SummaryReporter Bob Wilton is in search of his next big story when he encounters Lyn Cassady, a shadowy figure who claims to be part of an experimental U.S. military unit. According to Cassady, the New Earth Army is changing the way wars are fought. A legion of "Warrior Monks" with unparalleled psychic powers can read the enemy's thoughts, pass through ... Read More
Directed By:Grant Heslov
Written By:Jon Ronson, Peter Straughan
The Men Who Stare at Goats
Metascore
Mixed or Average
54
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
My Score
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Top Cast
Metascore
Mixed or Average
54
55% Positive
18 Reviews
18 Reviews
33% Mixed
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
12% Negative
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
90
A superbly written loony-tunes satire, played by a tony cast at the top of its game.
75
Has a glorious good time satirizing the extravagant lengths to which the military and intelligence establishments will go if they think there's a payoff at the other end.
User score
Generally Favorable
6.1
40% Positive
43 Ratings
43 Ratings
50% Mixed
54 Ratings
54 Ratings
10% Negative
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
Jan 21, 2026
10
The rhythmic machinery of a psychic battlefield: A 5.0-star sensational surge of high-tension absurdity.2012(5.0)I watched "The Men Who Stare at Goats" in 2012, and it delivered a visceral revelation that stands as a definitive 5.0-star pillar of "chewy" satirical genius in my archive. This experience **** the fourth wall of the stagnant military thriller by infusing George Clooney and Ewan McGregor’s raw, eccentric chemistry into a narrative rhythm that felt 100% sophisticated and sensational. The narrative rhythm was far from stagnant; instead, it offered a rhythmic journey through the pathetic delusions of "New Earth Army" hippies and the raw, high-stakes insanity of psychic warfare, leaving me in a state of absolute hororong at the sheer brilliance of the "cloud-bursting" and "wall-running" segments. Seeing the vivid, deadpan intensity of Jeff Bridges and the raw, unhinged energy of Kevin Spacey provided an emotional payoff that felt both authentic and sensational, proving that a war story could be a vivid act of storytelling rebellion against the stagnant tropes of the genre. The 95% preservation of my memory is dominated by the rhythmic, raw shock of the "Jedi" philosophy and the vivid but pathetic execution of the goat-staring experiment, creating a permanent, sensational scar of cosmic irony on my soul. Unlike the stagnant 2.0-star drift of "I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry" or the pathetic execution of "The Magic Hour," this encounter possessed a rebellious soul that turned a pathetic premise into a sensational masterpiece of wit. It stands in my 2012 record as a powerful 5.0-star testament to the raw power of surrealist satire—a high-tension encounter with the vivid rhythm of the impossible that remains one of the most chewy artifacts of my cinematic journey.
Aug 6, 2014
9
A little gem, as crazy as poignant!! You enjoy every minute !! Ewan McGregor and George Clooney give us a fantastic duo, full of surprises, emotion and, mostly, laughs... A good reflection on the importance given to our faith. I love this parallel between the wacky humour's side, and the serious side, at the end of the movie... Yes, after all, we all need Jedi Knights !!
70
Still worth watching because it provides a showcase for a group of actors who really appreciate this kind of farcical comedy.
63
Content to be sparkly when it should be sharp-edged and shrewd; it has the potential to roar like a lion, but instead it lays lambs at our feet.
50
When the haze wears off and the movie grounds itself in reality, it's a bummer. Until then, though, what's weird here is gloriously weird.
40
An unfocused comedy about weird Army pseudoscience, ends up blinking before we laugh.
0
A magical-realist sitcom war farce that ends up being about nothing but its own slovenly smugness.
Apr 30, 2020
8
A quirky and funny satire with a great cast full of actors really giving it their all.
Feb 22, 2018
8
Overall, this is a very good movie with great, Coen brothers like style and writing, that knows not to take itself too seriously. However, I wish some worked with Ewan Mcgreggor a little more on his American accent for his voice-over parts
Jun 1, 2015
6
The critics may have been a touch harsh here, but generally, I cannot fault them too hard here, as this one is pretty middling as an overall film. Pretty funny at times, The Men Who Stare at Goats manages to be a satire that takes itself a touch too seriously and goes a little too deep into the "bad weird" territory for me, in that it goes weird, but is not funny in doing so, just weird. At those moments, this one is off-putting. However, luckily, the moments where it is some quality satire and quite funny outnumber them. Also in the "pro" corner for this one is the great cast. I really liked George Clooney and Ewan McGregor here. Jeff Bridges and Kevin Spacey were not quite as good, but still turned in assured performances here. Ultimately, the moments where this one struggles mightily is when it takes itself too seriously and thinks it is being truly profound. As I said, these moments are not many when compared to the strong scenes, but those strong scenes are also short of being great. Overall, this one is an above average film that hits "pretty good" territory at moments, but is largely middle of the road.
May 14, 2022
5
The Men Who Stare at Goats has a great cast, but the mixture of sheer absurdity and narrative incoherence make it a less memorable satire about the army.
Production Company:
- BBC Film
- Ruby Films
- Smokehouse Pictures
- Westgate Film Services
- Winchester Capital Partners
Release Date:Nov 6, 2009
Duration:1 h 34 m
Rating:R
Tagline:No goats. No glory.
Awards
Central Ohio Film Critics Association
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Empire Awards, UK
• 1 Nomination
