Movie · 2000 · Science Fiction, Crime, Thriller · 1h 58m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 5.4/10 (164.4K ratings)
The future is listening.
Overview
When a rare phenomenon gives police officer John Sullivan the chance to speak to his father, 30 years in the past, he takes the opportunity to prevent his dad's tragic death. After his actions inadvertently give rise to a series of brutal murders he and his father must find a way to fix the consequences of altering time.
Ratings
Curator score: 5.4/10
IMDb: 7.4/10
Letterboxd: 3.58/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 70%
Metacritic: 67
TMDB: 7.3/10
Director
Gregory Hoblit
Production
New Line Cinema
Cast
Dennis Quaid, Jim Caviezel, Shawn Doyle, Elizabeth Mitchell, Andre Braugher, Noah Emmerich, Melissa Errico, Jordan Bridges, Daniel Henson, Michael Cera, Stephen Joffe, Peter MacNeill, Marin Hinkle, Jack McCormack, Richard Sali, Nesbitt Blaisdell, Joan Heney, Jessica Meyer, Kirsten Bishop, Rocco Sisto
Curator Review
Verdict
A smart, emotionally tuned time-travel thriller that blends crime suspense with a strong father-son core. Its premise is a little pulpy, but the film sells it with momentum, atmosphere, and genuine feeling.
Best for
Viewers who like high-concept thrillers with emotional stakes
Fans of father-son dramas
People who enjoy time-travel stories that are easy to follow
Audiences looking for a late-90s/early-2000s studio thriller with heart
Skip if
You want hard sci-fi with strict rules and minimal sentiment
You dislike melodrama or sentimental family dynamics
You prefer very dark, gritty crime stories without crowd-pleaser elements
You need time-travel plots that are airtight and logic-first
Overview
Frequency is one of those high-concept studio movies that sounds gimmicky on paper and then wins you over by being sincere. The radio-between-decades hook gives it a clean, instantly graspable engine, and the film uses that setup to build suspense, grief, and regret into something surprisingly moving.
Worth noting
What makes it work is the emotional spine: this is as much about a son trying to save his father as it is about stopping a killer. Gregory Hoblit keeps the story moving with polished, accessible craft, and the film’s thriller mechanics are sturdy enough to carry the sentiment without collapsing under it.
Bottom line
It can be corny, and some of the twists lean into crowd-pleaser melodrama, but that’s also part of its appeal. If you’re open to a time-travel crime thriller that aims for warmth as much as tension, it lands as an underrated, very watchable piece of early-2000s genre filmmaking.
Top Letterboxd reviews
— ✧ nuria (5★) · 442 likes
I'M STILL HERE, CHIEF
Dave (4.5★) · 286 likes
This is a corny, melodramatic time-travel thriller about a son in the present day who communicates with his father… in 1969.
And yet, I loved it anyway.
This great story, terrifically involving and twisty, is filmed with stylish camera work and undeniable charm by its two leads, the inimitable Dennis Quaid (looking good as always) and the fine Jim Caviezel.
"Frequency" stuck with me for awhile, not only because of its nifty premise, but also of its sheer sweet ol’American spirit.
It has been some considerable time since viewing "Frequency" in all its constructive context. It was a film that I remember thoroughly enjoying within the time of its release, even though I was considerably younger than now. Upon the arrival of the film again, I knew that it had an interesting build of science fiction time-based properties, and a whole lot of feel-good family dynamic energy within. Also, with that being recognized, I also know that items right at the… more It has been some considerable time since viewing "Frequency" in all its constructive context. It was a film that I remember thoroughly enjoying within the time of its release, even though I was considerably younger than now. Upon the arrival of the film again, I knew that it had an interesting build of science fiction time-based properties, and a whole lot of feel-good family dynamic energy within. Also, with that being recognized, I also know that items right at the… more
{𝖘𝖆𝖒 𝖌} (4.5★) · 133 likes
If you ask me, THIS would be my answer for my most underrated movie. Or atleast, one of the few that come to mind…
This story’s so damn easy to get into and just the idea of it gets me emotional. Plenty of awesome twists that keep you at the edge of your seat. I mean messing with time usually never ends good, yet sure as hell makes for some good entertainment. Great characters too and everything with the father/son works… more
samet (3★) · 130 likes
Her erkek evlat icinde babasini tasir, her baba da evladini...