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The Counselor (2013)

Film · 1h 57m · Rated R
CrimeDramaThriller

A lawyer's foray into drug trafficking quickly unravels, creating a bleak and gritty atmosphere.

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A lawyer finds himself in far over his head when he attempts to get involved in drug trafficking.

How intense is The Counselor?

Scaremildly scary
Goregraphic gore
Violencestrong violence
Emotional weightdevastating

The Counselor is mildly scary, with graphic gore and strong violence. Emotionally it is devastating. The pace is measured, and it is a full-attention watch. Rated R.

What The Counselor feels like

Tone
tensegrittybleakatmospheric
Pace
Measured
Best for
Full attention

Where to stream The Counselor

Not on a US subscription service at our last check. Rent or buy may still be an option.

US availability via TMDB, last checked Sep 15, 2026. The app filters picks to the services you actually have.

Is The Counselor for you?

Is The Counselor scary?

Only a little. The Counselor has a few tense moments (scare level 1 of 3), nothing that follows you to bed.

Is The Counselor gory or violent?

Graphic gore (2 of 3) and strong violence (2 of 3). If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.

Is The Counselor sad or heavy?

Yes. Emotional weight 3 of 3. It hits hard; do not plan anything light after.

Is The Counselor OK for kids?

It is rated R, so it is made for adults. Intensity: scare 1, gore 2, violence 2, each out of 3.

How long is The Counselor?

The Counselor runs 1h 57m.

Where can I stream The Counselor?

The Counselor is not on a US subscription service right now (rent or buy may still be an option).

Does The Counselor have a happy ending? spoiler-safe answer

No. Brace yourself.

Cast and crew

DirectorRidley Scott
StarringMichael Fassbender, Penélope Cruz, Cameron Diaz, Javier Bardem, Brad Pitt, Bruno Ganz

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This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. Intensity, tone and pace tags are CouchRot's own.