SummaryA radio journalist and his technician get in over their heads when they hatch a scheme to fake their own kidnapping during a rebel uprising in South America and hide out in New York instead.
Directed By:Ricky Gervais
Written By:Ricky Gervais, Jacques Labib, Simon Michaël
Special Correspondents
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
36
User score
Mixed or Average
5.4
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
14% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
43% Mixed
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
43% Negative
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
Apr 28, 2016
70
Some viewers may be surprised by how good Bana is doing comedy. Same with Farmiga, but that allows Gervais to leave some of the heavier lifting as far as acting to his co-stars. Gervais has again done a solid job writing and directing his own material.
May 3, 2016
42
As a comedian, Gervais hardly lacks a sharp perspective. The Office showed him to be a merciless satirist of workplace culture. But when it comes to international politics, the comedian lacks the keen insight to say anything that hasn’t already been said by other filmmakers.
User score
Mixed or Average
34% Positive
13 Ratings
13 Ratings
37% Mixed
14 Ratings
14 Ratings
29% Negative
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
May 2, 2016
8
Possibly not his finest hour but entertaining nonetheless. It is honest and most importantly unfocus-grouped. Although characters drift a little too much and lose some credibility because of it, thatt does not justify the negative vibes it is getting . However , would the main character have had a wife like he had Probably not. Could anyone live with the insults he was hit with by the co star? even a meek character? I dunno ...you could also ask , would licking coke off a piece of paper have enabled him to shoot up a compound of baddies? It's a spoof comedy for God's sake!!! There are probably quite a few people who don't like him anymore because he insulted their icons at the Golden Globes. He understands what makes comedy not just laughs as in junk like Third Rock from the Sun where every line is focus grouped for laughs.
May 2, 2016
7
It was not great by any means, but entertaining enough to stick with it till the end, definitely a good thing that considering the short attention span you may grow with so much stuff available on streaming, Bana funny, Farmiga funny, Gervais ok, overall history meh-ok, thats a 7 from me
Apr 27, 2016
42
The more Special Correspondents skirts bad taste — by having the heroes record an ISIS-inspired ransom tape, for instance — the closer it gets to having something to say about mass media and geopolitics.
Apr 22, 2016
40
[Gervais] abandons all sharp edges and serves up a bland, toothless picture that isn’t particularly scathing and doesn’t have anything much to say, even though the basic premise might have allowed for some satirical jabs at journalism and politics.
Apr 27, 2016
38
Ricky Gervais's film hopscotches through a variety of premises, looking for jokes that never arrive.
Apr 28, 2016
30
There’s nothing wrong with the type of movie Special Correspondents wants to be. The problem is that Mr. Gervais doesn’t appear capable of making a good version of it.
May 3, 2016
25
Gervais fakes caring about character, jokes or doing the work to make Special Correspondents come off. He’s never made a worse film. And topping that, he’s never made a lazier one.
May 29, 2016
6
Its a good movie, no doubt about it. But it isnt great. Its something you can watch to the end, but only watch it once. I would recommend it cause it isnt bad. Bana done well with a comedic role, but the real issue was with this movie, was Ricky Gervais. His acting. He's more a sadistic sarcastic kind of character. James Cordon could pull that role off better. It was a bad role for Gervais and that to me dragged it down. And its a shame cause it could of been something really good.
May 28, 2016
6
Not a bad film, but not one I'd expect to win any awards. Just another workmanlike effort from writer/director Gervais. A decent way to spend an otherwise boring afternoon.
May 5, 2016
6
Much like Tina Fey, Ricky Gervais succeeds in the short form like The Office and Extras, but seems to struggle in the feature length film format. Correspondents has a simple plot. It's the escalating lie concept. Eric Bana and Gervais play employees of a newsradio station in New York (does anybody get their news from a radio nowadays? Does anybody LISTEN to radio nowadays?). Bana is the rule breaking, smooth talking street reporter, better at BS than actual news reporting. Gervais is the mild mannered sound engineer. Circumstances lead them to call in fake news reports from Ecuador, while still in New York. Complications (but not hilarity) pursue. Gervais sense of dry humor and satire of easy subjects makes for a humorous movie at times, but you won't remember it two days after seeing it.
May 3, 2016
3
This movie was a disappointment because i was expecting lots of funny moments but there were little to none. Ricky Gervais done a bad job directing and writing this. Would not watch this again.
Apr 29, 2016
2
As much as I love Ricky and his TV/Podcast work, movies aren't made for him. We can see him struggling to find a joke/gag. It is hard to laugh in that film, the acting isn't great, even from Eric Bana. This movie is a remake from a French Movie which was a critical flop. Ricky was ambitious to remake it and unfortunately didn't do better.
