Movie · 2013 · Action, Drama, Thriller · 2h 11m · PG-13 · English
Curator score: 1.5/10 (407.7K ratings)
It will start like any other day.
Overview
Capitol Policeman John Cale has just been denied his dream job with the Secret Service protecting President James Sawyer. Not wanting to let down his little girl with the news, he takes her on a tour of the White House, when the complex is overtaken by a heavily armed paramilitary group. Now, with the nation's government falling into chaos and time running out, it's up to Cale to save the president, his daughter, and the country.
Ratings
Curator score: 1.5/10
IMDb: 6.3/10
Letterboxd: 2.83/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 52%
Metacritic: 52
TMDB: 6.5/10
Director
Roland Emmerich
Production
Columbia Pictures, Mythology Entertainment, Centropolis Entertainment, Iron Horse Entertainment, Street Entertainment
Cast
Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, Richard Jenkins, Joey King, James Woods, Nicolas Wright, Jimmi Simpson, Michael Murphy, Rachelle Lefevre, Lance Reddick, Matt Craven, Jake Weber, Peter Jacobson, Barbara Williams, Kevin Rankin, Garcelle Beauvais, Falk Hentschel, Romano Orzari
Where to watch
Hulu, USA Network
Curator Review
Verdict
A loud, knowingly ridiculous action blockbuster that works best as a comfort watch. The chemistry between Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, plus Emmerich’s taste for big-scale destruction, give it real momentum even when the plotting is formulaic and the politics are cartoonish.
Best for
fans of glossy 2010s disaster-action
viewers who like buddy-cop energy inside a siege thriller
people in the mood for a patriotic-but-silly popcorn movie
audiences who enjoy elaborate White House mayhem
Skip if
you want tight, realistic action
you dislike broad jokes and cheesy dialogue
you’re tired of post-9/11 security-thriller clichés
you prefer grounded political thrillers over spectacle
Overview
White House Down is the kind of overbuilt studio action movie that knows exactly what it is: a demolition derby with a flag on it. Roland Emmerich stages the attack on the White House with the kind of expensive, gleeful chaos he specializes in, and the movie keeps finding new ways to turn official Washington into a playground for explosions, gunfire, and collapsing monuments to authority.
Worth noting
What keeps it afloat is the pairing of Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx, who make the movie feel lighter and more playful than its premise suggests. The script is shamelessly familiar, but the banter, the pacing, and the sheer confidence of the set pieces make it easy to forgive the clichés. It’s less interested in plausibility than in momentum.
Bottom line
The politics are blunt and sometimes goofy, but that bluntness is part of the appeal: this is a movie about institutions failing and one decent guy improvising through the wreckage. If you want a polished, high-budget version of a “one man saves the day” siege thriller, this delivers. If you want subtlety, look elsewhere.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Ian Curran (3★) · 586 likes
Magic Mike: Independence Day
Christian Di Leo (2.5★) · 520 likes
Soon to be "Based on a True Story."
Edit from January 7th 2021: I somehow predicted the future?
🇺🇸🏛💥🔫
davidehrlich (3.5★) · 482 likes
"did you see my routine!?"
that moment IS the cinema. Roland Emmerich for President. seriously, dude should only be allowed to make movies that involve destroying the white house. fun, expensive, beautifully detailed. less "Die Hard in The White House" than it is "Air Force One on the ground." and i mean that in the best way.
George Clark (3.5★) · 356 likes
White House Down, similar to Olympus Has Fallen that came out the same year, may not be cinema at its finest but my god is it exactly what you want from an action flick.
There is a certain level of comfort you can derive from these predictable mega-budget monsters. Most of them are the same and more often then not they fail to leave a mark, but director Roland Emmerich utilises the chemistry between Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx perfectly,… more
2013 · Action, Thriller · 2h · R · Curator 1.2/10 (462.7K ratings) · Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, fuboTV, AMC+, Philo, BBC America, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
The most obvious tonal companion: another hard-edged White House siege movie, grimmer and more brutal in execution.