Motherless Brooklyn

Play trailer

2:33

Motherless Brooklyn

R

2019

2h 24m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

65%

Tomatometer

219 Reviews

80%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Verified Ratings

Lionel Essrog is a lonely private detective who doesn't let Tourette's syndrome stand in the way of his job. Gifted with a few clues and an obsessive mind, Lionel sets out to solve the murder of Frank Minna -- his mentor and only friend. Scouring the jazz clubs and slums of Brooklyn and Harlem, Essrog soon uncovers a web of secrets while contending with thugs, corruption and the most dangerous man in the city.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

Motherless Brooklyn's imposing length requires patience, but strong performances and a unique perspective make this a mystery worth investigating.

Read Critics Reviews

Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

Feb 26, 2020

4/5

If that sounds worthy, well-meaning and incredibly dull, I can only say that Norton makes it work, spinning it into a twisting narrative that, admittedly, does require your concentration.

Go to Full Review

David Stratton

The Australian

Feb 25, 2020

4/5

The narrative and the characters are so interesting, and the whole theme...so riveting that Norton's immensely ambitious film succeeds as a compelling exercise in neo-film noir.

Go to Full Review

Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

The Blue Lenses

Dec 10, 2019

Motherless Brooklyn is a love-letter to the long-held focus across film noir on masculinity in crisis, but through Lethem's source material and Norton's deep engagement with it, something genuinely fresh explodes out of seemingly familiar material.

Go to Full Review

Gemma Creagh

Film Ireland Magazine

Jun 5, 2026

The striking visual themes are all elevated by the outstanding, immersive production design.

Go to Full Review

David Griffiths

Subculture Entertainment

Oct 29, 2024

4/5

Very few films have made me feel like I wanted to turn around and go back into the cinema to watch it again – but this one did. This is a beautiful suspense film that showcases some of amazing acting talents while never losing its unique noir feeling.

Go to Full Review

Jillian Chilingerian

Offscreen With Jillian

Aug 11, 2023

It is an interesting idea but doesn't translate well off the page.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Michael L

Aug 7, 2020

With the star power in this movie I had HIGH expectations and it fell short of that but it was still an alright movie. If you waited for Red Box you wouldn't be disappointed.

See more

Karrien

Dec 31, 2019

The story was interesting but not succinct. The plot progressed too slowly and somewhat unclearly. I felt that the movie was too long and that Alec Baldwin's role was not well-written. Baldwin's talents did not shine. He could have played a stronger and more dramatic role. Ed Norton's character was interesting and well played. Bruce Willis's role was short-lived, and that was a shame.

See more

marie78

Dec 20, 2019

Ed Norton is a great actor but this movie lacked a lot including development, purpose and it was far too long. I waited to see it when it made it to the “discount” theater and I still feel cheated (mostly of my time). I constantly checked my watch and even heard a man snoring in the middle of the movie. Please wait for this to hit Netflix or cable.

See more

Oscar

Dec 3, 2019

Started out really slow in storyline/plot development. The last 25-30 minutes were very good. Norton’s acting was definitely Oscar worthy.

See more

Chigako Y

Dec 1, 2019

if you are live in NYC, u got to see this movie!

See more

D

Nov 30, 2019

It was a great detective noir film! Loved the characters and Alex Bladwins bad guy

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Edward Norton

Director

Edward Norton

Lionel Essrog

Gugu Mbatha-Raw

Laura Rose

Alec Baldwin

Moses Randolph

Willem Dafoe

Paul

Bruce Willis

Frank Minna

The Accountant

53%

77%

The Accountant

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Accountant

Domino

34%

18%

Domino

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Domino

City of Lies

49%

86%

City of Lies

Watchlist

TRAILER

for City of Lies

The Informer

63%

62%

The Informer

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Informer

Small Town Crime

82%

70%

Small Town Crime

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Small Town Crime

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Motherless Brooklyn: Featurette - Timely

1:33

Now Playing

Motherless Brooklyn: Trailer 1

2:33

Now Playing

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Lionel Essrog is a lonely private detective who doesn't let Tourette's syndrome stand in the way of his job. Gifted with a few clues and an obsessive mind, Lionel sets out to solve the murder of Frank Minna -- his mentor and only friend. Scouring the jazz clubs and slums of Brooklyn and Harlem, Essrog soon uncovers a web of secrets while contending with thugs, corruption and the most dangerous man in the city.

Director: Edward Norton
Producer: Bill Migliore, Edward Norton, Michael Bederman, Gigi Pritzker, Rachel Shane
Screenwriter: Edward Norton, Jonathan Lethem
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Class 5 Films, Warner Bros. Pictures
Rating: R (Language Throughout|Brief Drug Use|Some Sexual References|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 1, 2019, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 1, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $9.3M
Runtime: 2h 24m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings