He frees hostages for a living. Now he's taking hostages to survive.
The police try to arrest expert hostage negotiator Danny Roman, who insists he's being framed for his partner's murder in what he believes is an elaborate conspiracy. Thinking there's evidence in the Internal Affairs offices that might clear him, he takes everyone in the office hostage and demands that another well-known negotiator be brought in to handle the situation and secretly investigate the conspiracy.
The Negotiator (1998) is a action, crime, drama and thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray, released on July 29, 1998 with a runtime of 2h 20m. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, David Morse and Ron Rifkin. Viewers rate it 7.1 out of 10 across 2,477 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Negotiator before you stream it.
Samuel L. Jackson
as Lt. Danny Roman
Kevin Spacey
as Lt. Chris Sabian
David Morse
as Cdr. Adam Beck
Ron Rifkin
as Cdr. Grant Frost
John Spencer
as Chief Al Travis
J.T. Walsh
as Insp. Terence Niebaum
Siobhan Fallon Hogan
as Maggie
Paul Giamatti
as Rudy
Regina Taylor
as Karen Roman
Bruce Beatty
as Markus
Michael Cudlitz
as Palermo
Carlos Gómez
as Eagle
Directed by F. Gary Gray, written by James DeMonaco and Kevin Fox, produced by Arnon Milchan and David Hoberman.
Average viewer score of 7.1/10 from 2,477 ratings.
Samuel L. Jackson is renowned hostage negotiator "Roman" who is shocked to learn of the murder of his partner. A little further investigation reveals that he had been looking into a multi-million dollar pension fraud. Next thing he knows, "Roman" is being charged with his friend's killing and decides to turn the tables. He goes to the office of the Internal Affairs department, seizes some hostages, barricades…
Reviewed on July 8, 2022
The Negotiator is one of those classic thrillers that still holds up well today. The plot is engaging from the start, throwing you into a tense, high-stakes standoff where trust and deception play a big role. The pacing is solid, though it stretches a bit in parts, but the setup and execution make up for it. F. Gary Gray's direction keeps the tension tight, balancing action and drama without overcomplicating…
Reviewed on February 8, 2025
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The Negotiator (1998) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of The Negotiator (1998) includes Samuel L. Jackson, Kevin Spacey, David Morse, Ron Rifkin and John Spencer. The film was directed by F. Gary Gray. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Negotiator was released on July 29, 1998 and runs for 2h 20m.
The Negotiator (1998) holds an average rating of 7.1 out of 10 from 2,477 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy action, crime and drama films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Negotiator trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
