
8MM (1999)
You can't prepare for where the truth will take you.
Keywords
8MM rating: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic
With 23% on Rotten Tomatoes, backed by 6.6/10 on IMDb and 21/100 on Metacritic, critical reception of this film has been modest.
About 8MM
A small, seemingly innocuous plastic reel of film leads surveillance specialist Tom Welles down an increasingly dark and frightening path. With the help of the streetwise Max, he relentlessly follows a bizarre trail of evidence to determine the fate of a complete stranger. As his work turns into obsession, he drifts farther and farther away from his wife, family and simple life as a small-town PI.
Cast of 8MM

Nicolas Cage
as Tom Welles

Joaquin Phoenix
as Max California

James Gandolfini
as Eddie Poole

Peter Stormare
as Dino Velvet

Anthony Heald
as Longdale

Chris Bauer
as Machine

Catherine Keener
as Amy Welles

Myra Carter
as Mrs. Christian

Amy Morton
as Mrs. Mathews

Norman Reedus
as Warren Anderson
- J
Jenny Powell
as Mary Ann Mathews

Anne Gee Byrd
as Senator
8MM facts
- Budget
- $40M
- Box office
- $96.6M
- Collection
- 8MM Collection
Ranked by the iRankMovies editorial teamUpdated August 2026MethodologyData sources
Audience opinions
What the audience liked
- •Dark subject matter receives serious dramatic weight throughout
- •Nicolas Cage delivers committed performance in morally complex role
- •Thriller pacing maintains tension across extended investigation
What the audience disliked
- •Disturbing content overwhelms narrative purpose at times
- •Ending feels heavy handed in its moral positioning
Trailer
Where to watch 8MM(US)
View on JustWatch →Rent / Buy
Availability may change. Data by JustWatch.
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