Rendition (2007)

September 7, 2007 (US) • Drama, Thriller • 120m

Overview

When an Egyptian terrorism suspect "disappears" on a flight from Africa to Washington DC, his American wife and a CIA analyst find themselves caught up in a struggle to secure his release from a secret detention facility somewhere outside the US.

Director

Gavin Hood

Writer

Kelley Sane

Top Billed

Reese Witherspoon

Keywords

central intelligence agency (cia) police brutality government politics loss of loved one kidnapping despair war on terror anti terror intelligence inhumanity senator plo terrorist group civil rights politician hijacking terror cell torturing police torture terrorism cruelty american surveillance

Where to watch

Rent

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Top Billed Cast

Reese Witherspoon

Isabella Fields El-Ibrahimi

Jake Gyllenhaal

Douglas Freeman

Meryl Streep

Corrine Whitman

Alan Arkin

Senator Hawkins

Peter Sarsgaard

Alan Smith

Omar Metwally

Anwar El-Ibrahimi

Igal Naor

Abasi Fawal

Hadar Ratzon Rotem

Safiya

J.K. Simmons

Lee Mayer

Simon Abkarian

Said Abdel Aziz

Moa Khouas

Khalid

Zineb Oukach

Fatima Fawal

Aramis Knight

Jeremy El-Ibrahimi

Rosie Malek-Yonan

Nuru El-Ibrahimi

Laila Mrabti

Lina Fawal

David Fabrizio

William Dixon

Mounir Margoum

Rani

Driss Roukhe

Bahi

Bob Gunton

Lars Whitman

Del Hunter-White

DC Female Security Guard

Boubker Fahmi

Senior Prison Guard

Nava Ziv

Samia Fawal

Reymonde Amsallem

Layla Fawal

Wendy Phillips

Samantha

Christian Martin

Senator Lewis' Aide

Hassam Ghancy

Hamadi

Najib Oudghiri

Omar Adnan

Omar Salim

Rashid Salimi

Bunnie Rivera

Corinne's Housekeeper

Noureddine Aberdine

Student Leader

Mohamed El Habib Ahamdane

Hamadi's 2nd in Command

Fatima Regragui

Khalid's Grandmother

Anne Betancourt

Sharon Lopez

Salaheddine Ben Chegra

Al Jazeera Newscaster

Natalia Zonova

French Tourist

Hassan Hammouche

Hospital Doctor

Skylar T. Adams

CIA Agent at DC Airport

Tim Thomas

CIA Agent at DC Airport

Richard Dorton

CIA Agent at DC Airport

Abdellah Lamsabhi

Tea House Owner

Lasfer Abdelghni

Hamid, Douglas' Driver

Floella Benjamin

CIA Staffer

Akram Allie

Cape Town Businessman

Michael Dube

Cape Town Businessman

Pope Jerrod

Cape Town Businessman

Anthony Watterson

Cape Town Businessman

Marisia Moreno

Woman Who Helps Isabella

Tanane Boussif

Prison Soldier

Lofti Hassan

Taxi Driver

El Oualid Mezouar

Donkey Cart Driver

Craig Johnson

Capitol Hill Police

Wade Harlan

Capitol Hill Police

Derek Hansen

Reception Guest

Steve Tom

Reception Guest

Robert Clotworthy

Reception Guest

Muna Otaru

Senate Staffer

Nick Toth

CNN Announcer

David J. Randolph

Todd Hamilton

Mustapha Louchou

Khalid's Brother

Marina Anderson

Neighbor with Collie (uncredited)

David Black

Janitor (uncredited)

Elaine Anne Furst

Labor and Delivery Nurse (uncredited)

Paul Hodge

Capitol Hill Officer (uncredited)

Jason Roehm

Secret Service (uncredited)

Joseph Andrew Schneider

Security Officer (uncredited)

Levi Tinker

Press Member (uncredited)

Crew

Steve Golin

Producer

Keith Redmon

Producer

Mark Kilian

Original Music Composer

Harry Pain

Art Direction

Jille Azis

Set Designer

Mark Martin

Producer

Bill Todman Jr.

Executive Producer

Paul Schwake

Executive Producer

Edward Milstein

Executive Producer

Michael Sugar

Producer

Tony Noble

Art Direction

Barry Robison

Production Design

Kelley Sane

Writer

Paul Hepker

Original Music Composer

Gavin Hood

Director

Marcus Viscidi

Producer

Megan Gill

Editor

Dion Beebe

Director of Photography

David Kanter

Producer

Michael Wilkinson

Costume Design

Heidi Pascoe

Stunts

Madelein Krugell

Hairstylist

Kate Dowd

Casting

Robyn Aronstam

Script Supervisor

Bruria Albeck

Casting

Kathy Driscoll-Mohler

Casting

Rebecca Lafford

Makeup Artist

Steve Artmont

Makeup Artist

Fríða Aradóttir

Hairstylist

Eammon Hughes

Hairstylist

Molly Stern-Schlusse

Makeup Artist

Nezha Aouis

Hairstylist

Francine Maisler

Casting

Carol Kiefer

Art Department Coordinator

J. Roy Helland

Hairstylist

Scott Rathner

In Memory Of

Keith Pain

Supervising Art Director

Kevin Constant

Supervising Art Director

Toby Emmerich

Executive Producer

Chad Tyler

Stand In

Alisa Hensley

Stunts

Jordan Crockett

Draughtsman

Terel Gibson

Visual Effects Editor

Reviews

CinemaSerf

⭐ 6/10

December 28, 2025

I remember there were all sort of speculations about the CIA using rendition techniques around the time this was released, and I actually thought it could have been a powerful light to shine on an US government that tended to act with impunity when it suited it - especially if your name didn’t happen to originate in the West. That’s what happens to Egyptian-born engineer “Anwar” (Omar Metwally) who is travelling home to his wife (Reese Witherspoon) in the States when he is “diverted” on the instructions of “Whitman” (Meryl Streep) to a dark and unholy place where he is stripped of his clothes and his dignity, then questioned about a recent bombing atrocity - all under the watchful eye of “Freeman” (Jake Gyllenhaal) who is clearly torn between loyalty to his country and his own sense of human decency. Meantime, as you might expect, the wife of the captive man - completely unaware of his whereabouts, raises the issues with her senator (Alan Arkin) via his aide “Smith” (Peter Sarsgaard) but they seem more preoccupied with the optics of appearing to be on the wrong side of public opinion than they are about finding this man. Now of course there is the slightest of chances that “Anwar” does know something, but it’s about as remote as the source of the Amazon and the question quickly becomes more about the internecine game of political chess being played by all sides in this game with scant regard for a man whom in Metwally is easily the most convincing actor on the screen. To be fair to it, this film does begin quite promisingly with the arbitrary exercise of power making a mockery of any thoughts of democratic oversight, but Gyllenhaal is nowhere near his best and neither is the underused Witherspoon who seems uncertain as to just how she wants to play the part of the terrified, pregnant, wife. It’s conclusion is all a bit rushed, but it does show just how duplicitous and Machiavellian people can be when there are laws both within and outside the law - it's just a shame that wasn’t explored more fully.

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Status

Released

Original Language

Budget

$27,500,000

Revenue

$24,748,670

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Rendition (2007)

Where to watch

Top Billed Cast

Crew

Reviews

CinemaSerf

Recommended Movies

Apocalypse Now

Mission: Impossible

Sicario

Mission: Impossible - Fallout

Status

Original Language

Budget

Revenue

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