---
title: "Constantine"
year: 2005
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/constantine"
fi1m_id: "constantine"
imdb_id: "tt0360486"
tmdb_id: 561
wikidata_id: "Q219150"
fi1m_score: 62
critics_score: 50
critics_reviews: 12
published: "2026-10-05T04:00:49.747497+00:00"
updated: "2026-10-05T04:00:50.131958+00:00"
region: "PT"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Constantine (2005)

Directed by Francis Lawrence · 2h 01m · IGAC M/16 · Fantasy, Action, Horror

## Identity

Constantine

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/constantine
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** constantine
- **IMDb ID:** tt0360486
- **TMDB ID:** 561
- **Wikidata ID:** Q219150
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0360486/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/561, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q219150

**Fi1m score: 62** · Critics 50 from 12 reviews

*In a sentence:* An angel this unhelpful makes the prospect of Heaven considerably less attractive

> Francis Lawrence’s *Constantine* is worth considering for its Gothic atmosphere and Tilda Swinton’s unsettling angel. The muddled supernatural explanations are a substantial obstacle, and Keanu Reeves gives his co-stars much of the emotional work.

## Synopsis

John Constantine (Keanu Reeves) has a problem with both sides of the afterlife: Hell wants him, and Heaven will not take him. Earth still needs him. Angela Dodson and Isabel Dodson (Rachel Weisz), Chas Kramer (Shia LaBeouf), Father Hennessy (Pruitt Taylor Vince) and Midnite (Djimon Hounsou) also figure in his story. Gabriel (Tilda Swinton) brings an angel into a supernatural conflict involving a religious relic. The human characters find themselves in a story where Catholic doctrine meets fantasy, horror and action.

## Review

*Constantine* has enough unpleasant atmosphere to interest us, though its supernatural rules require more patience than its script earns. Francis Lawrence directs the horror as if the possibility of salvation ought to make everyone more nervous, and that suits a story whose central figure is wanted by Hell and refused by Heaven. The trouble comes when the film starts explaining itself. At 121 minutes, it has plenty of time to establish what matters, yet the religious exposition keeps making a fairly direct predicament sound unnecessarily complicated.

Keanu Reeves plays John Constantine with a reserve that we can enjoy until a scene needs something more than reserve. His stillness fits the gloomy surroundings; we do not need him to underline every strange thing that happens. But too often we have to supply the irritation, anxiety or urgency ourselves. The scenes with Rachel Weisz improve matters, because she gives their exchanges some human feeling and makes his restraint seem like a response to another person.

Tilda Swinton’s Gabriel is the supporting performance that makes the film’s religious unease convincing. We felt a chill at the angel’s moral ambiguity: nothing in this performance makes the presence of a heavenly being feel reassuring. She does not need the explanation of a relic or a further supernatural rule to hold our attention. Frank Cappello and Kevin Brodbin’s screenplay could have trusted that discomfort more often, instead of repeatedly telling us how its otherworldly business works.

Philippe Rousselot’s cinematography is persuasive in its gloom, especially when the Hell imagery supplies a threat that the dialogue struggles to convey. Naomi Shohan’s production design gives the Gothic setting a convincing consistency, making its religious imagery feel at home within the same unpleasant surroundings. These details reward attention even when the explanations have begun to try our patience. The limitation is that so much oppressive darkness eventually becomes familiar, and the film has fewer fresh ways to disturb us than its atmosphere initially promises.

Wayne Wahrman’s editing has an awkward task when so much supernatural exposition must sit alongside the action. The explanations interrupt the unease, and the movement between them does little to clarify which details deserve our attention. The music by Brian Tyler and Klaus Badelt sustains the mood, though it cannot give those explanations much dramatic weight. We kept wanting the film to leave a little more unexplained, particularly when its cast could make uncertainty so compelling.

For supernatural horror, the difficulty is making us fear for people once the strange surroundings have become familiar. Here the supporting characters are not developed enough to make their presence consistently matter, however intriguing the religious framework might be. That weakness also leaves too much resting on the central performance. Rachel Weisz gives the film much-needed emotional weight, but she cannot make all of its elaborate mythology interesting.

For an evening of straightforward scares, we would look elsewhere. This is one for a patient appetite for religious horror, and for the peculiar unease of finding so little comfort in the prospect of Heaven. Anyone hoping the rules will become simpler with further explanation should make other plans.

*Fi1m score 62, published 5 October 2026.*

## What the critics say

The consensus on Constantine is mixed, with praise clustering around its Gothic atmosphere, inventive visual details and special effects. Even several less persuaded critics admire the imagery and the sense of supernatural unease. Performances draw more selective approval: Tilda Swinton’s Gabriel and Rachel Weisz receive praise, while Eye for Film also welcomes the chemistry between Weisz and Keanu Reeves. The recurring reservation is that the images offer more interest than the story or its religious ideas.

The reviews range from qualified enjoyment to outright rejection. Empire finds a wry pleasure despite weaknesses in the script and supporting characters; elsewhere, complaints centre on confusing exposition, thin substance and Reeves’s unconvincing performance. Time Out treats his wooden portrayal as a central problem, rather than a drawback the atmosphere can overcome. The New Yorker offers the sharpest dissent, regarding the use of Catholic doctrine and imagery as exploitative spectacle.

## Straight answers

**Is Constantine worth watching?**

*Constantine* is worth considering for patient fans of Gothic religious horror; we score it 62 out of 100. Tilda Swinton’s unsettling angel and the oppressive atmosphere hold our attention, but muddled supernatural explanations and Keanu Reeves’s limited emotional range make it a poor choice for straightforward scares.

**How long is Constantine, and what is it rated?**

*Constantine* runs 2h 01m and is rated M/16 by the IGAC in Portugal. It is a fantasy and action film.

**Where can I watch Constantine in Portugal?**

*Constantine* is streaming on HBO Max in Portugal, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from €2.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Constantine, and is it suitable for children?**

*Constantine* has a UK 15 certificate and is not suitable for children, with Hell imagery and an oppressive religious atmosphere providing much of its menace. We find its morally ambiguous angel particularly unsettling; the review supports expecting supernatural unease rather than straightforward scares, but does not establish how graphic the violence is.

**How does Constantine compare to Hellboy?**

*Constantine* is the gloomier choice beside [*Hellboy*](https://film.one/film/hellboy), which we recommend more readily for its engaging supernatural outsider and considerably greater warmth and humour. Both involve demonic trouble, but *Constantine* gets bogged down in religious explanations; its particular appeal is the discomfort of a heavenly presence that offers little reassurance.

**What should I watch after Constantine?**

After *Constantine*, try [*Hellboy*](https://film.one/film/hellboy) (2004, Fi1m 71): Another supernatural outsider handles demonic trouble, with considerably more warmth and humour. Then [*Wings of Desire*](https://film.one/film/wings-of-desire) (1987, Fi1m 88): Try a gentler encounter with angels, built around loneliness and human connection.

### Reviews we read (12)

- **Empire**, William Thomas (70/100, inferred): The critic finds Constantine an enjoyable, wry pleasure despite flaws in its script and supporting characters. They praise its eerie, stylishly Gothic world and inventive details. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/constantine-review/)
- **Screen Daily**, John Hazelton (64/100, inferred): The accessible page identifies this as a review, but its text is behind a registration wall. The critic’s verdict and any specific praise or complaint are not visible. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/constantine/4021880.article)
- **The New York Times** (64/100, inferred): The page appears to be a review of the 2005 film, but its verdict cannot be determined from the accessible text. No specific praise or complaint is available to report. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/18/movies/exorcism-is-part-of-the-job-description.html)
- **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (2.5/4): Ebert finds the film visually stylish but lacking in substance. He singles out its striking visual style, while faulting the film for having little point. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/constantine-2005)
- **Radio Times**, Leslie Felperin (3/5): Felperin finds the adaptation diluted but visually arresting. The striking visuals stand out, while the supernatural exposition and relic subplot are criticized as silly. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-q7k67w/constantine/)
- **Slant Magazine**, Nick Schager (2/4): Schager finds the film’s religious ideas and story unoriginal, with Keanu Reeves’s performance too vacant to make the protagonist convincing. He praises Francis Lawrence’s skill at creating an atmosphere of otherworldly unease. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/constantine/)
- **The Guardian**, Philip French (35/100, inferred): French finds the film obscure and ludicrous, though not entirely unenjoyable. He singles out its expensive special effects as the punchline to its moral lesson. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Observer_review/0,,1441787,00.html)
- **Time Out**, LZ (30/100, inferred): The review is dismissive of the film. It singles out Keanu Reeves’s wooden portrayal as a central weakness. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/constantine)
- **Variety**, Brian Lowry (30/100, inferred): Lowry finds the film stylish but ultimately weak, with a confusing narrative and little substance. He praises its powerful imagery, especially its depiction of hell and Tilda Swinton’s angel Gabriel. [Read](https://variety.com/2005/film/markets-festivals/constantine-1200528185/)
- **The New Yorker**, David Denby (15/100, inferred): Denby condemns Constantine as a tawdry, exploitative spectacle. He singles out its use of Catholic doctrine and imagery as schlock. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2005/03/07/devilment)
- **Eye for Film**, John Gallagher (75/100, inferred): The critic finds the film enjoyable and engaging despite a couple of irritating, clichéd elements. They praise the special effects and the chemistry between Keanu Reeves and Rachel Weisz. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/constantine-film-review-by-john-gallagher)
- **Den of Geek**, Tony Sokol (2 Out of 5 Stars): The review finds the film overloaded with clumsy gloom and ultimately too dingy to leave a bleak impression. It praises Rachel Weisz’s multilayered performance and Tilda Swinton’s morally ambiguous Gabriel. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/constantine-2005-lookbackreview/)

## Details

- **Director:** Francis Lawrence
- **Director:** Francis Lawrence
- **Screenplay:** Kevin Brodbin, Frank Cappello
- **Story:** Kevin Brodbin
- **Cinematography:** Philippe Rousselot
- **Editor:** Wayne Wahrman
- **Music:** Brian Tyler, Klaus Badelt, A Perfect Circle
- **Production design:** Naomi Shohan
- **Costume design:** Louise Frogley
- **Producer:** Benjamin Melniker, Erwin Stoff, Michael Uslan
- **Cast:** Keanu Reeves as John Constantine; Rachel Weisz as Angela Dodson / Isabel Dodson; Shia LaBeouf as Chas Kramer; Djimon Hounsou as Midnite; Max Baker as Beeman; Pruitt Taylor Vince as Father Hennessy; Gavin Rossdale as Balthazar; Tilda Swinton as Gabriel
- **Runtime:** 2h 01m
- **Certificate (IGAC):** M/16
- **Release (Portugal):** 24 February 2005
- **Genres:** Fantasy, Action, Horror
- **Budget:** $100 million
- **Box office:** $231 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=819JCbGfZpg

## Where to watch in Portugal

- HBO Max: streaming
- Amazon Prime Video: rent €2.99, uhd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy €6.99, uhd

*Checked 2026-10-05.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HR, IE, IN, IT, JP, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Hellboy* (2004), Fi1m 71: Another supernatural outsider handles demonic trouble, with considerably more warmth and humour. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hellboy.md)
- *A Dark Song* (2016): Ritual, grief and spiritual danger receive the patient attention missing here.
- *Angel Heart* (1987): Religious dread and an investigation become inseparable in a more disturbing thriller.
- *The Devil's Backbone* (2001): For haunted spaces, patient dread and greater tenderness towards people living with ghosts.
- *Wings of Desire* (1987), Fi1m 88: Try a gentler encounter with angels, built around loneliness and human connection. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/wings-of-desire.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/constantine