SummaryClay (André Holland), a successful but troubled black businessman, attends therapy sessions with his wife, Kaya (Zazie Beetz), in an attempt to salvage their marriage. But their mysterious therapist is not all that he seems, and begins to unexpectedly appear to Clay outside of their sessions. On a New York subway train, Clay encounters Lula (Kate... Read More
Directed By:Andre Gaines
Written By:Qasim Basir, Andre Gaines, Amiri Baraka
The Dutchman
Metascore
Generally Favorable
67
User score
Mixed or Average
5.1
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
67
67% Positive
6 Reviews
6 Reviews
33% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Mar 5, 2026
80
Great movies to me are stories that engage from start to finish and ask important questions at the end. The Dutchman does that from start to finish. Moral tales point out how flawed we are, and suggest a better way forward. And for Clay, that journey is far from over. Enjoy.
Jan 9, 2026
75
In a fresh film take on Amiri Baraka’s 1964 race play, Kate Mara’s sexed-up subway rider hits on André Holland like a white Eve out to destroy a Black Adam through assimilation, intimidation, and worse. You can’t watch it passively. It dares you to engage.
Jan 1, 2026
70
The performances of Holland and Mara mask the weaknesses of a slightly unfulfilled adaptation, which has charm in its flaws. The ending attempts to set the themes right, but needing to think about it afterward means it's not a film you'll forget about so soon. Seek out The Dutchman. It's well worth the challenge.
Jan 1, 2026
70
As with the play (and its 1967 film adaptation), the sexual politics here are messy. What isn’t is the filmmakers’ bold dive into the archives of the nascent Black Arts Movement for a throughline.
Jan 2, 2026
63
By expanding the play’s world, Gaines opens himself up to new scrutiny. Beetz does the best she can with a thinly drawn character, but it’s hard not to wonder what The Dutchman would look like if Gaines showed any real interest in her.
Jan 2, 2026
60
With Holland and Mara, the commitment to The Dutchman is apparent and though its ending feels as if things are wrapped up a bit too cleanly, the film succeeds in being an unnerving odyssey over one New York night.
Jan 2, 2026
55
It’s easy to appreciate the ambition of Gaines’ new take on Dutchman, but the original tale is fighting back, and it’s got the upper hand.
User score
Mixed or Average
5.1
25% Positive
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
50% Mixed
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
25% Negative
2 Ratings
2 Ratings
Jan 3, 2026
5
"The Dutchman" tries to be many things, but it never feels like anything more than a decent, unfocused Mamet ripoff. The stage drama packs layers of dense thematic meaning into its short runtime, whereas the film adaptation passes through understanding, logic, and even abstract reasoning like an express train bound for its final stop.
Production Company:
- Cinemation Studios
- Federal Films
- Washington Square Films
- Shadow Magic
- Southbox Entertainment
Release Date:Jan 2, 2026
Duration:1 h 28 m
Rating:R
Tagline:Two Get On. One Gets Off.
Awards
Festival Européen du Film Fantastique de Strasbourg (FEFFS)
• 1 Nomination
