Trance (2013) | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

68%

Tomatometer

187 Reviews

62%

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10,000+ Ratings

Simon (James McAvoy), a fine-art auctioneer, joins a gang of thieves led by Franck (Vincent Cassel) to steal a priceless Goya painting. During the heist Simon suffers a head injury and awakes with no memory of where he hid the artwork. When torture and physical threats fail to break through his amnesia, Franck hires a hypnotherapist named Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson) to find the answer. But as Elizabeth probes the recesses of Simon's mind, the lines between truth and deceit start to blur.

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Trance

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Critics Consensus

As stylish as ever, director Danny Boyle seems to be treading water with the surprisingly thinly written Trance -- but for fans of Boyle's work, it should still prove a trippily entertaining distraction.

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Critics Reviews

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

Trance is so in love with its dream-within-dream conceits it pays little attention to anything else. It pays little attention to detail, and you know how such things bother me.

Sep 4, 2018

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Ryan Gilbey

New Statesman

In the end, it's the unnecessary tricksiness of the film that halts its flow. A crucial human component is missing.

Oct 3, 2017

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Jason Bailey

Flavorwire

It's not that I don't think Boyle knows, by the time things start to get really bananas in the second half, that his movie is silly. I'm jut not convinced that he ever decided how he felt about it.

Jun 21, 2016

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JD Duran

InSession Film

I feel like the story took way too much time to get to what was really a set of circumstances that were manipulated...

Rated: B-

Aug 20, 2024

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Inside a twisting scenario about an art-heist-gone-wrong is Boyle’s more fascinating trip inside unconscious minds and damaged psyches.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 12, 2022

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

One of my least favorite of Boyle's films.

Rated: 2.5/4.0

Sep 26, 2020

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Audience Reviews

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LÃºcio Leonardo P I dare say that the film is really good! Yes, I agree, a little confusing, as we don't know if the scenes are images of hypnosis or if the situation is real, but everything is explained in the midst of chaos. Was it a tactic by director Danny Boyle to maintain suspense? If so, Danny did a great job directing. Actor James MacAvoy (remember WANTED from 2008?) is perfect in his character and his transformation. Could it be that being hypnotized we are so at their mercy? What a danger... Now, if not, then the film may be a bit exaggerated, but it still remains cool entertainment for those who are new to the subject, I liked it!!! And I have to confess, I was in a trance with the actress Rosário Dawson, oh oh, oh oh... Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/28/24 Full Review F7 M I have enjoyed watching it pretty good movie!!! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 04/18/23 Full Review Andy B After a decent start, for a large portion of it's midsection the film is grindingly slow, muddled and filled with unlikeable characters. The ending picks up a little, but not nearly enough to make up for the preceding hour. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 05/21/23 Full Review jelisije j A movie that had too many twists and turns that had so many unlikable characters ,but kept me interested even at the end. Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member How could they not have smelled the half decayed body in the trunk? Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review justin t Excellent thriller very reminiscent of Shallow Grave (1994) but better! Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Trance

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Cast & Crew

Danny Boyle Director James McAvoy Simon Rosario Dawson Elizabeth Vincent Cassel Franck Danny Sapani Nate Son of Havoc Dominic

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Trance

Trance (2013)

James McAvoy as Simon in "Trance."

A scene from "Trance."

Rosario Dawson as Elizabeth in "Trance."

(L-R) Vincent Cassel as Franck and James McAvoy as Simon in "Trance."

Vincent Cassel as Franck in "Trance."

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Synopsis Simon (James McAvoy), a fine-art auctioneer, joins a gang of thieves led by Franck (Vincent Cassel) to steal a priceless Goya painting. During the heist Simon suffers a head injury and awakes with no memory of where he hid the artwork. When torture and physical threats fail to break through his amnesia, Franck hires a hypnotherapist named Elizabeth (Rosario Dawson) to find the answer. But as Elizabeth probes the recesses of Simon's mind, the lines between truth and deceit start to blur.

Director: Danny Boyle
Producer: Christian Colson
Screenwriter: Joe Ahearne, John Hodge
Distributor: Fox Searchlight
Production Co: Cloud Eight, Decibel Films
Rating: R (Language|Graphic Nudity|Sexual Content|Some Grisly Images|Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 5, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 12, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.3M
Runtime: 1h 41m