Release calendarTop 250 moviesMost popular moviesBrowse movies by genreTop box officeShowtimes & ticketsMovie newsIndia movie spotlight
    What's on TV & streamingTop 250 TV showsMost popular TV showsBrowse TV shows by genreTV news
    What to watchLatest trailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily entertainment guideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsEmmysToronto Int'l Film FestivalHispanic Heritage MonthIMDb Stars to WatchSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll events
    Born todayMost popular celebsCelebrity news
    Help centerContributor zonePolls
For industry professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign in
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

The Broken Key

  • 2017
  • 2h 5m
IMDb RATING
2.5/10
476
YOUR RATING
The Broken Key (2017)
"The Broken Key", by Louis Nero Cast: Christopher Lambert, Rutger Hauer, Geraldine Chaplin, Michael Madsen, William Baldwin, Franco Nero, Kabir Bedi, Maria De Medeiros, Marc Fiorini
Play trailer2:12
3 Videos
38 Photos
HistorySci-FiThriller

In a near future, due to the effects of an uncompromising law on the eco-sustainability of supports, paper has become a rare item, a luxury possession, controlled by the "Big Z": Zimurgh Cor... Read allIn a near future, due to the effects of an uncompromising law on the eco-sustainability of supports, paper has become a rare item, a luxury possession, controlled by the "Big Z": Zimurgh Corporation.In a near future, due to the effects of an uncompromising law on the eco-sustainability of supports, paper has become a rare item, a luxury possession, controlled by the "Big Z": Zimurgh Corporation.

  • Director
    • Louis Nero
  • Writers
    • Louis Nero
    • Giancarlo Guerreri
    • As Chianese
  • Stars
    • Rutger Hauer
    • Michael Madsen
    • Christopher Lambert
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    2.5/10
    476
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Louis Nero
    • Writers
      • Louis Nero
      • Giancarlo Guerreri
      • As Chianese
    • Stars
      • Rutger Hauer
      • Michael Madsen
      • Christopher Lambert
    • 28User reviews
    • 19Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 3 wins total

    Videos3

    Trailer - The Broken Key
    Trailer 2:12
    Trailer - The Broken Key
    Trailer - The Broken Key - Chinese
    Trailer 2:12
    Trailer - The Broken Key - Chinese
    Trailer - The Broken Key - Chinese
    Trailer 2:12
    Trailer - The Broken Key - Chinese
    Trailer | The Broken Key by Louis Nero
    Trailer 2:14
    Trailer | The Broken Key by Louis Nero

    Photos38

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 34
    View Poster

    Top cast54

    Edit
    Rutger Hauer
    Rutger Hauer
    • Professor Moonlight
    Michael Madsen
    Michael Madsen
    • Tully DeMarco
    Christopher Lambert
    Christopher Lambert
    • Count Francis Rosebud
    Geraldine Chaplin
    Geraldine Chaplin
    • Tower Woman
    Franco Nero
    Franco Nero
    • Hiram Abif
    William Baldwin
    William Baldwin
    • Friar Hugo
    Maria de Medeiros
    Maria de Medeiros
    • Althea
    Kabir Bedi
    Kabir Bedi
    • Fahrid Al Kamar
    Marc Fiorini
    Marc Fiorini
    • Nicholas Machiavelli
    Andrea Cocco
    • Arthur J. Adams
    Diana Dell'Erba
    Diana Dell'Erba
    • Sara Eve
    Walter Lippa
    • Taron Iron
    Marco Deambrogio
    • James Mind
    Yoon C. Joyce
    Yoon C. Joyce
    • Clerk
    Alex Belli
    • Snake
    Linda Messerklinger
    Linda Messerklinger
    • Moratorium Girl
    Chiara Iezzi
    Chiara Iezzi
    • Esther Star
    Morena Salvino
    • Rosebud Countness
    • Director
      • Louis Nero
    • Writers
      • Louis Nero
      • Giancarlo Guerreri
      • As Chianese
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews28

    2.5476
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    rsvp321

    This is like in the movie, "The Producers"

    I believe that this movie was made so bloody awful on purpose, and it *is* so bad that it's actually funny, like in The Producers.

    It's like when you wake up and you remember your dream - flows illogically from one scene and action to another unrelated scene and action, and so on. This is one weird movie!

    Yes, so bad it's funny...but not funny enough to ignore these reviews and watch it!
    1csharpforevermore

    This film should carry a government health warning about how bad (for you) it is!

    This film just doesn't make sense. The dialogue, when not inaudible due to the musical score making unheard, is just nonsense. Coupling terrible directing and odious scripts means that I really could not make any sense of what characters were feeling.

    For example, character voices cry out top volume in fear as soon as another new character enters focus despite being unknown to the protagonist and seconds before launching into a terribly choreographed fight scene.

    Most of the actors are examples of once great actors who now are too tired to give a good interpretation of the script. No surprise to see the terribly depressing form of Michael Madsen there. I expected to see him with another washed-up actor of Tim Sizemore, but he manages to butcher the scenes enough on his own.

    Another reviewer wrote about how this film is like nails down a blackboard. I think this is an apt description of scenes that jump around like some Junior film student's project made using home video segments rather than having a set and crew along with others who should have pulled together the show into some kind of discernible storyline or plot. Instead this film is honestly one of the worst ones I have ever seen.

    If you want more evidence for how bad this film is, then consider this. My friends are all avid movie watchers. We've all sat through some turkeys in our time, but this was the first film we have ever watched that caused several caffeinated and sugar-high adults to fall asleep during watching it. We've NEVER done that before or since this movie.
    2brent-fontes

    So much potential

    Wow this is painful. I thought the movie was dubbed in English at first, because the voice acting is so stiff and monotone. The music is so obnoxious. It's so overdramatic and it often overpowers the dialogue. The story is rather disjointed, I'm hoping it was more due to poor editing, but I doubt it. Maybe they were trying to go for some kind of experimental style? I'm giving it a two as the production value for the sets and special effects were high. Unfortunately it just can't make up for the rest.
    2xerodroid

    Just disappointing

    Apparently having a great cast doesn't make for a great movie, this movie sadly proves why these movie greats of yesterday are no longer. I guess if you are out of the limelight for too long you lose your skill and this movie just proves it! Giving it two stars is more than it deserves.
    2Snootz

    Vapid

    The average rating of 4.x on this movie is generous. The writing is as bad as the written movie summary. The acting is non-existent, as the roles require nothing in this area. The story line is vaporous and plot non-existent.

    The only positive point of this movie is rather good CGI... but these days such can be cranked out of someone's home computer using Blender, and gets no stars from me in the light of everything else in the film.

    It is reasonable to assume most viewers will find this an incredibly long 2 hours. This movie just drags on, more so than most movies we've seen of this kind. It's not just bad, it's slow and bad.

    Rutger Hauer seems to have a knack for choosing the worst roles these days. He brings his usual stoic half-humor to the role, but even that can't raise this film above 2 stars for me. This is definitely a "pass it by" film, with the non-audience better off for choosing to do so.

    Best Emmys Moments

    Best Emmys Moments
    Discover nominees and winners, red carpet looks, and more from the Emmys!

    More like this

    The Sonata
    5.3
    The Sonata
    Break
    4.9
    Break
    Eyes Everywhere
    Eyes Everywhere
    Milarepa
    7.1
    Milarepa
    It's Not Over
    4.3
    It's Not Over
    The Key
    5.0
    The Key
    Day of Wrath
    5.4
    Day of Wrath
    The Hunt for Eagle One
    3.7
    The Hunt for Eagle One
    The Garden Left Behind
    6.1
    The Garden Left Behind
    Clones
    6.4
    Clones
    Dirty Dealing 3D
    3.8
    Dirty Dealing 3D
    Corbin Nash
    4.3
    Corbin Nash

    Related interests

    Liam Neeson in Schindler's List (1993)
    History
    James Earl Jones and David Prowse in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
    Sci-Fi
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Trailer Release at TOHorror Fantastic Film Fest (2017)
    • Goofs
      When Hiram Abif (Franco Nero) is free diving and he ascends quickly to the surface, the guy in the boat says that he's ascending to fast. That would be important only for a scuba or industrial diver using compressed air/gas. In free diving you are using the air in your lungs and blood which is at surface pressure so ascent speed is unimportant.
    • Quotes

      Fahrid Al Kamar: Look over there, do you see those roses, the figure of Hermes and the corn? These stones tell us that this place was once an ancient Egyptian site, linked to the cult of Horus.

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ17

    • How long is The Broken Key?Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 16, 2017 (Italy)
    • Country of origin
      • Italy
    • Official site
      • Production Company
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Зламаний ключ
    • Filming locations
      • Italy(studio and exterior locations)
    • Production companies
      • L'Altrofilm
      • Torino Film Production
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • €2,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $113,772
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 2h 5m(125 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39:1

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb App
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.