Enter a Rotten Tomatoes movie slug to inspect the stored movie, batches, snapshots, and reviews.
Movie ID: 1477
RT slug: point_break
RT URL: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/point_break
Release year: 1991
Runtime: 122 mins
Wide release date: —
Limited release date: —
Festival premiere date: —
Streaming release date: 2016-06-01
Tomatometer final: 68%
Audience score final: 79%
Genres: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Directors: Kathryn Bigelow
Writers: Kurt Wimmer, W. Peter Iliff
Producers: Peter Abrams, Robert L. Levy
MPAA rating: R
Executive Producers: —
Created: 2026-10-13 23:17:05
Updated: 2026-10-13 23:17:05
After a string of bizarre bank robberies in Southern California, with the crooks donning masks of various former presidents, a federal agent, Johnny Utah (Keanu Reeves), infiltrates the suspected gang. But this is no ordinary group of robbers. They're surfers -- led by the charismatic Bodhi (Patrick Swayze) -- who are addicted to the rush of thievery. But when Utah falls in love with a female surfer, Tyler (Lori Petty), who is close to the gang, it complicates his sense of duty.
Absurd, over-the-top, and often wildly entertaining, Point Break is here to show you that the human spirit is still alive.
Canonical reviews: 82
Canonical fresh: 56
Canonical rotten: 26
Canonical calculated Tomatometer: 82 (56/26), 68% (68.293% raw)
Latest snapshot UTC: 2026-10-13 21:46:30
Snapshot Tomatometer: 68%
Snapshot review count: 82
Snapshot fresh count: 56
Snapshot rotten count: 26
Source note: Imported from manual review paste batch #4541 (full_snapshot)
| Company | Role |
|---|---|
| 20th Century Fox | distributor |
| Billing | Name | Character |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Swayze | Bodhi |
| 2 | Keanu Reeves | FBI Special Agent Johnny 'John' Utah |
| 3 | Gary Busey | FBI Agent Angelo Pappas |
| 4 | Lori Petty | Tyler Ann Endicott |
| 5 | John C. McGinley | FBI Agent Ben Harp |
| Batch ID | Status | Mode | Created | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1495 | processed | — | 2026-10-13 23:17:05 | Processed successfully into movie_id=1477 using update_mode=merge_non_empty. |
| Batch ID | Local Snapshot | UTC Snapshot | Entered % | Entered Count | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4541 | 2026-10-13 16:46:00 (America/Panama) | 2026-10-13 21:46:30 | 68% | 82 | processed | Mode=full_snapshot. Processed 82 row(s); 0 row error(s). Parsed unique reviews in this batch=82, fresh=56, rotten=26, tomatometer=68%. Net new reviews added=82, fresh=56, rotten=26. Current canonical totals=82 reviews, 56 fresh, 26 rotten, tomatometer=68% (68.293%). Entered review count matched parsed batch count (82). Entered tomatometer matched parsed batch value (68%). |
| ID | Critic | Outlet | Fresh? | Score | RT Time Raw | Approx Published UTC | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 289752 | Philip Strick | Sight & Sound | Rotten | — | 2025-11-20T22:56:08.000Z | 2025-11-20 22:56:08 | Oddly lightweight in cast, as though the theme belonged to some departed race of Hollywood giants, Point Break usefully resists the temptation to act as a vehicle for Patrick Swayze, |
| 289753 | Steve Murray | Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Rotten | — | 2025-09-25T16:33:07.000Z | 2025-09-25 16:33:07 | The film is a fever show of empty style. |
| 289754 | Jack Walters | Loud and Clear Reviews | Fresh | 4.5/5 | 2025-01-18T19:12:54.000Z | 2025-01-18 19:12:54 | "Point Break is a full-throttle action showcase that capitalises on its ‘90s flare and rides the wave right until the end." |
| 289755 | Peter Bradshaw | Guardian | Fresh | 4/5 | 2024-11-09T01:27:56.000Z | 2024-11-09 01:27:56 | The film tries to show that surfers can be feral and violent in their own way, defending their turf, but even this is a different kind of brutality. It is such a strange generic welding, and is part of what has made the film such an enduring cult gem. |
| 289756 | Iain Robertson | Starburst | Fresh | 4/5 | 2024-07-25T22:31:00.000Z | 2024-07-25 22:31:00 | Ignore the extras, though and get lost in one of the best action movies of the ‘90s. |
| 289757 | Yasser Medina | Cinefilia | Rotten | 6/10 | 2024-04-06T06:14:39.000Z | 2024-04-06 06:14:39 | It just has an interesting start with the duel between Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, but its police plot often drags within it a series of clichés that take away the intrigue effect from its beach, robbery and surfing agenda. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 289758 | Matt Brunson | Film Frenzy | Rotten | 2.5/4 | 2023-12-26T03:45:11.000Z | 2023-12-26 03:45:11 | The skydiving sequences are spectacular, and they live up to the film’s tagline of “100% Pure Adrenaline.” The rest, however, is 100% Pure Hokum. |
| 289759 | Allison Rose | FlickDirect | Fresh | 4.5/5 | 2023-12-04T18:30:18.000Z | 2023-12-04 18:30:18 | With memorable lines and scenes, Point Break offered a slice of life many don't get to experience but wish they did. |
| 289760 | Savina Petkova | A Good Movie To Watch | Fresh | 8.5/10 | 2023-10-29T23:44:41.000Z | 2023-10-29 23:44:41 | The Reeves-Swayze duo here belongs in the pantheon of equally hot frenemies, providing an apt, but subtle comment on the dangers of toxic masculinity. |
| 289761 | Terry Francis | Southern Voice (Atlanta) | Rotten | 0.5/4 | 2023-05-09T19:46:42.000Z | 2023-05-09 19:46:42 | Moronic West Coast dialogue, the very latest in MTV editing, and a young woman surfer abducted from her bedroom in a clinging white slip, who gets threatened with being "gutted" unless a man can save her. |
| 289762 | Rene Jordan | El Nuevo Herald (Miami) | Fresh | — | 2022-12-08T03:01:00.000Z | 2022-12-08 03:01:00 | Such convoluted nonsense is not for everyone, but those who accept it and follow along with its current can find it fun. [Full review in Spanish] |
| 289763 | Kevin Maher | The Times (UK) | Fresh | — | 2022-08-19T21:36:19.000Z | 2022-08-19 21:36:19 | ... A near-perfect action film directed by Kathryn Bigelow with frenzied intensity, and it never seeks to patronise its own material or its audience. |
| 289764 | Emilie Black | Cinema Crazed | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2022-08-05T05:07:31.000Z | 2022-08-05 05:07:31 | The film is far from perfect, but it’s perfectly entertaining. |
| 289765 | Grant Watson | Fiction Machine | Fresh | 9/10 | 2022-06-07T01:55:28.000Z | 2022-06-07 01:55:28 | Action cinema is a populist genre that often struggles for respect among critics. It has always deserved better: Point Break is a landmark for the field. |
| 289766 | Brian Eggert | Deep Focus Review | Fresh | 3/4 | 2022-06-05T17:42:40.000Z | 2022-06-05 17:42:40 | This exhilarating movie runs on overdrive, offering an excess of stylish sequences and over-the-top performances that feel heightened by the “radical” and “extreme” behaviors on display. |
| 289767 | Mike Massie | Gone With The Twins | Fresh | 6/10 | 2022-01-02T22:40:19.000Z | 2022-01-02 22:40:19 | Much of the film feels as if an excuse for the cast to surf and skydive - a curious combination of daredevilry. |
| 289768 | Eddie Harrison | film-authority.com | Fresh | 5/5 | 2021-10-05T07:50:23.000Z | 2021-10-05 07:50:23 | …a classic for the ages…one of the essentials of action cinema… |
| 289769 | Justin Brown | Medium Popcorn | Fresh | 3/5 | 2021-09-17T15:11:07.000Z | 2021-09-17 15:11:07 | The change in Swayze's character in the third act soured this a bit for me. The inconsistency took away from the impressive action scenes and fun plot. |
| 289770 | Brandon Collins | Medium Popcorn | Fresh | 4/5 | 2021-09-17T15:11:06.000Z | 2021-09-17 15:11:06 | This is a very good action film despite some of the weird performances. It was very entertaining. |
| 289771 | Joe Nolan | Nashville Scene | Fresh | — | 2021-09-13T23:04:59.000Z | 2021-09-13 23:04:59 | Come for the guns and money, stay for the sun-baked aphorisms and those big blue waves. |
| 289774 | Philip French | Observer (UK) | Rotten | — | 2021-08-17T23:11:31.000Z | 2021-08-17 23:11:31 | This handsome movie has well staged chases and shoot-outs, but humourlessly accepts its posturing hero at his own valuation. |
| 289773 | Juan Carlos Coto | Miami Herald | Rotten | 2/4 | 2021-08-17T23:11:31.000Z | 2021-08-17 23:11:31 | Point Break has some eye-catching visuals in its frenetic action sequences, but even the slow-mo surfing gets tedious. It's like being trapped in a soft-drink commercial. |
| 289772 | Geoff Brown | The Times (UK) | Rotten | — | 2021-08-17T23:11:31.000Z | 2021-08-17 23:11:31 | Keanu Reeves, boringly cocky FBI agent, goes undercover, and off the film lurches into narrative gobbledegook, surfing, and the spiritual utterances of a tanned guru (Patrick Swayze). |
| 289775 | Andrea Thompson | A Reel of One's Own | Fresh | — | 2020-10-08T23:03:26.000Z | 2020-10-08 23:03:26 | Bigelow makes all this fun, tragic, and yes, deeply sexy without lingering too much on the bodies of the various surfers, male or female. |
| 289776 | Alberto Abuín | Espinof | Fresh | — | 2019-08-30T21:54:59.000Z | 2019-08-30 21:54:59 | Risky acts through increasingly audacious sequences, culminating in one of the most outstanding moments ever seen in the genre. [Full Review in Spanish] |
| 289777 | Duane Byrge | The Hollywood Reporter | Fresh | — | 2019-07-16T00:47:18.000Z | 2019-07-16 00:47:18 | While the critics may yammer, Point Break delivers the thrills, spills and crunches its action-hungry audience demands. |
| 289778 | Tracy Moore | Common Sense Media | Fresh | 4/5 | 2015-12-15T15:41:31.000Z | 2015-12-15 15:41:31 | '90s hit with intense action, graphic violence, and surfing. |
| 289779 | Tim Brayton | Antagony & Ecstasy | Fresh | 8/10 | 2014-11-07T22:12:02.000Z | 2014-11-07 22:12:02 | A nearly flawless marriage of the genre clichs of the classic '80s-model cop action picture with the elevated physicality of the '90s action films to come. |
| 289780 | Stephen Hunter | Baltimore Sun | Rotten | — | 2013-06-13T11:20:28.000Z | 2013-06-13 11:20:28 | Did a dry California wind scramble the script as they moved into the third act? Did the tape recorder go on the blitz at the story conferences? Was there a fire in the editing room? |
| 289781 | Lou Cedrone | Baltimore Sun | Fresh | — | 2013-06-12T19:15:26.000Z | 2013-06-12 19:15:26 | This is a very macho movie, and if the better film schools are looking for a contemporary film that very keenly exemplifies the marriage of sound and shoot, this is it. |
| 289782 | Gary Thompson | Philadelphia Daily News | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2013-06-12T19:11:53.000Z | 2013-06-12 19:11:53 | Point Break is the best movie about cops, robbers, surfing and sky diving that you're likely to see. |
| 289783 | Owen Gleiberman | Entertainment Weekly | Rotten | C+ | 2011-09-07T11:44:55.000Z | 2011-09-07 11:44:55 | — |
| 289784 | Brian Orndorf | BrianOrndorf.com | Fresh | A | 2011-07-12T05:20:50.000Z | 2011-07-12 05:20:50 | The essence of movie remains unsullied, and with every viewing comes fresh details and a new appreciation for the film's fearlessness and originality in the midst of all of the cop formula. |
| 289785 | Chris Laverty | Clothes on Film | Fresh | 3/5 | 2009-08-27T02:12:29.000Z | 2009-08-27 02:12:29 | Quaint in its depiction of an alternative lifestyle, yet still an above average, really quite vicious action thriller. |
| 289786 | David Nusair | Reel Film Reviews | Fresh | 3/4 | 2009-08-04T06:18:11.000Z | 2009-08-04 06:18:11 | ...an above-average actioner... |
| 289787 | Peter Canavese | Groucho Reviews | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2008-07-01T11:44:56.000Z | 2008-07-01 11:44:56 | Consistently stylish, dumb, and entertaining. |
| 289788 | Cole Smithey | ColeSmithey.com | Fresh | 4/5 | 2008-04-06T09:24:06.000Z | 2008-04-06 09:24:06 | — |
| 289789 | Steve Crum | Video-Reviewmaster.com | Fresh | 3/5 | 2007-08-14T14:40:57.000Z | 2007-08-14 14:40:57 | Pretty fair action in Swayze-Reeves starrer. |
| 289790 | Walter Chaw | Film Freak Central | Fresh | 3/4 | 2007-08-07T10:54:14.000Z | 2007-08-07 10:54:14 | Keanu Reeves is Johnny Utah. F*** yeah! |
| 289791 | Jonathan Rosenbaum | Chicago Reader | Rotten | — | 2007-03-22T10:56:39.000Z | 2007-03-22 10:56:39 | We might as well be watching a blissed-out Bill and Ted caper. |
| 289792 | Unknown Critic | TV Guide | Fresh | 3/4 | 2007-03-22T10:55:38.000Z | 2007-03-22 10:55:38 | From our first glimpse of a surfer hovering through a cascading wave to the final sky-diving stunt, Kathryn Bigelow's fourth feature keeps offering us new thrills with unapologetic verve. |
| 289793 | Unknown Critic | Variety | Rotten | — | 2007-03-22T10:54:43.000Z | 2007-03-22 10:54:43 | A hare-brained wild ride through big surf and bad vibes, Point Break acts like a huge, nasty wave, picking up viewers for a few major thrills but ultimately grinding them into the sand via overkill and absurdity. |
| 289794 | Kevin Carr | 7M Pictures | Rotten | 2/5 | 2006-11-05T12:09:24.000Z | 2006-11-05 12:09:24 | In some ways, Point Break is a guilty pleasure. But do keep in mind, like many drugs, repeated exposure may make you dumber. |
| 289795 | Arthur Ryel-Lindsey | Slant Magazine | Fresh | 2.5/4 | 2006-11-01T14:59:25.000Z | 2006-11-01 14:59:25 | In terms of Hollywood history, Bigelow's film is the perfect document of its time. |
| 289796 | Unknown Critic | Bullz-Eye.com | Fresh | 3/5 | 2006-10-14T03:36:49.000Z | 2006-10-14 03:36:49 | — |
| 289797 | Emanuel Levy | EmanuelLevy.Com | Fresh | B | 2006-10-09T15:44:51.000Z | 2006-10-09 15:44:51 | This visually delirious but intellectually underdeveloped thriller-actioner has some wonderfully executed chase scenes, but the characters defy dramatic logic even when played by Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. |
| 289798 | Scott Weinberg | DVD Clinic | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2006-10-05T11:21:20.000Z | 2006-10-05 11:21:20 | There's fun to be had, but there's also a few chapters worth skipping through. |
| 289799 | Matt McKillop | Filmcritic.com | Fresh | 4/5 | 2006-09-05T20:57:46.000Z | 2006-09-05 20:57:46 | While it can accurately be described as an action film, a heist movie, or even simply a thriller, Point Break is also the first "extreme sports" movie |
| 289800 | Jeffrey M. Anderson | Combustible Celluloid | Fresh | — | 2006-05-26T03:16:39.000Z | 2006-05-26 03:16:39 | [Bigelow] has a great eye not only for action, but also for the psychological push and pull behind the action. |
| 289801 | Derek Adams | Time Out | Fresh | — | 2006-02-09T03:16:44.000Z | 2006-02-09 03:16:44 | There's enough high-octane, heart-racing excitement for a dozen movies. |
| 289802 | Chuck O'Leary | FulvueDrive-in.com | Fresh | B- | 2005-10-08T20:46:41.000Z | 2005-10-08 20:46:41 | Bigelow's adept handling of the action elevates Point Break to guilty pleasure status. |
| 289803 | Forrest Hartman | Reno Gazette-Journal | Fresh | 3/5 | 2005-06-02T15:40:57.000Z | 2005-06-02 15:40:57 | Enjoyable, if silly, action romp. |
| 289804 | Rich Cline | Shadows on the Wall | Fresh | 3/5 | 2005-04-18T07:01:55.000Z | 2005-04-18 07:01:55 | brainless guilty pleasure |
| 289805 | Michelle Alexandria | Eclipse Magazine | Rotten | 2/5 | 2005-02-11T06:34:18.000Z | 2005-02-11 06:34:18 | — |
| 289806 | Michael A. Smith | Nolan's Pop Culture Review | Fresh | 3/5 | 2005-01-19T20:03:04.000Z | 2005-01-19 20:03:04 | — |
| 289807 | Linda Cook | Quad City Times (Davenport, IA) | Rotten | 1/5 | 2004-04-07T21:24:30.000Z | 2004-04-07 21:24:30 | — |
| 289808 | Mary Ann Brussat | Spirituality & Practice | Rotten | 2/5 | 2004-03-27T10:34:45.000Z | 2004-03-27 10:34:45 | — |
| 289809 | Mark Palermo | The Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | Fresh | 4/5 | 2004-03-10T16:19:03.000Z | 2004-03-10 16:19:03 | — |
| 289810 | Michael Dequina | TheMovieReport.com | Rotten | 2/5 | 2004-01-12T01:51:07.000Z | 2004-01-12 01:51:07 | — |
| 289811 | Carol Cling | Las Vegas Review-Journal | Fresh | 3/5 | 2003-08-29T12:44:27.000Z | 2003-08-29 12:44:27 | — |
| 289812 | Rob Vaux | Flipside Movie Emporium | Fresh | 4/5 | 2003-07-16T18:30:23.000Z | 2003-07-16 18:30:23 | Far better than any film with such billing should be. |
| 289813 | Nell Minow | Movie Mom | Fresh | 4/5 | 2003-07-12T15:16:00.000Z | 2003-07-12 15:16:00 | The script is so lame it achieves a sort of magnificence, and the stunts are superb. |
| 289814 | Blake French | NutzWorld | Rotten | 2/5 | 2003-05-27T21:40:57.000Z | 2003-05-27 21:40:57 | — |
| 289815 | Janet Maslin | New York Times | Fresh | 3.5/5 | 2003-05-20T17:17:57.000Z | 2003-05-20 17:17:57 | A lot of the snap comes, surprisingly, from Mr. Reeves, who displays considerable discipline and range. He moves easily between the buttoned-down demeanor that suits a police procedural story and the loose-jointed manner of his comic roles. |
| 289816 | Robert Roten | Laramie Movie Scope | Fresh | 3/4 | 2003-03-23T08:13:00.000Z | 2003-03-23 08:13:00 | Most of this is standard fare, except for the parachuting stunts and surfing scenes, which are way above average. |
| 289817 | Dragan Antulov | rec.arts.movies.reviews | Rotten | 4/10 | 2002-11-26T14:42:54.000Z | 2002-11-26 14:42:54 | Bigelow forgot the most important ingredients for a successful action film -- plot and characters. |
| 289818 | Elias Savada | Nitrate Online | Fresh | 3/5 | 2002-10-13T18:40:59.000Z | 2002-10-13 18:40:59 | — |
| 289819 | Caffeinated Clint | Moviehole | Fresh | 3/5 | 2002-09-17T22:28:05.000Z | 2002-09-17 22:28:05 | An adrenaline-pumping action bonanza |
| 289820 | Jeffrey Westhoff | Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | Rotten | 1/5 | 2002-09-05T14:36:31.000Z | 2002-09-05 14:36:31 | Kathryn Bigelow rips off the first 10 minutes of Moonraker and gets praised for it. Give me a break. |
| 289821 | Philip Martin | Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | Rotten | 2/5 | 2002-08-29T08:46:40.000Z | 2002-08-29 08:46:40 | dumb, testosterone-soaked big summer story by Kathryn Bigelow |
| 289822 | Phil Villarreal | Arizona Daily Star | Fresh | 5/5 | 2002-08-02T14:37:12.000Z | 2002-08-02 14:37:12 | Unfairly bashed. The true spirit of shirking society and catching a wave is captured here. |
| 289823 | Catherine Cantieri | HoleCity.com | Fresh | 3/5 | 2002-07-29T20:55:29.000Z | 2002-07-29 20:55:29 | — |
| 289824 | Cherryl Dawson and Leigh Ann Palone | TheMovieChicks.com | Fresh | 4/5 | 2002-07-26T05:45:10.000Z | 2002-07-26 05:45:10 | The ultimate surfer/bank robber movie. 'Dude, I'm with the FBI.' |
| 289825 | Nick Hilditch | BBC.com | Fresh | 4/5 | 2001-09-10T23:34:35.000Z | 2001-09-10 23:34:35 | The hinted spirituality of the film is plainly silly, but it's quickly swallowed by the undertow of crashing spectacle. |
| 289826 | James Kendrick | Q Network Film Desk | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2001-05-15T17:52:16.000Z | 2001-05-15 17:52:16 | Bigelow has a sure hand in directing action sequences, and Point Break is full of them |
| 289827 | Peter Travers | Rolling Stone | Rotten | — | 2001-05-12T23:45:18.000Z | 2001-05-12 23:45:18 | Bigelow can't keep the film from drowning in a sea of surf-speak. But without her, Point Break would be no more than an excuse to ogle pretty boys in wet suits. |
| 289832 | Steve Davis | Austin Chronicle | Rotten | 2.5/5 | 2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2000-01-01 00:00:00 | Bigelow stages the film's action sequences with a brutal efficiency (they almost redeem the movie), but she can't keep the increasingly silly script in check. |
| 289831 | Chris Hicks | Deseret News (Salt Lake City) | Rotten | 1.5/4 | 2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2000-01-01 00:00:00 | Even Bigelow's best scenes, however, are occasionally undercut by her penchant for close-ups and MTV-style edits that confuse the audience about what exactly is happening during chaotic moments. |
| 289830 | Roger Ebert | Chicago Sun-Times | Fresh | 3.5/4 | 2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2000-01-01 00:00:00 | The plot of Point Break, summarized, invites parody (rookie agent goes undercover as surfer to catch bank robbers). The result is surprisingly effective. |
| 289829 | Mark Dinning | Empire Magazine | Fresh | 4/5 | 2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2000-01-01 00:00:00 | The elements conspire to produce a superb splash of trashy, testosterone-induced mayhem. |
| 289828 | Hal Hinson | Washington Post | Rotten | — | 2000-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 2000-01-01 00:00:00 | An exercise in stylish lunkheadedness. It's gorgeous but dumb as a post; watching it is a bit like shooting the tube and then getting cracked on the head by your board. |
| 289833 | Unknown Critic | Entertainment Weekly | Rotten | C+ | 1991-01-01T00:00:00.000Z | 1991-01-01 00:00:00 | — |
Showing the latest 100 canonical reviews for this movie.