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Killer Joe

Play trailer Poster for Killer Joe TV-MA 2011 1h 41m Crime Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 168 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
A cop (Matthew McConaughey) who moonlights as a hit man agrees to kill the hated mother of a desperate drug dealer (Emile Hirsch) in exchange for a tumble with the young man's virginal sister (Juno Temple).
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Killer Joe

Killer Joe

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Critics Consensus

Violent, darkly comic, and full of strong performances, Killer Joe proves William Friedkin hasn't lost his touch, even if the plot may be too lurid for some.

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Critics Reviews

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Tom Long Detroit News 08/31/2012
B
If you like your movies filled with twisted humor, sexual perversion, psychological intimidation and sudden violence, "Killer Joe" is the flick for you. Go to Full Review Joe Williams St. Louis Post-Dispatch 08/24/2012
2.5/4
Watching "Killer Joe" to the bitter end is like playing the Pick 6 lottery and getting three of the numbers right. You don't win anything, but you still think you're smarter than all those other idiots. Go to Full Review Bill Goodykoontz Arizona Republic 08/23/2012
4/5
[Friedkin] has retained his touch ... all these years later. And in Matthew McConaughey, he has the perfect vehicle for madness. Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 10/03/2022
4/4
In Killer Joe, director William Friedkin reaches magnificent new lows as he descends into playwright Tracy Letts' world of southern-fried depravity, stupidity, sexuality, and possibly (almost certainly) madness. Go to Full Review Mitchell Beaupre Paste Magazine 09/23/2022
8.5/10
Killer Joe is pitched squarely as a rotted black comedy of errors, a cavalcade of one disaster after another from a bunch of fools tripping over themselves in the pursuit of the one thing that drives America: Greed Go to Full Review Kip Mooney College Movie Review 09/18/2021
B
You won't see anything else like it this year. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Rob R Oct 12 Disturbingly different in a good way. Extreme and absurd, I couldn’t take my eyes off it for a minute of its running time. All the lead actors are fantastic, MM especially. Not for everyone, be advised it’s NC-17 for a reason! See more james l Sep 8 Gave it about half an hour and switched it off. Just couldn't get interested in this. See more nick s @Nick_S Sep 4 Great production value. The cast was excellent and so was the directing. My only gripe would be the edginess - nudity, violence, language, drumsticks. It was okay but didn't always feel necessary. See more Stephen C @bob25009 Aug 31 Success in 1 hour and 41 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ages 17 and older!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! See more Dave S Jul 25 While the first half of director William Friedkin’s career was pretty impressive, things dropped off significantly over the second half, eventually wrapping up his career with the controversial and grimy Killer Joe. Matthew McConaughey plays the title character, a quietly menacing police detective who makes money on the side as a hitman, hired by a squalid and dysfunctional family to kill the matriarch for the insurance money. McConaughey is great in the lead role and most of the supporting cast is outstanding, but Emil Hirsch, playing the wayward son and catalyst for the murder scheme, seems totally out of his league, sucking the energy from most of the scenes he’s in. While Killer Joe is generally well done (with a more than memorable final scene), you’ll need a shower to scrub off the vileness that the movie leaves behind. See more Rene M Jul 10 Not a must watch but watchable. See more Read all reviews
Killer Joe

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Cast & Crew

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William Friedkin

Director

Matthew McConaughey

"Killer" Joe Cooper

Emile Hirsch

Chris Smith

Juno Temple

Dottie Smith

Gina Gershon

Sharla Smith

Thomas Haden Church

Ansel Smith

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Killer Joe

Killer Joe (2011) Matthew McConaughey as Killer Joe Cooper in "Killer Joe." (L-R) Thomas Haden Church as Ansel Smith, Matthew McConaughey as Killer Joe Cooper and Gina Gershon as Sharla Smith in "Killer Joe." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A cop (Matthew McConaughey) who moonlights as a hit man agrees to kill the hated mother of a desperate drug dealer (Emile Hirsch) in exchange for a tumble with the young man's virginal sister (Juno Temple).
Director
William Friedkin
Producer
Nicolas Chartier, Scott Einbinder
Screenwriter
Tracy Letts
Production Co
Voltage Pictures, Ana Media
Rating
TV-MA, R (Graphic Nudity|Drug Use|Strong Disturbing Violence|Language|Sexuality)
Genre
Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 3, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.0M
Runtime
1h 41m
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