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R
for language, nudity and brief sexuality.
Starring
Channing Tatum, Kirsten Dunst, Ben Mendelsohn, Lakeith Stanfield, Juno Temple
Director
Derek Cianfrance
Producer
Derek Cianfrance, Jamie Patric
Genres
Drama
Thriller
Comedy
Released by
Paramount Pictures on
10/10/2025
Nationwide
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Trailer
Review
Roofman purports to tell the true story of serial thief Jeffrey Manchester (Channing Tatum), a criminal dubbed by the media as "Roofman" (thanks to his m.o. of entering target locations through the roof) during a two-year spree in which he robbed more than 40 fast-food restaurants-mostly McDonald's. The movie makes a variety of changes to Jeffrey's story to make it more cinematic, but without the kind of narrative reworking needed to streamline the material, the result feels unfocused and shapeless.
The marketing department has pulled something of a bait-and-switch: the trailer sells Roofman as a lark-a breezy, lighthearted story with rom-com overtones. In reality, it's mostly melodramatic twaddle with the occasional comic interlude. Told straight, it feels like pure Hallmark Channel fodder. The edge it so badly needs is nowhere to be found. Yes, Channing Tatum is fine, but the movie requires more than his winning smile and bare backside to justify a trip to the theater. (There's about 60 seconds of the latter and considerably more of the former.)
The first act provides an overview of Jeffrey's life of crime, showing him as a down-on-his-luck but loving father who commits robberies to be a better dad. He's portrayed as a "considerate" criminal-one who cares enough about his victims to let them put on their coats before locking them in the walk-in refrigerator and making his getaway. Eventually, he's caught and sentenced to about 45 years in prison. But, thanks largely to his "superpower" of observation, he figures out a way to escape and manages to evade recapture.
The bulk of the movie centers on his post-escape existence, where he builds a secret home in a forgotten nook beneath a staircase in a Charlotte Toys "R" Us (in reality, it was an abandoned Circuit City). There, he roams free at night and builds a semblance of a life, arousing only mild suspicion from the store's manager, Mitch (Peter Dinklage), who wonders where all the Peanut M&M's have gone. He joins a local church and falls for recently divorced single mom Leigh Wainscott (Kirsten Dunst). Their blossoming relationship creates a problem for Jeffrey: to start a new life, he has to disappear-but he can't bring himself to abandon Leigh and her daughters.
The movie clocks in at a too-long 126 minutes but feels even longer. Director/co-writer Derek Cianfrance struggles with tone. At times he seems to want to lighten things up, but that's not really in his DNA (he's best known for Blue Valentine, which is hardly a laugh riot). The film stitches together cute vignettes with filler that drags down what little narrative momentum it builds. Although Tatum and Dunst are appealing individually, they share no discernible chemistry, making the romantic subplot more of an encumbrance than a delight. Too much of the film runs on low energy-I started checking my watch around the 70-minute mark.
Roofman has some nostalgic value-it nicely evokes the world of a quarter-century ago, when cell phones were still novelties and Toys "R" Us stores thrived (especially at Christmas). The best parts of the movie have little to do with Jeffrey's reinvention of himself or his romance with Leigh. Instead, they involve his resourceful creation of a hidden, livable space inside a big-box store without anyone noticing. And the documentary reel that plays alongside the end credits turns out to be more compelling than the two-hour feature that precedes it.
If Roofman's success depended solely on star power, it would be a winner-Tatum exudes charisma and likability. But it takes more than that to keep things afloat for two hours, and as the thin story burns through its quirks, it overstays its welcome. This is far better suited to home viewing, where the ability to fast-forward or stop holds a certain appeal.
© 2025 James Berardinelli
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AMC Kips Bay 15 4:50, 9:40 AMC Village 7 3:00, 8:00, 11:00 AMC 34th Street 14 3:10 AMC 34th Street 14 12:00 AMC Empire 25 12:45, 7:15, 10:30 AMC Empire 25 4:00 IPIC Theaters at Fulton Market 3:45, 7:00, 10:15 IPIC Theaters at Fulton Market 12:30 AMC Newport Centre 11 2:20, 10:10 AMC 84th Street 6 4:45 Regal Secaucus Showplace 12:55, 9:50 AMC Ridgefield Park 12 1:45, 4:45 Cinemart Cinemas 2:45, 5:30, 8:15 AMC Clifton Commons 16 1:00, 4:30 AMC Jersey Gardens 20 11:25 AM, 2:40 AMC Bay Plaza Cinema 13 12:30 AMC Bay Plaza Cinema 13 4:45 Showtimes in parentheses have bargain pricing.
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