The defence The Auteur Devotee
“Form is the argument.”
Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.
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The Player
Mystery · Drama · Thriller · 1992
A Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected - but which one?
Movie details
The Player
“Now More Than Ever!”
1992 Mystery · Drama · Thriller 2h 4m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
7.2 / 10
Community rating
A Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected - but which one?
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over The Player?
For the defence
The Auteur Devotee
“You watch the director, not the movie.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Popcorn Loyalist
“Big screen, big feelings, no apologies.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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The Big Sleep
Mystery · 1946
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Fargo
Crime · 1996
Jerry, a small-town Minnesota car salesman is bursting at the seams with debt... but he's got a plan. He's going to hire two thugs to kidnap his wife in a scheme to collect a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. It's going to be a snap and nobody's going to get hurt... until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge, a coffee-drinking, parka-wearing - and extremely pregnant - investigator who'll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her small-time investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom... you betcha!
Barton Fink
Comedy · 1991
A renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.
Nightcrawler
Crime · 2014
When Lou Bloom, desperate for work, muscles into the world of L.A. crime journalism, he blurs the line between observer and participant to become the star of his own story. Aiding him in his effort is Nina, a TV-news veteran.
I Care a Lot
Crime · 2021
A court-appointed legal guardian defrauds her older clients and traps them under her care. But her latest mark comes with some unexpected baggage.
American Psycho
Thriller · 2000
A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.
Hollywoodland
Crime · 2006
When Hollywood superstar George Reeves dies in his home, private detective Louis Simo is hired to investigate his death and gets caught in a web of lies involving a big studio executive's wife. Based on a true story.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Robert Altman
Written by
Michael Tolkin
Tim Robbins
Griffin Mill
Greta Scacchi
June Gudmundsdottir
Fred Ward
Walter Stuckel
Whoopi Goldberg
Detective Avery
Peter Gallagher
Larry Levy
Brion James
Joel Levison
Cynthia Stevenson
Bonnie Sherow
Court is in session
Put The Player on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist
“Technique in search of a pulse.”
Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.