tense hostage negotiations and a back-and-forth mystery with major star power; Not for you if you want realism or you dislike hostage-room thrillers like Inside Man.
Pros: tense hostage standoff; standout Jackson performance; strong Spacey chemistry | Cons: stretches in parts; some underdeveloped characters; occasionally predictable twists
Themes
- chicago, illinois
- corruption
- police
- hostage
- innocence
- pension
- hostage-taking
- murder
- conspiracy
- bullet wound
- urban setting
- negotiator
Cast & crew
Samuel L. Jackson
as Lt. Danny Roman
Kevin Spacey
as Lt. Chris Sabian
David Morse
as Cdr. Adam Beck
Ron Rifkin
as Cdr. Grant Frost
John Spencer
as Chief Al Travis
J.T. Walsh
as Insp. Terence Niebaum
Siobhan Fallon Hogan
as Maggie
Paul Giamatti
as Rudy
Regina Taylor
as Karen Roman
Bruce Beatty
as Markus
Directed by F. Gary Gray