The Program

  • NC16 (SINGAPORE)
  • 2015


MOVIE IS unnerving terrifying interesting disappointing legitimate
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51 %
62 % Fresh
$ 3 Million
See Where to Watch The Program
Positive Reviews 52
Negative reviews 17
Average Rating 3.1/5
unnerving terrifying interesting disappointing legitimate

  • All
  • Positive
  • Negative
2.8
Its a rote hatchet job, rehashing information that virtually everyone already knows, but at least it facilitates one of the years oddest and gutsiest .. Av Club
2.5
The performances that come along with that cast are fun in their limited capacities, and a lightweight biopic of The Programs design is always bound t .. We Got This Covered
1.5
The massive scope of Armstrongs cheating doesnt automatically make his story more interesting, and Stephen Frears bloodless drama The Program doesnt h .. Collider
2.5
But the flashily photographed enterprise too often becomes a blur of sound bites and slick aesthetics akin to a Nike commercial. Rogerebert
3.5
While this makes the film exceptionally watchable, the result is a loss of specifics. IGN
3.0
You sense an uncertainty about what the Armstrong saga connotes and how exactly it was begging to be told. Telegraph
4.5
Make all the Meth Damon jokes you want, hes a legitimate talent and his slow burn turn contains fiery embers of restrained fury. The Young Folks
3.5
Much like Frears other films, The Program shines best in its performances. The Young Folks
2.0
Its both puzzling and sad that it came together so poorly, but it really is a truly clumsy, simplistic portrait of an extremely complicated man. JoBlo
2.5
It is about the only time in this sports drama that the disgraced cyclist does anything that is not self serving or fraudulent. The Globe And Mail
2.8
Perhaps the story is simply too familiar; perhaps Alex Gibneys documentary (The Armstrong Lie) is too fresh in the memory. One Guys Opinion
2.5
If theres such a thing as Lance Armstrong truthers which, for entertainments sake, I kind of hope there is theyll be none too pleased with Stephen Fre .. Village Voice
3.8
But Frears has done Armstrongs sinful and inspirational side justice. Rogers Movie Nation
3.0
One is a terrifying tale of duplicity and hideous greed and bags of blood; the other is a film about Lance Armstrong. The Times
2.0
Armstrong may have been obsessed with crafting his own myth, but Frears only offers us a shadow of the man. Radio Times
3.0
The downside is that Armstrong has been pored over exhaustively by authors and documentary makers. Independent
2.0
The rise and fall of Lance Armstrong is one of the great sporting stories. Independent
3.5
Its an effective, if not precisely subtle, way of illustrating just how seriously Armstrong took any competition. Film Journal
2.5
But when it fails, it resembles a pile up 500 metres from the finish line. Hindustan Times
3.0
Seasoned pros Frears and screenwriter John Hodge handle the sharp corners of the story with aplomb, although theres little here that wasnt covered in .. The Guardian
3.0
Its a watchable piece of work, but doesnt quite do justice to the subtle wriggling and squirming and sheer denial that characterised Armstrongs downfa .. The Guardian
4.0
It would be comforting to think of this as a movie about one particular sport and one ethically inadequate rider, but that would be just another fairy .. Smh
2.0
But heres the thing: it has already been given full cinematic treatment in the excellent 2013 documentary The Armstrong Lie, which was more tense, and .. Daily Mail
3.0
The Program delivers an efficient overview of the scandal and builds tension despite the inevitability of the outcome. Flim List
4.0
The Program is a film with go faster stripes.Its opening credits sell the exhilaration and freedom of cycling and the danger and achievement of the To .. Empire
4.0
The Program is a film with go faster stripes.Its opening credits sell the exhilaration and freedom of cycling and the danger and achievement of the To .. Empire
2.5
I had a hard time buying so much concentrated bile, and for me, the film loses an objectivity that might have otherwise scored points for the destruct .. Observer
2.0
The Lance Armstrong story is one of epic betrayal and disappointment great fodder for a searing biopic, youd think; but The Program feels surprisingly .. Common Sense Media
2.5
The Program is flashier and more self conscious than many biopics, but its ultimately just as hollow. Slant Magazine
2.5
The bus suggests nothing so much as a nursery of grown up infants. The New York Times
3.2
Its so rampant and Frears so accomplished a filmmaker that it must be so. The Film Stage
3.5
The film is based on Walshs book about his pursuit of the Armstrong story, so its hardly surprising that it casts Walsh as the cynical yet plucky voic .. Flickfilosopher
4.0
And what a regimen it was.It is virtually impossible to watch the detailed eponymous procedures without pondering the notion that, in a sport entirely .. The Irish Times
2.2
Whatever the reason, its a good indication of why this is bad storytelling. Blogs Indie Wire
3.0
Stephen Frearss fictional take on the Lance Armstrong story is even handed, witty and shot with verve. Standard
2.5
A rise and fall doesnt get much more meteoric in either direction than cyclist Lance Armstrongs, who overcame testicular cancer to win the Tour de Fra .. Los Angeles Times
3.0
Two years ago, the TV schooled Frears gave a complex sports icon the HBO treatment in Muhammad Alis Greatest Fight; with its modest formal frame and b .. Variety
4.5
Danny Cohens cinematography finely showcases Armstrongs cycle hurtling down insane terrains. Firstpost
3.8
To say that this is a definitive portrait of Lance Armstrong would be inaccurate. Aisle Seat
3.0
What The Program does lack in fine detail, it mostly makes up for with a sickening physical representation of Armstrong (played solidly enough under t .. Herald Sun
2.5
Men ride up and down hills and spectators stand by and so do we; we never feel any of the excitement, any of the hardship. Nj
3.0
He wanted to win and accrue all the rewards that being a champion athlete brings, full stop. Hey U Guys
1.5
The solid performances from Foster and the supporting cast steer the narrative. Scroll
3.5
There is an appealing vulnerability about Plemons and the dynamic between Armstrong and Landis has tension from the get go. Urban Cine File
5.0
It must be said that Foster excels as Armstrong. Bearing an unnerving physical resemblance to the fallen cycling hero, he is a revelation in a remarka .. Cine Vue
2.0
There are moments when Armstrong reveals a conscience, too and a heart like the time he spends with a young cancer patient. Digital Spy
4.0
Where did this will to succeed and capacity for deception on a grand scale come from Games Radar
3.1
Were left with the well acted and well told, if familiar, story of a man who knew better but couldnt stop himself. New York Post
3.5
If you cant find something there to love, you dont appreciate cinema. Abc
4.0
But The Program offers its own exciting high cadence take on the story. Nz Herald
3.0
The act also represent the film itself: procedural and forgettable, but not a total waste of time. Flicks
3.0
But in this brisk, enjoyable film, adapted from journalist David Walshs book Seven Deadly Sins, Armstrong and almost every cyclist involved spends as .. Ft
4.0
Turns out we do, because The Program is a drama, not a documentary, which allows it to flesh out the bones of this story into something approaching a .. Independent Ie
3.5
A whooshing pace and snappy dialogue help bring this true story to life, tracing the triumphant and scandalous career of cyclist Lance Armstrong. Contact Music
4.0
And as a star vehicle for Ben Foster, Stephen Frearss latest film not only serves as a reminder of this directors singular way with actors (note the p .. The Arts Desk
3.0
But in terms of research and storytelling effort the film really lets its subject down. FilmFare
3.5
New documentary film reveals depth of Lance Armstrongs lies The cycling authorities gave him an easy ride when rumours about doping surfaced, as Armst .. Scmp
3.8
Its a drama about a crime being perpetrated in front of everyones eyes for more than a decade.Many knew that Armstrong was cheating but no one wanted .. The Film Pie
3.5
Unfortunately, Landiss moral complexity points out just how essentially indecipherable the stone faced Armstrong remains, even with Fosters potent eff .. Straight
3.5
But its a rat nobody wants to expose, leaving Walsh increasingly isolated as Armstrong effortlessly bounds from triumph to triumph. Sbs
2.0
There hasnt been a movie that more needed to be a documentary than The Program. What Culture
2.0
Taut but structurally aimless, ODowds skeptical sports writer is reduced to a bystander, watching a narrative were already familiar with play out. The Skinny
3.0
Comprehensive, compelling and absolutely exasperating, Alex Gibneys The Armstrong Lie was an exceptional piece of honest and meticulous journalism in .. Concrete Play Ground
1.5
Worthy of a Frankenstein movie is a hammy flashback to Ferraris eureka moment in a medical lecture when he first gets wise to the superhuman possibili .. Bfi
3.8
Frears squeezes tension out of these interstitial moments, letting personalities rather than facts collide. National Post
4.0
But whats the point of winning at all costs if it makes you the ultimate loser Sky
2.0
His performance as disgraced US cyclist Lance Armstrong is a tour de force. The New Paper
3.0
The Program has some fascinating character notes to it, but its mostly an inconsistently stylised portrait of a monster. Trespass Mag
3.0
It makes great use of the events surrounding Armstrongs lies to create a great deal of suspense.
2.0
Despite a committed lead performance from Ben Foster, Frears drama is an obvious and frustrating depiction of ambition and obsession. Blog Bullz Eye
3.8
The Program reveals the tiniest details about Lance Armstrongs doping regimen. Just dont expect to learn as much about the cyclist himself. Hollywood Into To
4.0
Those familiar with Gibneys documentary may be slightly disappointed that Frears does not take any new perspective into the prevailing Armstrong narra .. Film Ireland
2.0
It isnt until a former teammate, Floyd Landis (Jesse Plemons), comes clean about the doping that Lances empire crumbles. Richard Crouse
2.0
But even though the story traces Walsh chasing down elusive clues and potential witnesses, it still paints Armstrong, if not in the best light, at lea .. Iol Co Za
3.0
Its got plenty to say about doping, but less about the sport itself. Japan Times
4.0
Writing by John Hodge is straight to the point, with no fluff making for a very brutal look at the man Armstrong truly is. Ib Times
4.0
The plot is strung together with a cracking pace, as if Frears were afraid audiences might tune out at any moment and switch to reading Armstrongs Wik .. Daily Review
2.5
has admitted to a certain admiration for Armstrong. This is evident in the compassion built into his portrayal, which adds complexity to the slick ven .. Signature Reads
3.5
And Frears movie doesnt offer fresh insights on this still exceptionally weird tale.(It is a tale told far better in Alex Holmes stellar documentary S .. Austin Movie Blog 360
1.5
The film proceeds less like a biopic about a duplicitous sports figure than a docu drama, complete with several news telecasts and a detached tone. Deep Focus Review



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