The Believer

2003 • 98 minutes

About this movie

Inspired by real events, The Believer presents the gripping story of one man's striking philosophical evolution. Danny Balint (Ryan Gosling) is an intense young man whose fierce intelligence and inexhaustible curiosity once made him a star pupil at his local Yeshiva. Now, at age twenty-two, he focuses this intensity on altogether more sinister aims; as a rising star in local neo-fascist circles, Danny spends his days attacking synagogues and fomenting hate among a devoted band of followers. Yet while working tirelessly to realize the destruction of his own people, Danny finds himself inexplicably drawn back to Judaism. This terrible inconsistency in the heart of Danny's soul -- the yearning to study Torah and to attack Jews -- and the avoidance of easy psychological explanations, make The Believer one of the year's most complex and provocative films. Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival.

Ratings and reviews

Great