The Listener

Released Mar 29

1h 36m

Drama

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for The Listener: Trailer 1

List

74%

Tomatometer

46 Reviews

50%

Audience Score

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Directed by Steve Buscemi and starring Tessa Thompson as Beth, a helpline volunteer who is part of the small army that gets on the phone every night across America, fielding calls from all kinds of people feeling lonely, broken, hopeless. Over the last year, the tide has become a tsunami. As Beth goes through her shift, the stakes rise: is this the night she will lose someone? Save someone? Eventually, Beth's own story comes to light, revealing why she does it. All along we remain with her: listening, comforting, connecting -- patching the world back together, one stitch at a time.

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Amy Nicholson

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

A very small film that feels like Steve Buscemi trying to gain his confidence behind the camera, but it doesn't really work out.

Apr 5, 2024

Full Review

Lisa Kennedy

New York Times

Buscemi and Thompson utilize the complementary power of stillness and the close-up to create a portrait of a woman who hears so much and divulges so little.

Apr 1, 2024

Full Review

Brian Tallerico

RogerEbert.com

While "The Listener" has the feel of a one-act play, that’s easily forgiven when the performer on the stage is this refined, and the filmmaking here is solid without ever being showy.

Jun 15, 2023

Full Review

Carla Renata

The Curvy Film Critic

If you love a good thriller along the lines of the Hitchcock classic SORRY WRONG NUMBER - you are going to love The Listener

May 7, 2024

Full Review

Ruth Maramis

FlixChatter Film Blog

Thompson is magnetic here and in a busy world with so many action-packed yet often hollow movies, it’s refreshing to see one that offers a brief escape from life’s noise.

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 8, 2024

Full Review

Steven Prokopy

Third Coast Review

Despite some of Beth’s haunting confessions, by the end of The Listener, I felt personally comforted by Thompson, and I can think of worse things.

Rated: 2.5/4

Apr 5, 2024

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DANIEL S

Solo act about a crisis line responder who handles calls with compassion, sympathy and creative verve, refusing to be led in by those becoming too personal and using the few minutes she has to bolster her callers' sense of self-worth. Valuable for anyone who would like to do a better job connecting with others.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/10/24

Full Review

Simone M

Everybody has a story. The callers. The listener. Some become lost in one bad chapter. Minds tangled in the web we spin when that one part becomes the sum total of who we believe we are from that point forward. The character of Beth offers a safe space to detangle for just a few minutes. Every once in a while an ordinary everyday miracle comes to pass.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/04/24

Full Review

tm11999 M

chick/feelings/mood movie, i wouldn't watch this movie with your dick. i FF through it and the dialogue never changed, BS smalltalk about ashtrays car door aunt hildas shoes and how come margarine doesn't taste anything like butter. take a nap instead.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

06/02/24

Full Review

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Steve Buscemi

Director

Tessa Thompson

Beth

Logan Marshall-Green

Michael

Derek Cecil

Actor

Margaret Cho

Corinne

Blu del Barrio

Jinx

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The Listener: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Directed by Steve Buscemi and starring Tessa Thompson as Beth, a helpline volunteer who is part of the small army that gets on the phone every night across America, fielding calls from all kinds of people feeling lonely, broken, hopeless. Over the last year, the tide has become a tsunami. As Beth goes through her shift, the stakes rise: is this the night she will lose someone? Save someone? Eventually, Beth's own story comes to light, revealing why she does it. All along we remain with her: listening, comforting, connecting -- patching the world back together, one stitch at a time.

Director: Steve Buscemi
Producer: Wren Arthur, Steve Buscemi, Oren Moverman, Lauren Hantz, Tessa Thompson
Screenwriter: Alessandro Camon
Distributor: Vertical
Production Co: Hantz Motion Pictures, Sight Unseen Pictures, Olive Productions
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 29, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 29, 2024
Runtime: 1h 36m

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