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The Rhythm Section

The Rhythm Section

Witness the birth of an assassin.

2020109 minRMidcredits score: 17th percentile of all films
Director
Reed Morano
Starring
Blake Lively, Jude Law, Sterling K. Brown, Ivana Basic

When she discovers the plane crash that claimed the lives of her family was no accident, Stephanie Patrick enters the dark, complex world of international espionage seeking vengeance. With nothing left to lose, Stephanie transforms from victim to assassin and discovers that neither revenge nor the truth are what they appear.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Rhythm Section?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Rhythm Section streaming on Pluto TV (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Rhythm Section?

The Rhythm Section earns 4 badges, led by Overhyped and Award Winner.

  • Reception
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Rhythm Section worth watching?

The Rhythm Section's Midcredits score is the 17th percentile of all films, from 41K ratings across 6 sources. 26% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

17th percentile

Better received than 17% of films

29th percentile among Action18th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)21st
Approval (how many liked it)17th

52 /100

21st percentile of all films

33rd percentile among Action23rd percentile among 2020s

Critics 45 · Audience 52

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

The crowd leans negative, with most ratings sitting in the bottom half of the scale.

26% liked it

17th percentile of all films

28th percentile among Action18th percentile among 2020s
26% rated it 7–1074% rated it 1–6

Critics 28% · Audience 44%

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

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 3 noms overall

95th percentile

41K ratings across platforms

90th percentile among Action95th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 23% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$50M
Opening weekend$2.7M
Domestic gross$5.4M
Worldwide gross$6M

Returned 0.1× its budget — 53rd percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slow-burn revenge thriller with a deeply flawed amateur protagonist who is not a natural killer.

Fans praised

  • Blake Lively's committed wounded performance carries the film
  • Realistic portrayal of an amateur assassin who struggles and fails
  • Gritty, character-driven revenge story avoids Hollywood clichés

Detractors panned

  • Boring pacing with slow stretches and too many flashbacks
  • Ridiculous plot holes and implausible training montage
  • Shaky handheld camera and poorly-lit scenes cause headaches

What stands out

Acting72

Blake Lively gives raw, emotionally wounded performance; Jude Law effective as hard mentor

Sound and musicDivisive55

Hans Zimmer score praised in moments; schizophrenic needle drops detract

CinematographyDivisive50

Shaky handheld and dark lighting widely criticized; some nice location shots

Emotional impactDivisive50

Lively's vulnerability works but script fails to earn catharsis

Characters40

Main character lacks development; Sterling K. Brown wasted as plot device

Plot and story35

Derivative revenge story with weak logic and convenient coincidences

PacingDivisive35

First hour slow and overly long; second half picks up but still plodding

Originality30

Heavily reminiscent of La Femme Nikita with nothing new to offer

Preferred by

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

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

Watch experience

What is The Rhythm Section like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Tense and gripping: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready to pay close attention and feel heavy feelings, and you want something tense that holds you to the end.

It is intense and leaves you bittersweet. 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 and room for heavy feelings.

What it feels like

Tense and gripping.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseColdContemplative
Heaviest: middle
Register
Bleak · 8% of filmsBrooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its grim revenge story completely straight, with no irony or self-mockery.
The rideThe training and early mission phases carry the most emotional and physical weight, with sustained tension.
StructureThe story unfolds chronologically in a standard three-act structure: setup, training, and mission.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Bittersweet.

BittersweetHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayLeaves you with a sense of closure tinged with loss, as the protagonist finds peace after a dark journey.
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).MonsterTyrant
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21% (this title): Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% (this title) · 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. · Tyrant: A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).

21% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

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

Why this archetypeStephanie's journey is driven by revenge against the terrorist network that killed her family, with the tyrant U-17 as the monster; her personal transformation also echoes a rebirth arc.

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 filmsSelfPurposeSelf
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% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% (this title) · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% (this title) · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · 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

Purpose · 9% of filmsRevenge · 4% of filmsRedemption · 6% of films: Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Societal stakes: Consequences reach a whole social order.Single lead
How it treats its themeA woman lost to grief and addiction finds a new reason to live through the mission of revenge and justice.
StanceThe film questions whether revenge and a new purpose can actually heal a broken life, without fully endorsing either.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
ElectronicOrchestral modernForeground music · original score · Steve Mazzaro
SettingLondon, Scotland, and Madrid in the world of espionage and terrorism.
MusicA driving, percussive score that underscores the gritty action and emotional isolation.

Content guide

Is The Rhythm Section okay for kids?

R

The Rhythm Section is rated R: “Rated R for violence, sexual content, language throughout, and some drug use” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (68/100), sexual content at mild (27/100), language at intense (69/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (59/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). Overall it is heavier than 49% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 11 other countries
  • UK15
  • AustraliaMA15+
  • Germany16
  • France16
  • Ireland15A
  • JapanR15+
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil18
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Spain16
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 70% of all filmsHeavier than 49% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 47%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
light for an R-rated film
heavier than 21%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 55%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 75%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 57%

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

The reason to think twice is language, violence, and frightening material.

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 Rhythm Section have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Rhythm Section?

Cast

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

Blake Lively
as Stephanie Patrick
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.
Jude Law
as Iain Boyd
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.
Sterling K. Brown
as Mark Serra
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.
Ivana Basic
as Oksana
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Nasser Memarzia
as Suleman Kaif
Max Casella
as Leon Giler
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Richard Brake
as Eric Lehmans
Raza Jaffrey
as Keith Proctor
Geoff Bell
as Green
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Jade Anouka
as Laura Fuller
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 The Rhythm Section?

Movies like The Rhythm Section include Spy Game (2001), Dying of the Light (2014) and Quantum of Solace (2008). Of the 12 closest matches, most are stories about spies, and several are films set in London.

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

All 12 share its world: espionage. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

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

824 other films share the rarest tag below, up against: terrorist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.