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Tenderness

Tenderness

The intimacy of the kill

2009101 minRMidcredits score: 21st percentile of all films
Director
John Polson
Starring
Russell Crowe, Jon Foster, Sophie Traub, Laura Dern

A hardened cop tries to unravel the past to discover whether a violent teenager was responsible for the murder of his family. A confused fifteen-year-old runaway becomes enthralled with the young man.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Tenderness?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Tenderness streaming on Lionsgate+ via Prime Video, Prime Video and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Tenderness?

Tenderness earns 1 badge: Overhyped.

Reception

Is Tenderness worth watching?

Tenderness' Midcredits score is the 21st percentile of all films, from 10K ratings across 4 sources. 28% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

21st percentile

Better received than 21% of films

20th percentile among Crime21st percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)26th
Approval (how many liked it)20th

54 /100

26th percentile of all films

24th percentile among Crime26th percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.6 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

28% liked it

20th percentile of all films

19th percentile among Crime18th percentile among 2000s
28% rated it 7–1072% rated it 1–6

Critics 40% · Audience 23%

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

Reach

How many have seen it

82nd percentile

10K ratings across platforms

77th percentile among Crime74th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 7% in 30 days

Box office

Worldwide gross$322K

38th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a slow-burning, dialogue-driven character study that prioritizes introspection over conventional thriller mechanics, though they split on whether that makes it compelling or tedious.

Fans praised

  • subtle character study with restrained, nuanced performances from Foster and Traub
  • deliberately paced, atmospheric road-movie tension that builds to a resonant final scene
  • faithful to Cormier's tone; screenplay rewards careful viewing over obvious thrills

Detractors panned

  • plodding, one-note narrative that kills momentum and suspense
  • underwritten, clichéd roles — especially Crowe's 'walking zombie' detective
  • implausible and illogical script choices that undermine the premise

What stands out

ActingDivisive62

Foster and Traub praised for restraint; Crowe often called wasted or wooden

AtmosphereDivisive55

brooding, anxious tone effectively builds dread for some, dull for others

OriginalityDivisive55

fresh spin on serial-killer genre derided as derivative by some

CharactersDivisive45

intriguing psycho-obsessed duo undercut by thin supporting roles

TensionDivisive40

road-trip stakes feel real but often deflated by slow pacing

Plot and storyDivisive35

premise promising but derailed by logic gaps and meandering structure

Emotional impactDivisive35

Lori's vulnerability and Eric's pathology fail to land emotionally

PacingDivisive30

slow burn praised by fans but 'unthriller' boredom for detractors

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 9 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is Tenderness like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense and leaves you unsettled. Skip it when you want an easy night or you want every question answered.

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

What it asks of you

Room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseDreadMelancholic
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneA tense psychological thriller played entirely straight, with a brooding atmosphere and no irony.
The rideThe film sustains a pervasive unease and grim tone from start to finish.
StructureConventional chronological narrative following the detective and the pair on the road.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

The answer rests on this: UnsettlingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe ambiguous fate of the characters and the lingering tension leave a haunting unease.
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).MonsterPredator
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% (this title) · 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%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Overcoming the monster: A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated. · Predator: A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).

21% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA detective tracks a released juvenile murderer he believes will kill again, while the killer and a teenage runaway hit the road.

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 filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · 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%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% (this title) · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • 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%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsObsession · 3% of films: A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Guilt · 3% of films
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 centers on the unstable identity of a young killer and the obsessions that bind detective, victim, and runaway.
StanceThe film questions the nature of identity and obsession rather than celebrating or condemning outright.

The world

ContemporaryRuralIn transitRealistic
Orchestral modernAmbientSupportive music · original score · Jonathan Goldsmith
SettingUpstate New York, small towns and highways
MusicA restrained, brooding score that amplifies the psychological tension.

Content guide

Is Tenderness okay for kids?

R

Tenderness is rated R: “Rated R for disturbing violent and sexual content, and language” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (42/100), sexual content at moderate (46/100), language at moderate (38/100), drug and alcohol content at minimal (0/100) and frightening material at moderate (44/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Moderate
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Profanity
Moderate
too few votes to rank (7 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
None / Minimal
too few votes to rank (2 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
too few votes to rank (6 votes)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (27 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

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 Tenderness have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Tenderness?

Cast

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

Russell Crowe
as Lt. Cristofuoro
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.
Jon Foster
as Eric Poole
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Sophie Traub
as Lori
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Laura Dern
as Aunt Teresa
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.
Alicia Harding
as Waitress
Michael Kelly
as Gary
Alexis Dziena
as Maria
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Arija Bareikis
as Marsha
Tim Hopper
as Dan Komenko
Tanya Clarke
as Jackie Cristofuoro
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Tenderness?

Movies like Tenderness include Swimfan (2002), Supremacy (2014) and Stone (2010). Of the 12 closest matches, most are hunter-and-hunted stories, and most are psychological thrillers.

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

All 12 share its feel: brooding. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

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

2.5K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: road movie. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.