The Believer
2001 · Movie · R · 98 min · ★ 6.9 · 79% critics
A young man becomes a leading voice in a violent extremist group, using sharp intellect to justify hatred and rally others. As his public persona grows, private doubts and a complicated relationship with faith and identity push him into a tense, unsettling inner conflict.
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Details
- Years
- 2001
- Release date
- 2001-08-23
- Language
- English
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Critic score
- 79/100
- TMDB rating
- 6.9/10 (674 votes)
About
You may like this if you want a challenging, hard-hitting drama about hate, identity, and inner conflict, with a standout central performance; Not for you if you want comfort viewing or clear answers, like American History X.
Pros: intense lead performance; provocative themes; sharp dialogue | Cons: uneven pacing; underdeveloped side characters; tough, disturbing content
Themes
- new york city
- neo-nazism
- antisemitism
- bigotry
- hatred
- self-loathing
- antijudaism
Awards & recognition
- Golden George · 2001
- Sundance Film Festival U.S. Dramatic Grand Jury Prize Award · 2001
- European Film Award — Best Non-European Film · 2001 · nominated
Cast & crew
Ryan Gosling
as Danny Balint
Summer Phoenix
as Carla Moebius
Theresa Russell
as Lina Moebius
Billy Zane
as Curtis Zampf
Garret Dillahunt
as Billings
A.D. Miles
as Guy Danielsen
Glenn Fitzgerald
as Drake
Elizabeth Reaser
as Miriam
Joshua Harto
as Kyle
Ronald Guttman
as Danny's Father
Directed by Henry Bean