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Shattered Glass

Shattered Glass

He'd do anything to get a great story.

200394 minPG-13Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films
Director
Billy Ray
Starring
Hayden Christensen, Peter Sarsgaard, Chloë Sevigny, Rosario Dawson

Stephen Glass is a staff writer for the respected current events and policy magazine The New Republic and a freelance feature writer for publications such as Rolling Stone, Harper's and George. By the mid-90s, Glass' articles had turned him into one of the most sought-after young journalists in Washington, but a bizarre chain of events - chronicled in Buzz Bissinger's September 1998 Vanity Fair article - suddenly stopped his career in its tracks.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Shattered Glass?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Shattered Glass streaming on Howdy via Prime Video, Lionsgate+ via Prime Video, Pluto TV (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Shattered Glass?

Shattered Glass earns 6 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Content

Reception

Is Shattered Glass worth watching?

Shattered Glass' Midcredits score is the 86th percentile of all films, from 104K ratings across 6 sources. 77% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

86th percentile

Better received than 86% of films

88th percentile among Drama84th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)81st
Approval (how many liked it)87th

70 /100

81st percentile of all films

84th percentile among Drama80th percentile among 2000s

Critics 73 · Audience 70

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A tight consensus around 7.2 — people broadly agree on this one.

77% liked it

87th percentile of all films

89th percentile among Drama86th percentile among 2000s
77% rated it 7–1023% rated it 1–6

Critics 92% · Audience 79%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 8 wins / 28 noms overall

  • NominatedGolden Globes· Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture

94th percentile

104K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Drama90th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 19% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$6M
Opening weekend$78K
Domestic gross$2.2M
Worldwide gross$2.9M

Returned 0.5× its budget — 73rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Fans praised

  • Nuanced lead performance capturing Glass's vulnerable yet manipulative charm
  • Tight, suspenseful portrayal of investigative journalism unraveling lies
  • Sarsgaard's restrained editor as a quietly compelling moral anchor

Detractors panned

  • Slow pacing and flat, procedural tone drain drama from the story
  • Lacks psychological depth – never explains why Glass fabricated his stories
  • Hayden Christensen's performance is wooden and unconvincing

What stands out

ActingDivisive80

Christensen praised for capturing Glass's needy charm; detractors find him stiff

Plot and story75

Absorbing true story of fabrication and its slow unraveling

Characters70

Glass depicted as needy charmer, Lane as principled editor

AtmosphereDivisive70

Captures the tense, insular newsroom environment

Emotional impactDivisive65

Cringes at Glass's desperation; detractors feel unmoved

DialogueDivisive65

Sharp exchanges carry the investigation; some find it flat

PacingDivisive55

Some call it gripping; others say it drags with little action

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 11 points higher than under-30s.

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

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • Critics vs users 5 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is Shattered Glass like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Food for thought: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want something to think about afterwards.

It leaves you thinking. 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

Food for thought.

Moods
TenseMelancholicContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Frame story · 5% of films: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film presents its true story with quiet, serious dignity, neither mocking nor undercutting its characters.
The rideSustained tension during the investigation builds to a melancholic and contemplative end as the truth fully emerges.
StructureThe story opens with a framing device of Glass speaking to a high school class, then flashes back to the events leading to his exposure.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

The answer rests on this: Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you questioning the nature of deception and trust, and feeling uneasy about how easily charm can conceal lies.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

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).Tragedy
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% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% (this title) · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Corruption arc: Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).

9% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe film traces the gradual moral decay of Stephen Glass as his fabrications unravel, focusing on the investigative exposure that brings down his career.

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 filmsSelfDeception
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% (this title) · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · 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% (this title) · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Deception · 9% of filmsAmbition · 7% of filmsTruth · 4% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Community stakes: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores how a rising journalist fabricates stories to sustain his success, and the consequences when his deception is uncovered.
StanceThe film examines deception in journalism and the impact on a magazine's reputation, without glorifying or fully condemning the protagonist.

The world

Late 20th centuryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Mychael Danna
SettingThe editorial office of The New Republic magazine in Washington, D.C.
MusicThe score is understated, complementing the procedural tone without drawing attention.

Content guide

Is Shattered Glass okay for kids?

PG-13

Shattered Glass is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for language, sexual references and brief drug use” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (0/100), sexual content at minimal (9/100), language at moderate (47/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (27/100) and frightening material at mild (27/100). Overall it is heavier than 10% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 8 other countries
  • UK12A
  • Canada18A
  • Germany12
  • JapanPG12
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-12
  • NorwayA
  • Sweden15
Overall
Mild · all five categories
Heavier than 12% of all filmsHeavier than 10% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 1%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 10%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 63%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 32%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 23%

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

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is language, heavier than 63% of PG-13-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 Shattered Glass have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Shattered Glass?

Cast

Hayden Christensen
as Stephen Glass
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Peter Sarsgaard
as Charles 'Chuck' Lane
Globe nominee: Golden Globe nomination — Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion PictureTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Chloë Sevigny
as Caitlin Avey
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Rosario Dawson
as Andy Fox
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Melanie Lynskey
as Amy Brand
Hank Azaria
as Michael Kelly
Steve Zahn
as Adam Penenberg
Mark Blum
as Lewis Estridge
Simone-Élise Girard
as Catarina Bannier
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Chad Donella
as David Bach

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Shattered Glass?

Movies like Shattered Glass include Capote (2005), Where the Truth Lies (2005) and She Said (2022). Of the 12 closest matches, half are true-crime stories, and several are hunter-and-hunted stories.

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

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Shattered Glass?

1.8K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: journalist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.