Safe House

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Safe House

R

2012

1h 55m

Action

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

52%

Tomatometer

192 Reviews

63%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

For the past year, rookie CIA agent Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) has been eager to prove himself while cooling his heels at an inactive South African post. He gets the chance when Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), a turncoat operative, is brought to Weston's safe house for debriefing. But soon after Frost's arrival, mercenaries attack, and Weston and Frost barely escape with their lives. The two men must join forces and try to stay alive long enough to figure out who wants them dead.

Critics Consensus

Safe House stars Washington and Reynolds are let down by a thin script and choppily edited action sequences.

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Keith Uhlich

Time Out

Aug 24

2/5

A first-quarter Hollywood release par excellence. Meaning not.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

09/08/2017

B-

Though it's not a premise we haven't seen played out before on the silver screen, Safe House is a movie that sucks you in, guts you, and spits you out at the end.

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Tambay Obenson

Shadow and Act

08/14/2017

[Safe House] is utterly predictable stuff, in case you haven't already figured that out by now.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

02/23/2023

2.5/4

Although occasionally exciting, there’s a pointed lack of gamesmanship in the events for a yarn involving spies, coupled with a lackluster quality that fails to leave an impression.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

08/25/2022

3.5/5

I had a great time with “Safe House”, and I don’t penalize it for aiming at a specific mark and hitting it.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

06/13/2021

2/4

Why do scripters even try to hide the identity of the villain until the end? Given the obviousness in these films, they might as well include a character named Professor Plum, usually found brandishing a lead pipe in the conservatory, and be done with it.

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Frans B

@FransB Mar 24

Very good. Great directing by Daniel Espinosa. Very capable cast all convincing in character. Great cinematography and visually appealing. Well written and the story, albeit predictable, does entertain enough. Lots of action, drama, suspense, emotion, intrigue and twists. It will keep you interested and entertained

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David D

@David2026 Sep 5

A by the numbers spy agency thriller, this time set in South Africa...not sure why. They didn't exactly lean into the location. Might have been due to tax breaks. Everyone puts in the performance expected and you get the result you knew was coming...and most importantly...you were entertained!

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Jerod S

@jeroduptown Aug 23

Reynolds is in charge of the safe house - and Washington is the elusive Tobin Frost. When the safe house is attacked, the two are at odds but also running from the intelligence community at large.

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Brendan K

@RT41050934 Jul 14

A little formulaic but good fun. Looked like they were going for a Jason Bourne vibe. Worth a watch.

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Rehan T

@RT81460504 May 20

Movie was alright, fine for a one time watch...

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tim s

@TPSreport94 04/22/2025

This self-contained spy thriller delivers rousing action, with a steely-eyed Denzel Washington and a surprising against-type performance from Ryan Reynolds. As their characters evolve from mistrust to respect, a layer of humanity is added to their dynamic, making their interactions all the more compelling. The film's South African setting is a refreshing change of pace from the typical metropolitan backdrops of London and New York. Overall, Safe House proves that original ideas can still thrive in a landscape dominated by big-budget franchises.

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Daniel Espinosa

Director

Denzel Washington

Tobin Frost

Ryan Reynolds

Matt Weston

Vera Farmiga

Catherine Linklater

Brendan Gleeson

David Barlow

Sam Shepard

Harlan Whitford

Safe House: Official Clip - They Want Me Alive

2:28

Safe House: Official Clip - Mercenaries Everywhere

2:43

Safe House: Official Clip - Who Do You Work For?

3:09

Safe House: Official Clip - We Got Him

2:36

Safe House: Official Clip - Housekeeping

2:49

Safe House: Official Clip - I Only Kill Professionals

2:12

Safe House: Official Clip - Pursued By Killers

1:54

Safe House: Official Clip - Dangerous Passenger

1:18

Safe House: Official Clip - Armed Intruders

2:07

Safe House: Official Clip - Bullets Over Shantytown

3:07

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Synopsis

For the past year, rookie CIA agent Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) has been eager to prove himself while cooling his heels at an inactive South African post. He gets the chance when Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), a turncoat operative, is brought to Weston's safe house for debriefing. But soon after Frost's arrival, mercenaries attack, and Weston and Frost barely escape with their lives. The two men must join forces and try to stay alive long enough to figure out who wants them dead.

Director: Daniel Espinosa
Producer: Scott Stuber
Screenwriter: David Guggenheim
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures, Relativity Media, Bluegrass Films
Rating: R (Strong Violence Throughout|Some Language)
Genre: Action, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 10, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $126.1M
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Datasat, SDDS, Dolby Digital