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Fracture

Fracture

I shot my wife... prove it.

2007113 minRMidcredits score: 88th percentile of all films
Director
Gregory Hoblit
Starring
Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike

A husband is on trial for the attempted murder of his wife, in what is seemingly an open/shut case for the ambitious district attorney trying to put him away. However, there are surprises for both around every corner, and, as a suspenseful game of cat-and-mouse is played out, each must manipulate and outwit the other.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Fracture?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Fracture streaming on Howdy via Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Fracture?

Fracture earns 6 badges, led by Top 10% in Crime and Crowd Pleaser.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Awards and box office
  • Content
  • Cast

Reception

Is Fracture worth watching?

Fracture's Midcredits score is the 88th percentile of all films, from 424K ratings across 6 sources. 80% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

88th percentile

Better received than 88% of films

90th percentile among Crime87th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)83rd
Approval (how many liked it)90th

71 /100

83rd percentile of all films

87th percentile among Crime82nd percentile among 2000s

Critics 68 · Audience 71

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A tight consensus around 7.3 — people broadly agree on this one.

80% liked it

90th percentile of all films

90th percentile among Crime89th percentile among 2000s
80% rated it 7–1020% rated it 1–6

Critics 72% · Audience 74%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 1 wins / 2 noms overall

98th percentile

424K ratings across platforms

98th percentile among Crime96th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 40 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$11M
Domestic gross$39M
Worldwide gross$92M

95th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A glossy, well-acted legal thriller driven by the sparring of two charismatic leads, even if the plot requires major suspension of disbelief.

Fans praised

  • cat-and-mouse battle of wits between Hopkins and Gosling
  • stylish noir atmosphere and slick cinematography
  • sharp, witty script with clever courtroom dialogue

Detractors panned

  • implausible plot dependent on massive coincidences and contrivances
  • weak romantic subplot and underdeveloped female characters
  • predictable twists and laughably forced double-jeopardy ending

What stands out

Acting82

riveting duel between Hopkins’ wily calm and Gosling’s cocky-to-desperate arc

DialogueDivisive73

witty repartee and crackling legal banter; some forced crude lines

CharactersDivisive68

compelling cold-genius Crawford and arrogant-turned-obsessed Beachum; thin supporting roles

TensionDivisive68

intellectual cat-and-mouse sustains suspense despite predictable outcome

Pacing55

taut first two acts then drags; final act feels rushed

Plot and storyDivisive52

ingenious high-concept undercut by glaring logic holes and coincidences

EndingDivisive47

divisive resolution praised for cleverness by some, panned as cheap and implausible by many

OriginalityDivisive45

dusty 'perfect crime' formula reheated from Colombo and Hannibal

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 7 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 7 points apart

Watch experience

What is Fracture like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you satisfied. Skip it when you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseContemplativeBittersweet
Heaviest: middle
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
Wry · 7% of films: Amused and slightly dry about it.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film treats its thriller plot with a detached, knowing intelligence, using witty dialogue and a polished noir style.
The rideThe film maintains a sustained tension through the trial and investigation, with the heaviest emotional weight falling on the courtroom confrontations and the unraveling of the perfect crime.
StructureThe story unfolds in linear chronology from the crime through the trial and final confrontation.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Satisfied.

Cathartic · 6% of filmsThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe clever puzzle and twist ending deliver a satisfying sense of justice while also prompting reflection on legal loopholes and manipulation.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryPuzzle
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% (this title) · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Puzzle: A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).

7% of films fit this archetype

with Overcoming the monster underneath

Why this archetypeThe plot is driven by the puzzle of how Crawford committed the shooting despite confessing, with Beachum investigating and ultimately exposing the truth; the cat-and-mouse battle also fits overcoming the monster.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfJusticeMorality
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3% (this title)
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% (this title) · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Justice · 13% of filmsDeception · 9% of filmsObsession · 3% of films: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the pursuit of justice through the lens of a prosecutor determined to convict a guilty man despite legal obstacles, while the antagonist's perfect crime hinges on deception and manipulation.
StanceThe film interrogates the nature of justice, showing how legal technicalities and manipulation can undermine the pursuit of truth, without fully celebrating the system or condemning the protagonist.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Jeff Danna
SettingLos Angeles courtrooms, police stations, and upscale homes
MusicThe score underlines the tense, psychological cat-and-mouse atmosphere with subtle orchestral and ambient textures.

Content guide

Is Fracture okay for kids?

R

Fracture is rated R: “Rated R for language and some violent content” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (53/100), sexual content at moderate (42/100), language at moderate (51/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (27/100) and frightening material at moderate (41/100). Overall it is heavier than 9% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 24 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Ireland15A
  • South Korea19
  • Brazil14
  • Argentina16
  • Belgium16
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-12
  • Greece16
  • Hong KongIIA
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoPG-13
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • PortugalM/14
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporePG
  • Spain18
  • Sweden11
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 34% of all filmsHeavier than 9% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 29%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 39%
Profanity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 23%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 12%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 25%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 29% of R-rated films.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Fracture have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Fracture?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Anthony Hopkins
as Ted Crawford
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ryan Gosling
as Willy Beachum
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
David Strathairn
as DA Joe Lobruto
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Rosamund Pike
as Nikki Gardner
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Embeth Davidtz
as Jennifer Crawford
Billy Burke
as Lt. Rob Nunally
Cliff Curtis
as Detective Flores
Fiona Shaw
as Judge Robinson
Bob Gunton
as Judge Gardner
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Josh Stamberg
as Norman Foster
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Fracture?

Movies like Fracture include The Lincoln Lawyer (2011), Primal Fear (1996) and Guilty as Sin (1993). Of the 12 closest matches, most are stories about lawyers, and most are films about justice.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its world: legal. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Fracture?

237 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: legal thriller. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.