Edge of DarknessMovie Reviews

Poster art for "Edge of Darkness."

Gifts + Promos

Fandango Gift Card

Give the gift of movies with Fandango Bucks Gift Certificates! Design your own gift card, or choose from our collection.

Avengers Gift Cards

Superhero fans! Don’t miss out on these Limited Edition Avengers gift cards!

Need Help?
So-so
Avg. Critic Score: 55 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
17 not for kids
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 80
    The Hollywood Reporter | Michael Rechtshaffen

    An intense Mel Gibson performance anchors this brutally effective crime thriller. Read full review

  • 75
    USA Today | Claudia Puig

    Though the experience is nerve-racking and cathartic under Campbell's skilled direction, musings on family and grief and Gibson's intense, but subtle, performance stay with us longest. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Mick LaSalle

    I don't see Edge of Darkness as a great movie, or a particularly exalted one, but I do see it as one made by people who know where the buttons are - and who know how to press them. Hard. Read full review

  • 75
    Entertainment Weekly | Owen Gleiberman

    His (Gibson) slow-burn fury keeps the movie going, but not enough to invest us in any justice beyond payback. Read full review

  • 63
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    Winstone's interaction with Gibson provides the movie with much of its interest. For the rest, it's a skillful exercise in CGI and standard-order thriller supplies. Read full review

  • 63
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    Gibson's acting has deepened. Too bad his comeback vehicle springs so many leaks. Read full review

  • 60
    Variety | Brian Lowry

    Campbell's topnotch production team yields predictably polished results, but the director's decision to revisit the late Troy Kennedy Martin's teleplay, finally, feels lacking. Read full review

  • 50
    Washington Post | Michael O'Sullivan

    The movie isn't exactly full of twists and turns, but neither is it a long, hard slog. Read full review

  • 50
    The New York Times | A.O. Scott

    Edge of Darkness is reasonably well executed, but its competence reeks of fatigue. Another dead kid. Another angry dad. Another day at the office. Read full review

  • 30
    Wall Street Journal | Joe Morgenstern

    Edge of Darkness was one of the most enthralling, intricate and genuinely thrilling productions in the history of the small screen. The big-screen version--directed by Martin Campbell, who did the original--offers an example of why the studios' numbers often add up, and why, at the same time, so many of today's Hollywood movies leave us cool if not downright cold. Read full review

View more reviews for Edge of Darkness on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says not for kids Violent, convoluted conspiracy thriller isn't for families.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that Edge of Darkness is an extremely convoluted cop/conspiracy thriller that's very heavy on violence, with a large pile of bloody corpses, plenty of guns, shootouts, fights, chases, and crashes. Characters use harsh language, with plenty of "f--k" and "s--t." Despite a strong performance by star Mel Gibson, the movie has a sour, hopeless tone. Characters who do the right thing are brutally punished, and Gibson's character -- the ostensible hero -- acts recklessly and violently. The film eventually sinks to a revenge finale with no positive lessons to take away.
  • Families can talk about what the movie is saying about revenge. Does it solve problems in the end? Do you think it's worth what the characters go through?
  • Was the movie's violence gruesome or shocking? Is the main character desensitized to violence? How does watching this much violence make you feel?
  • Families can talk about "whistleblowing." Emma tries to report a big corporation's dangerous and illegal deeds to the authorities. How realistic is it that a person's life would be in danger in this situation? How much would you risk to do the right thing?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: Nothing is learned, no good comes of anyone's actions, and things like bravery and trust eventually fall by the wayside. The main character quickly learns that he can't even trust the police in his own department. Breaking the rules seems to be his only answer; recklessness and revenge seem to be the ultimate motivators.
  • rolemodels true0 Positive role models: The main character only begins to make headway on his case when he acts increasingly reckless; he tells people he has nothing to lose and doesn't care. His efforts come to nothing more than a bloodbath and revenge -- he doesn't learn anything or change. His daughter, who tries to right a terrible wrong in the world, pays the ultimate price, and nothing comes of her efforts.
What to watch for
  • violence false4 Violence: A young woman is blasted across a front porch with a shotgun, creating several holes in her torso and a lot of blood (it soaks through a white rug). Viewers see several more dead bodies, complete with bloody, gory wounds, and disturbing photographs of still more dead bodies. (The hero is personally responsible for at least three.) Additionally there's lots of guns and gunfire, car crashes, and one knife attack.
  • sex false1 Sex: The hero and his adult daughter have a very brief conversation about the possibility of her being pregnant (and whether she has a boyfriend). The hero accuses another man of wanting to have sex with his daughter.
  • language false4 Language: Multiple uses of "f--k" and "s--t" in all their various forms, plus at least one use of "hell," "piss," "asshole," and "Jesus Christ" (as an exclamation).
  • consumerism false2 Consumerism: The hero types on a Sony VAIO laptop, and his daughter arrives on Amtrak. Crown Royal Whisky is mentioned once and shown later.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false2 Drinking, drugs and smoking: The main character no longer drinks, but he keeps a bottle of whisky, which he pours for a visitor. Later, viewers see the same visitor drinking wine. In another scene, an upset young man sits down with a six-pack of beer and begins drinking vigorously.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

Looking for more reviews? Movies.com Critics Say:

Dave White

3.0

Dave White Profile See Dave White's Profile

Miniseries made even more mini. Read full review See Dave White's on MOVIENAME on Movies.com

Jen Yamato

2.0

Jen Yamato Profile See Jen Yamato's Profile

Mad Mel is a lethal weapon. Read full review See Dave Jen Yamato's on MOVIENAME on Movies.com

Read more movie reviews at Movies.com

Edge of Darkness Movie Ratings + Reviews

Fans say

Go 1,215 fan reviews

Critics say

So-so See all critic reviews

Edge of Darkness Featured Trailers + Video Clips

Watch All Videos

Facebook Movie Fans

Fan Fandango on Facebook

Exclusive Features

Mel Gibson Interview! Check out our interview with Mel Gibson! Mel Gibson talks about quitting smoking, coming back to acting and what it was like on the set of 'Edge of Darkness!'