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The Parole Officer

The Parole Officer

Crime · Comedy · 2001

A hapless parole officer is framed for murder by a crooked police chief. To prove his innocence he must entice his former clients away from the law abiding lives they are now living to recover the evidence that will save him.

Movie details

The Parole Officer

“Fighting crime the only way he knows how. Badly.”

2001 Crime · Comedy 1h 33m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

5.8 / 10

Community rating

A hapless parole officer is framed for murder by a crooked police chief. To prove his innocence he must entice his former clients away from the law abiding lives they are now living to recover the evidence that will save him.

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 Parole Officer?

The 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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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

John Duigan

Written by

Henry Normal · Steve Coogan

Steve Coogan

Steve Coogan

Simon Garden

Lena Headey

Lena Headey

Emma

Ben Miller

Ben Miller

Colin

Om Puri

Om Puri

George

Steven Waddington

Steven Waddington

Jeff

Stephen Dillane

Stephen Dillane

Inspector Burton

Emma Williams

Emma Williams

Kirsty

Court is in session

Put The Parole Officer on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Popcorn Loyalist

“It owes the canon nothing.”

The movie pursues immediacy and audience pleasure without begging institutions to certify its worth.

The prosecution The Prestige Tourist

“Easy pleasure, short half-life.”

It moves efficiently through the moment but offers little reason to keep arguing once the credits end.