✗ SKIP — Not worth it

John Q

Name: John Q
Director: Nick Cassavetes
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Crime
Released: 2002-02-15
Duration: 116 min
Rating: 7.1
Cast: Denzel Washington, James Woods, Kimberly Elise, Robert Duvall, Shawn Hatosy

2002 · 1h 56m · Drama, Thriller, Crime

IMDb 7.1 Metacritic 30 RT 26%

Skip it. 'John Q' is a well-intentioned but heavy-handed melodrama that mistakes emotional manipulation for genuine drama—Denzel Washington's earnest performance can't save a hostage scenario that oversimplifies America's healthcare nightmare into a clumsy thriller. If you want to feel something tonight, watch literally anything else.

Plot

John Quincy Archibald is a father and husband whose son is diagnosed with an enlarged heart and then finds out he cannot receive a transplant because HMO insurance will not cover it. Therefore, he decides to take a hospital full of patients hostage until the hospital puts his son's name on the donor's list.

Director: Nick Cassavetes

Cast: Denzel Washington, James Woods, Kimberly Elise, Robert Duvall, Shawn Hatosy

Related Movies

The Death of Robin Hood (2026)

✓ Watch it

Adventure · Drama · Action

Grappling with his past after a life of crime and murder, Robin Hood finds himself gravely injured after a battle he thought would be his last. In the hands of a mysterious woman, he is offered a chance at salvation.
Moment of Sa Ra ()

Drama

Buried in debt after her father's suicide, Sa Ra turns to an illegal betting game where fortunes double in an instant. Just as she wins enough to pay off her debts, every penny disappears overnight. With nothing left to lose, Sa Ra stakes her fate on one last round.
Au Bonheur des Dames (1930)

✓ Watch it

Drama · Romance

Denise, an orphaned girl, moves to Paris where she hopes to find work at her uncle's store. But the glamorous department store 'Aux Bonheur des Dames' across the street crushes all the little businesses around. She finds a position there.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026)

✗ Skip it

Comedy · Drama

Andy Sachs returns to Runway as Miranda Priestly navigates a new media landscape and Runway's position within. The duo reconnect with former assistant Emily Charlton, now the head of a luxury brand that possesses funding which could ensure Runway's survival.
My Atomic Beloved (2007)

Drama

Twelve hours before an atomic bomb hits the ground of Tehran, a boy rushes through the house of a girl while remembering their moments together.
The Novices (1970)

✗ Skip it

Comedy · Drama

Sister Agnès runs away from her convent in Brittany and seeks refuge in Paris with prostitute Mona Lisa. With absolutely no qualifications, the young novice has a hard job finding work, so Mona Lisa tries to teach her the ropes of the oldest profession of them all!