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The Guard (2011)

Original title: The Guard

“The FBI are about to discover that things work a little differently around here.”

2011 · 1 h 36 min
Directed by John Michael McDonagh · Ireland · Contemporary European Art Cinema
ActionComedyThrillerCrime

Where to watch in the United States: Free: The Roku Channel, YouTube Free · Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home · Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home. Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDB; availability changes.

Cast

Brendan Gleeson Don Cheadle Mark Strong Ronan Collins Paraic Nialand John Patrick Beirne

Credits

Written by: John Michael McDonagh

Plot

When a small-town Irish cop with a crass personality is partnered with a straight-laced FBI agent to bust an international drug-trafficking ring, they must settle their differences in order to take down a dangerous gang.

Sinekatalog’s take

A dry, foul-mouthed Irish comedy-thriller whose lazy-seeming cop turns out sharper than he lets on. The deadpan humour is the highlight and the pairing with a stiff outsider is a treat for fans of black comedy.Sinekatalog’s own editorial review – not a user or critic quote.

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Ratings

IMDb: 7.3 / 10 (102,695 votes)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94%
Metacritic: 78/100
IMDb rating and vote count from the IMDb ratings dataset (October 2026). Scores change over time.

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