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The Samaritan

The Samaritan

201290 minRMidcredits score: 20th percentile of all films
Director
David Weaver
Starring
Samuel L. Jackson, Luke Kirby, Ruth Negga, Tom Wilkinson

After twenty years in prison, Foley is finished with the grifter's life. When he meets an elusive young woman named Iris, the possibility of a new start looks real. But his past is proving to be a stubborn companion.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Samaritan?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Samaritan streaming on AMC+ and Sundance Now via Prime Video and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

via Prime Video

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Samaritan?

The Samaritan earns 5 badges, led by Overhyped and Unsettling.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Samaritan worth watching?

The Samaritan's Midcredits score is the 20th percentile of all films, from 13K ratings across 6 sources. 29% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

20th percentile

Better received than 20% of films

19th percentile among Crime21st percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)23rd
Approval (how many liked it)21st

53 /100

23rd percentile of all films

20th percentile among Crime25th percentile among 2010s

Critics 37 · Audience 54

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.7 — solid but not unanimous.

29% liked it

21st percentile of all films

20th percentile among Crime21st percentile among 2010s
29% rated it 7–1071% rated it 1–6

Critics 26% · Audience 40%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 4 noms overall

84th percentile

13K ratings across platforms

79th percentile among Crime85th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 15% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$12M
Opening weekend$1.7K
Domestic gross$2.5K
Worldwide gross$15K

Returned 0.0× its budget — 13th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

A gritty neo-noir with Samuel L. Jackson as an ex-con grifter forced into one last job.

Fans praised

  • Samuel L. Jackson's commanding lead performance
  • Twisty neo-noir plot with genuine surprises
  • Ruth Negga's breakout supporting performance

Detractors panned

  • Derivative of Oldboy and other superior films
  • Plodding pace and meandering storyline
  • Implausible plot points and cheap shock value

What stands out

ActingDivisive70

Samuel L. Jackson gives a commanding, nuanced performance; Ruth Negga praised as standout

CharactersDivisive50

Underwritten characters, thin motivations, but Foley's moral struggle resonates

Plot and storyDivisive45

Twisty but derivative and predictable for many; borrows heavily from Oldboy

TensionDivisive45

Some suspenseful sequences but undermined by predictable twists

Emotional impactDivisive40

Father-daughter reveal intended to shock but often alienates

Pacing35

Slow and meandering first half, rushed final act

Ending30

Unsatisfying, implausible, and cheap resolution

Originality25

Heavily derivative of Oldboy and other noir/grifter films

Preferred by

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 11 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • US vs non-US 3 points apart

Watch experience

What is The Samaritan like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Dark and unsettling: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something dark that stays with you.

It leaves you unsettled.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Dark and unsettling.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TenseCold
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film holds its material with a grim, earnest seriousness; it plays its crime drama straight without irony.
The rideThe blackmail and dangerous con build tension, with a cold, hard edge throughout, likely peaking in the final confrontation.
StructureConventional cause-and-effect chronology from prison release to the con's climax.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Unsettled.

The answer rests on this: UnsettlingThought-provoking
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's grim portrayal of inescapable fate and moral compromise leaves a lingering unease and contemplation of destiny.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

with Rebirth underneath

Why this archetypeAn ex-con blackmailed into one last con; the story is driven by the scheme and the past's vengeance.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5% (this title)
  • Morality 16% (this title): Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% (this title) · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9% (this title)
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Morality

Redemption · 6% of filmsDeception · 9% of filmsFreedom · 5% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeFoley tries to live an honest life after prison but is blackmailed back into the world of cons and crime.
StanceThe film questions whether a man with Foley's past can truly be redeemed, focusing on personal moral struggle.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral modernElectronicSupportive music · original score · Todor Kobakov
Settinga grimy city where ex-cons, prostitutes, and kingpins intersect

Content guide

Is The Samaritan okay for kids?

R

The Samaritan is rated R: “Rated R for strong violence, language, some sexuality and drug use” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at severe (83/100), sexual content at intense (63/100), language at severe (83/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (58/100) and frightening material at intense (67/100). Its violence, language, drug and alcohol content and frightening material have too few votes to rank.

Ratings in 6 other countries
  • UK18
  • Germany16
  • JapanR15+
  • Brazil16
  • Netherlands16
  • Sweden15
Overall
Intense · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Severe
too few votes to rank (6 votes)
Sex & Nudity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 79%
Profanity
Severe
too few votes to rank (8 votes)
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
too few votes to rank (4 votes)
Frightening / Intense
Intense
too few votes to rank (3 votes)

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Too few votes to rank this title overall (42 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Samaritan have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Samaritan?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Samuel L. Jackson
as Foley
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Luke Kirby
as Ethan
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Ruth Negga
as Iris
Tom Wilkinson
as Xavier
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
A.C. Peterson
as Miro
Gil Bellows
as Bartender Bill
Aaron Poole
as Jake
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Tom McCamus
as Deacon
Deborah Kara Unger
as Helena
Rob Archer
as Vernon Hicks
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Samaritan?

Movies like The Samaritan include Kiss of Death (1995), Stone (2010) and No Man of God (2021). Of the 12 closest matches, several are stories about unlikely alliances, and most are crime films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

6 of these 12 share its world: prison. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Samaritan?

997 other films share the rarest tag below, follows: con artist. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.