Upon its release, it was met with mixed reviews—mostly due to the script—but it still earned box office success. According to Box Office Mojo, it was Washington's second-biggest opener behind American Gangster. As of right now, it has a 53 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and a 63 percent score from the audience with over 100,000 ratings. PureWow's own Associate Editor of Entertainment & News Nakeisha Campbell, for one, ranked it last in her Denzel Washington movie watch list, although these fans and critics have had great things to say:
"Though it's not a premise we haven't seen played out before on the silver screen, Safe House is a movie that sucks you in, guts you, and spits you out at the end." — Candice Frederick
"I had a great time with Safe House and I don't penalize it for aiming at a specific mark and hitting it." — Keith Garlington
"It's very predictable but good action. Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington do a nice job. Car chase scenes are good and solid action." — Mark B
It's rated R with strong violence and language, so be prepared for an intense viewing experience. With a runtime of 1 hour and 55 minutes, it's worth checking out (despite the mixed reviews), especially if anything soon comes of the sequel that has purportedly been in the works for the past ten years. Who knows? It just might become your new Denzel fave.
