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The Machinist

The Machinist

How do you wake up from a nightmare if you’re not asleep?

2004101 minRMidcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Director
Brad Anderson
Starring
Christian Bale, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Aitana Sánchez-Gijón, John Sharian

Trevor, an insomniac lathe operator, experiences unusual occurrences at work and home. A strange man follows him everywhere, but no one else seems to notice him.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Machinist?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Machinist streaming on Paramount+ Premium via Hulu and Pluto TV (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Machinist?

The Machinist earns 7 badges, led by Modern classic and Top 5% of films.

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

Reception

Is The Machinist worth watching?

The Machinist's Midcredits score is the 95th percentile of all films, from 950K ratings across 6 sources. 87% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

95th percentile

Better received than 95% of films

96th percentile among Drama95th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)91st
Approval (how many liked it)96th

75 /100

91st percentile of all films

93rd percentile among Drama91st percentile among 2000s

Critics 61 · Audience 76

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A tight consensus around 7.7 — people broadly agree on this one.

87% liked it

96th percentile of all films

97th percentile among Drama96th percentile among 2000s
87% rated it 7–1013% rated it 1–6

Critics 77% · Audience 83%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 5 wins / 13 noms overall

98th percentile

950K ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Drama97th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 9% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$5M
Opening weekend$65K
Domestic gross$1.1M
Worldwide gross$8.2M

Returned 1.6× its budget — 83rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both sides agree the film is a stylish, atmospheric psychological thriller anchored by Bale's committed performance and heavy Hitchcock influence.

Fans praised

  • Bale's extreme physical commitment and lead performance
  • Hitchcock/Lynch-inspired atmosphere, cinematography, and Herrmannesque score
  • Moody, immersive direction and production design

Detractors panned

  • Thin, derivative plot with no real meat
  • Ending feels unearned and leaves too little to imagination
  • Pacing drags and structure feels like a gimmick

What stands out

Acting88

Bale's gaunt, intense lead and strong supporting turns (Jennifer Jason Leigh, Michael Ironside)

AtmosphereDivisive85

Washed-out, grainy look and oppressive tone create a pervasive dread

Cinematography80

Gritty, desaturated visuals and precise framing evoke classic psychodramas

Sound and music80

Bernard Herrmann-inspired score (theremin, bass clarinet) adds Hitchcockian dread

TensionDivisive70

Creepy, suspenseful mood carries the film, though payoff is divisive

Characters65

Bale's insomniac is compelling, but supporting roles are underdeveloped

Plot and storyDivisive45

Twisty but often criticized as thin, derivative, or too vague

PacingDivisive45

Deliberate build-up splits opinion; some find it plodding

Preferred by

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

  • Women vs men 5 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 2 points apart
  • US vs non-US 6 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Machinist 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 to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something dark that stays with you.

It is intense and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

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

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadColdTense
Heaviest: late
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its psychological horror completely straight, never winking at the audience.
The rideThe film sustains a cold, paranoid dread throughout, escalating to a crushing revelation and cathartic surrender in the final act.
StructureThe film follows a chronological timeline except for a final flashback revealing the past.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

The answer rests on this: Haunting · 14% of filmsThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's bleak resolution and moral reckoning stay with the viewer, prompting reflection on guilt and accountability.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet 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).MysteryEnigma
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% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

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

Why this archetypeThe story is driven by the question of what is real and who Ivan is, ending when the protagonist confronts his own guilt.

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 filmsSelfGuiltMorality
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% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · 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% (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% (this title) · 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

Guilt · 3% of filmsTrauma · 7% of filmsIdentity · 14% of films
Mourns its theme: Grieves its theme, or what has been lost of it.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film is driven by Trevor's buried guilt for a hit-and-run, which manifests as psychosis, sleeplessness, and a fractured sense of self.
StanceThe film mourns the self-destruction wrought by unacknowledged guilt, made unbearably intimate through Trevor's psychological implosion.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanDomesticStylized realism
Orchestral modernExperimentalSupportive music · original score · Roque Baños
Settinggrey industrial city, late-night diners and dingy apartments
MusicThe score uses dissonant strings and industrial sounds to mirror Trevor's deteriorating mental state.

Content guide

Is The Machinist okay for kids?

R

The Machinist is rated R: “Rated R for violence and disturbing images, sexuality and language” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (70/100), sexual content at intense (64/100), language at intense (72/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (39/100) and frightening material at severe (81/100). Overall it is heavier than 69% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 20 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada18A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland16
  • New ZealandM
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Argentina+16
  • Belgium14
  • Hungary18
  • MexicoB-15
  • Netherlands16
  • PhilippinesR-18
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/16
  • Spain18
  • Sweden15
  • Türkiye13+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 81% of all filmsHeavier than 69% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 50%
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 80%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 60%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 46%
Frightening / Intense
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 79%

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

Heavy almost across the board: frightening material, language, violence, and sexual content. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

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 The Machinist have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Machinist?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen; 2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Christian Bale
as Trevor Reznik
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.
Jennifer Jason Leigh
as Stevie
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.
Aitana Sánchez-Gijón
as Marie
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
John Sharian
as Ivan
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Michael Ironside
as Miller
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Lawrence Gilliard Jr.
as Jackson
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Reg E. Cathey
as Jones
Anna Massey
as Mrs. Shrike
Matthew Romero Moore
as Nicholas
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Robert Long
as Supervisor Furman
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Machinist?

Movies like The Machinist include Fractured (2019), Transsiberian (2008) and Nocturnal Animals (2016). Of the 6 closest matches, two are puzzle films, and most are films about guilt.

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

Brad Anderson directed 3 of these 6. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Machinist?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: neo-noir. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.