Movie · 2012 · Action, Thriller, Crime · 1h 42m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 0.5/10 (164.7K ratings)
You can only push an innocent man so far
Overview
An ex-cop turned con threatens to jump to his death from a Manhattan hotel rooftop. The NYPD dispatch a female police psychologist to talk him down. However, unbeknownst to the police on the scene, the suicide attempt is a cover for the biggest diamond heist ever pulled.
Ratings
Curator score: 0.5/10
IMDb: 6.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 31%
Metacritic: 40
TMDB: 6.4/10
Director
Asger Leth
Production
Summit Entertainment, di Bonaventura Pictures
Cast
Sam Worthington, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Edward Burns, Genesis Rodriguez, Ed Harris, Titus Welliver, Kyra Sedgwick, J. Smith-Cameron, Robert Clohessy, Mandy Gonzalez, William Sadler, Afton Williamson, Jonathan Walker, Daniel Sauli, Barbara Marineau, Patrick Collins, Joe Lisi, Candice McKoy
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A high-concept thriller with a strong hook and enough momentum to stay watchable, but it’s undermined by thin characterization, implausible plotting, and a generic execution that never fully cashes in on its premise.
Best for
Viewers who like contained, high-concept crime thrillers
People in the mood for a breezy, low-stakes suspense watch
Fans of heist stories that unfold in parallel with a hostage-style standoff
Skip if
You want airtight plotting and real tension
You’re looking for a smart, twisty thriller with memorable dialogue
You’re easily distracted by obvious contrivances or uneven performances
Overview
Man on a Ledge has the kind of premise that should practically sell itself: a man on a rooftop, a negotiator trying to talk him down, and a hidden heist running underneath the crisis. For stretches, the movie does exactly what it promises, using the Manhattan setting and the ticking-clock structure to keep things moving at a decent clip.
Worth noting
The problem is that the film keeps splitting its attention between the ledge drama and the robbery mechanics without making either side feel fully satisfying. The result is a thriller that is easy to watch but hard to admire, with a lot of familiar beats, some clunky logic, and a polished surface that never becomes especially tense.
Bottom line
It works best as disposable suspense: the sort of movie you can put on if you want motion, a few reversals, and a concept that stays legible even when the details get silly. If you’re hoping for the sharper, more inventive end of the heist-thriller spectrum, this one comes up short.
Top Letterboxd reviews
paul (2★) · 505 likes
In the middle of the most baffling and ridiculous heist ever, a woman strips down to her pants, for no reason other than for us to oggle her cracking tits.
One star for each of them.
@Mr. Like🔥🔥🔥 (2★) · 324 likes
Rotten Tomatoes: 31%Metacritic Metascore: 40IMDB: 6.6
44/100
Nick Cassidy: "I am an innocent man!"
Asger Leth's thriller squanders a decent premise by splitting focus between two plotlines that barely connect. Sam Worthington standing on a ledge for 102 minutes should've been nail-biting—instead, it's just exhausting.
Worthington tries, but his Australian accent keeps slipping through whenever he yells. Elizabeth Banks does solid work as the skeptical negotiator, though her character arc feels rushed. Jamie Bell and Genesis Rodriguez handle… more
Charles Weber (1.5★) · 273 likes
There's a scene in this where Elizabeth Banks blatantly calls Sam Worthington's character Sam, and not the character's name.
Mary Conti (2★) · 224 likes
Wow. What a genius title. The filmmakers are brilliant. For a while there, I was unsure of what the film's main premise was, and who was where, but all I had to do was look at the title, and see that the film was about a man, and he was most definitely on a ledge. I don't know what I would have done if the film had been titled something else. I probably would have been lost.