Blow

"based on a true story"

2001 2h 4m EN

👍

7.4

SOLID

★7.4TMDB · 4,707

CrimeDrama

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

The story of how George Jung, together with the Medellín Cartel led by Pablo Escobar, established the billion-dollar cocaine empire in the United States in the 1970s.

“based on a true story”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Johnny Depp
George Jung
Penélope Cruz
Mirtha Jung
Franka Potente
Barbara Buckley
Rachel Griffiths
Ermine Jung
Ray Liotta
Fred Jung
Jordi Mollà
Diego Delgado
Cliff Curtis
Pablo Escobar
Paul Reubens
Derek Foreal

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ted Demme
Writers: David McKenna, Nick Cassavetes, Timothy Braniff
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Mid-budget at $53M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

25 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

CAST

Did you know

241+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ted Demme, shot by Ellen Kuras. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Graeme Revell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Kevin Tent shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz and Franka Potente carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "based on a true story".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ted Demme directs. Ellen Kuras behind the camera. Graeme Revell scores. Kevin Tent cuts. Profitable at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Mid-budget at $53M — the now-extinct middle tier of Hollywood.
225 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3241+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
4Directed by Ted Demme, shot by Ellen Kuras. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Graeme Revell. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Kevin Tent shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Johnny Depp and Penélope Cruz and Franka Potente carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "based on a true story".
9IMDB entry: tt0221027 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 17 themes, including "drug smuggling", "war on drugs", "drug trafficking", "1970s".

The technical file

Cinematography: Ellen Kuras
Original score: Graeme Revell
Editing: Kevin Tent
Production design: Michael Z. Hanan
Costume design: Mark Bridges
Makeup / hair: Ve Neill
Sound: Patrick Cyccone Jr.
Stunt coordinator: Rick Avery
Runtime: 124 min · 2h 4m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $53,000,000
Box office: $83,300,000
Return: 157% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Blow (2001)

Also by

Ted Demme

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Andres Gomez2014-10-07
★ 6/10
Depp, Cruz and Molla perform the characters they know so well so you won't be disappointed but the story is predictable and quite flat.
Andre Gonzales2023-05-02
★ 6/10
Why get a respectable job when you can make millions. True for so many who just never seem to learn. Making millions means nothing to losing your family over it.