The Weight

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2:16

The Weight

R

Sep 2026

1h 55m

Adventure

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

142 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

250+ Verified Ratings

In Oregon in 1933, Samuel Murphy is torn from his daughter and sent to a brutal work camp. Warden Clancy tempts him with early release if he smuggles gold through deadly wilderness, but betrayal festers within the crew, and Murphy questions how far he'll go to see his child again.

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Critics Consensus

The Weight turns a stripped-down tale of desperation into a gripping, hard-hitting thriller, elevated by Ethan Hawke's magnetic performance and Padraic McKinley's assured direction.

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Audience Says

Anchored by powerful performances and brooding tension, The Weight is a grounded, Depression-era thriller whose deliberate pacing gives it a realistic edge.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

1 day ago

4/5

What elevates the material further is the intensity of Hawke’s characterisation and the quiet maturity that the 55-year-old brings to the role.

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Jonathan Romney

Financial Times

3 days ago

3/5

This is the sort of lean actioner that Walter Hill or Robert Aldrich might have made in decades past, and Hawke and Crowe — birds of a feather, you might say — would have fitted into their world perfectly.

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Jake Wilson

Sydney Morning Herald

4 days ago

3/5

If you miss the days of no-nonsense westerns, Padraic McKinley’s first feature The Weight scratches that itch as well as anything in a while.

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Kevin Harley

Radio Times

1 day ago

3/5

The bond between Hawke's and Jones's characters adds something to root for, bringing a crucial dash of subtle warmth to a tale of survival in desperate times.

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Mae Abdulbaki

Pajiba

2 days ago

It’s ultimately the lack of tension that takes the air out of the film. It never gets to a place where I felt truly invested in the characters or their plight.

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Filipe Freitas

Always Good Movies

2 days ago

3.5/5

Laid out with pulse and atmosphere, The Weight is a gripping, taut, and effective western-style adventure thriller that puts McKinley on the list of filmmakers to watch in the future.

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Sonja M

1 day ago

not what I expected first from the movie, but loved it more because how the real focus off the movie was and in part of the sad ending

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Jennifer B

Oct 1, 2026

This movie was a pleasant surprise for me. I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole time (I know it sounds cliche but it’s true!) and I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing a couple times. The whole cast was wonderful and the story was so compelling. Go see it, you won’t be disappointed!

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Mike

Oct 1, 2026

Really good movie. Tension, adventure and a solid story with a terrific cast.

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RNM

Sep 30, 2026

Great acting, great plot not your typical shoot um up.

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Matthew M

Sep 29, 2026

one of the best examples of a slow burn. I was hooked from beginning to end and has a very satisfying ending

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Big Twan

Sep 28, 2026

a little too much woking for me, considering it was a early 1900s time piece... and that ending music, while a great song, is way out of place.

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Padraic McKinley

Director

Ethan Hawke

Actor

Russell Crowe

Actor

Julia Jones

Actor

Austin Amelio

Actor

Avi Nash

Actor

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Synopsis

In Oregon in 1933, Samuel Murphy is torn from his daughter and sent to a brutal work camp. Warden Clancy tempts him with early release if he smuggles gold through deadly wilderness, but betrayal festers within the crew, and Murphy questions how far he'll go to see his child again.

Director: Padraic McKinley
Producer: Simon Fields, Nathan Fields, Ryan Hawke, Jonas Katzenstein, Maximilian Leo
Screenwriter: Matthew Booi, Shelby Gaines
Distributor: Vertical
Production Co: augenschein Filmproduktion, Fields Entertainment, Under the Influence
Rating: R (Language|Some Violence/Bloody Images)
Genre: Adventure, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 18, 2026, Wide
Box Office (Gross USA): $3.4M
Runtime: 1h 55m

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