Detachment | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

59% Tomatometer 70 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings

Henry Barthes (Adrien Brody) is a substitute teacher who shuns emotional connections, and never stays long enough in one district to bond with his students or colleagues. Troubled and lost, Henry lands at a public school where an apathetic student body and disinterested parents have created a frustrated, burned-out group of teachers and administrators. Inadvertently, Henry becomes a role model to his disaffected students and bonds with a teenage runaway who is just as lost as he is.

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Detachment

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Critics Consensus

Detachment's heart is in the right place, but overall it doesn't offer any solutions to its passionate ranting.

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Critics Reviews

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Detachment | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online A gripping drama, Detachment offers a gut-wrenching look at the school system, as told by the unsung heroes--the teachers. Rated: A Sep 8, 2017 Full Review Detachment | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Donald Clarke Irish Times Detachment has such original energy and is so infused with righteous anger that it proves hard to dismiss. Rated: 3/5 Jul 15, 2012 Full Review Detachment | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Tim Robey Daily Telegraph (UK) Grappling with the dilapidation of America's school system is fair enough, but the movie is painfully undone by its pretentious poetry of despair. Rated: 1/5 Jul 13, 2012 Full Review Detachment | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Sonia Zadurian CineVue Detachment clearly has high aspirations, but unfortunately its jumbled narration means that it falls just shy of the mark. Rated: 3/5 Jan 26, 2019 Full Review Detachment | Rotten Tomatoes (5) PJ Nabarro Patrick Nabarro Tony Kaye's ragged, expressionistic aesthetic may have its detractors but it intuitively suits the wrought scenario of Detachment. Rated: 3/5 Jan 8, 2019 Full Review Detachment | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Neely Swanson Easy Reader (California) This is imitation Polanski, and not a good imitation at that. Sep 18, 2017 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Susan B Do not watch this movie if you’re already depressed. The acting was very good, but the only real hope in this movie was at the end. Otherwise, it’s very sad. Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/12/24 Full Review will w Not sure where the plot fall. No highlights and monotone. Very draggy but no character development. I believe some ppl slept during the movie. Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 09/30/24 Full Review robert r As a teacher, I must say that it offered no hope. This is what I call a "What-The-Point-of-Living" film. There is no happiness, there is no humor. By the end of the film, you want to commit suicide because if this the world, then it is miserable and really what's the point? As a teacher, I have always managed to see a glimmer of hope somewhere, and I have taught in South Central L.A. The way a student smiles or listen to you. Even ways that they try to get you off subject, by asking you about your past. And sometimes, I break down and tell them what it was like when I was a kid, because sometimes they really want to know. But here, there is no retribution, even when he reunites with the homeless girl he takes in and then turns over to the county, one has to wonder is he doing so only to let her know that she is HIV positive, from the highly suspicious call from her test at the end. So, if you want to be depressed and feel really hopeless, this is the film for you. Rated 1.5/5 Stars • Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 08/04/24 Full Review lionel n narration atypique, découpage et flash back ténébreux pour en ajouter à la dramatique , angle et prises de vues de diverses façons ...... les images accentuent l'univers dramatique , j'ai adoré tout cet univers .... j'attendais à la fin des résultats médicaux..... là aussi ..... surprise ! on apprends peu de chacun et pourtant ..... Trés beau film ! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/29/24 Full Review Les N A very good view of teenagers. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/12/24 Full Review Me D After the movie, you must detach yourself from the gripping and masterful story of Detachment. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/10/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Tony Kaye Director Adrien Brody Henry Barthes Marcia Gay Harden Carol Dearden James Caan Mr. Seaboldt Christina Hendricks Ms. Madison Lucy Liu Dr. Parker
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Synopsis Henry Barthes (Adrien Brody) is a substitute teacher who shuns emotional connections, and never stays long enough in one district to bond with his students or colleagues. Troubled and lost, Henry lands at a public school where an apathetic student body and disinterested parents have created a frustrated, burned-out group of teachers and administrators. Inadvertently, Henry becomes a role model to his disaffected students and bonds with a teenage runaway who is just as lost as he is.

Director
Tony Kaye

Producer
Austin Stark, Benji Kohn, Chris Papavasiliou, Bingo Gubelmann, Greg Shapiro, Carl Lund

Screenwriter
Carl Lund

Distributor
Tribeca Film

Production Co
Paper Street Films

Genre
Drama

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 16, 2012, Limited

Release Date (Streaming)
May 16, 2012

Box Office (Gross USA)
$71.2K

Runtime
1h 37m
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Detachment | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

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