Killing Them Softly

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Killing Them Softly

R

2012

1h 37m

Crime

Drama

Action

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Popcornmeter

74%

Tomatometer

227 Reviews

45%

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100,000+ Ratings

When rival crook Johnny Amato (Vincent Curatola) hatches a plan to rob a card game run by mob lackey Markie (Ray Liotta), he picks a low-rent thug named Frankie (Scoot McNairy) to do the job. Frankie picks a less-than-ideal partner (Ben Mendelsohn) to help him, but despite their combined incompetence, they manage to make off with the mob's money. In retaliation, Markie's bosses hire Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt), a mob enforcer, to eradicate those responsible.

Critics Consensus

Killing Them Softly is a darkly comic, visceral thriller that doubles as a cautionary tale on capitalism, whose message is delivered with sledgehammer force.

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Cary Darling

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

12/03/2012

3/5

The anvils of obviousness rain down so hard and fast in New Zealand-born/Australian-based director Andrew Dominik's meditation on low-rent crime and American decline, that it might as well be a Coyote-Road Runner cartoon

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Christopher Orr

The Atlantic

11/30/2012

Like its source material, the movie is stylish, profane, intelligent, and eminently diverting. But as much as it is a delight that Dominik has disinterred Higgins's work, it is a mild disappointment that the result is not more substantial.

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Caryn James

James on screenS

11/30/2012

A disappointing, derivative noir that gets its spark from Pitt and Gandolfini's performances. Slight and pulpy, but it's aiming for arty and trenchant.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

09/20/2022

4/4

Although it’s bound to be divisive for its unconventional structure, ruthless tone, and the cynical nature of its message, Killing Them Softly is a rare, exceedingly enjoyable, bleakly comic noir story.

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Cory Woodroof

615 Film

07/06/2022

A dirty, furious little gangster flick with as much to say about capitalism as it does how futile a life it is to live in this world.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

01/21/2022

4/5

...ahead of the curve in terms of portraying the inherent nihilism of today's society...

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Gypsy G

@GypsyGua86 21h

Only gets 2 stars because the actors are all great, and good cinematography. Otherwise, prepare yourself to watch 2 hours of hitmen monologuing during every scene, while waiting for them to wrap up a very basic plot. A huge drag.

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Oscar T

@Mr.1take 3d

Very underrated and realistic

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Ronnie M

@spuncake Apr 18

Too dragged-out for me. Never really got my full attention . I was waiting for something big to happen.......It never did

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Daniel L

@RT24087858 Apr 6

Terrible movie. Incredibly boring. All dialogue and no action. Got half way through and nothing had happened.

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Thyaagu C

@Thyaagu Mar 13

2.5 stars and half extra for Pitt alone. But if I break it down, what did the movie even do to earn those other two stars? Better let me not get into that part...

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Paul O

@pjkeys Feb 8

This is supposed to be a crime movie with a critique of the American capitalist system in the background as it relates to the financial crisis of 2008. The crime aspects of the movie are entertaining as the plot unfolds but using gangsters as critics of the American dream, or lack thereof, is a little misguided as the characters lament on the dog eat dog of the American financial system. Maybe a view from actual law abiding citizens would yield a more realistic perspective.

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Andrew Dominik

Director

Brad Pitt

Jackie Cogan

Scoot McNairy

Frankie

Ben Mendelsohn

Russell

Richard Jenkins

Driver

James Gandolfini

Mickey

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Synopsis

When rival crook Johnny Amato (Vincent Curatola) hatches a plan to rob a card game run by mob lackey Markie (Ray Liotta), he picks a low-rent thug named Frankie (Scoot McNairy) to do the job. Frankie picks a less-than-ideal partner (Ben Mendelsohn) to help him, but despite their combined incompetence, they manage to make off with the mob's money. In retaliation, Markie's bosses hire Jackie Cogan (Brad Pitt), a mob enforcer, to eradicate those responsible.

Director: Andrew Dominik
Producer: Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Steve Schwartz, Paula Mae Schwartz, Anthony Katagas
Screenwriter: Andrew Dominik
Distributor: Weinstein Co.
Production Co: Plan B Entertainment, Chockstone Pictures
Rating: R (Some Drug References|Pervasive Language|Some Drug Use|Violence)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 30, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 30, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $14.9M
Runtime: 1h 37m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, DTS