Man on a Ledge

Nick Cassidy, a former New York police officer convicted of a crime he insists he did not commit, escapes custody and steps onto the ledge of a high floor of a Manhattan hotel, where he threatens to jump. The stunt draws crowds, media and a heavy police response, and he asks specifically for Lydia Mercer, a police psychologist and hostage negotiator, to handle the talks. As Mercer tries to talk him back inside, she begins to suspect that his stated intention to kill himself is not the whole story.

What unfolds around the hotel is a diversion for a diamond theft carried out elsewhere by a crew that includes Nick's brother Joey, timed to the attention fixed on the ledge. Asger Leth directed the film, working from a screenplay by Pablo F. Fenjves, with Lorenzo di Bonaventura and Mark Vahradian producing. Sam Worthington plays Nick, Elizabeth Banks plays Mercer, and Jamie Bell, Anthony Mackie, Edward Burns and Génesis Rodríguez appear among a credited cast of 54.

Released in January 2012, the film cost about 42 million USD to make and took in roughly 46 million USD worldwide, a modest return against its budget. On IMDb it holds 6.6/10 from about 162,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.4/10 from a much smaller base of around 2,900. A critics' rating of 4.8/10 from 157 reviews places it clearly below what general audiences gave it.