The Killers

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The Killers

1964,

1h 35m,

Crime/

Drama

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Watchlist

90%

21 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

21 Reviews

71%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

A hit man (Lee Marvin) and his partner (Clu Gulager) try to find out why their latest victim, a former race-car driver (John Cassavetes), did not try to get away.

Critics Consensus

Though it can't best Robert Siodmak's classic 1946 version, Don Siegel's take on the Ernest Hemingway story stakes out its own violent territory, and offers a terrifically tough turn from Lee Marvin.

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Aug 28, 2017

Siegel's terse, seething, and stylish direction glows with the blank radiance of sheet metal in sunlight; the movie's bright primary colors and glossy luxuries are imbued with menace, and its luminous delights convey a terrifyingly cold world view.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Mar 26, 2009

Ronald Reagan fails to crash convincingly through his goodguy image in his portrayal of a ruthless crook.

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Dave Kehr

Chicago Reader

Mar 12, 2008

The second film version (1964) of Ernest Hemingway's short story, directed by Don Siegel with far more energy than Robert Siodmak could muster for his overrated 1946 effort.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

Mar 9, 2021

3/4

...a mostly satisfying adaptation that fares better than one might've initially anticipated.

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A.S. Hamrah

n+1

Nov 29, 2018

Marvin is the un-McQueen. Not handsome, unconcerned with the audience and therefore compelling, he is distant and takes things personally. He's too smart to be monumental like other movie stars, but when he falls it's like a world got killed.

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Eric Melin

Scene-Stealers.com

Oct 7, 2015

3/4

This low-budget neo-noir is really a different kind of riff on the Hemingway story's themes and the genre. It also serves as a bit of foreshadowing for Seigel's violent 1971 hit Dirty Harry.

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Finn P

Jan 24, 2019

Don Siegel's reworking of the Hemingway 40s film noir is particularly notable for the strength of the performances (apart from a miscast Ronald Reagan as the mob boss) and the unfussy direction. Particularly fine are Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager as the two hitmen, and Angie Dickinson as the duplicitous moll. Only a few rather dodgy back-projected race sequences and some stock library footage betray its Movie of the Week TV origins.

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Kylo W

Aug 17, 2018

Any similarities with the Hemingway's short story is just coincidental.

Han W

Apr 14, 2017

Awful and boring as hell.

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Don Siegel

Director

Lee Marvin

Charlie Strom

Angie Dickinson

Sheila Farr

John Cassavetes

Johnny North

Ronald Reagan

Jack Browning

Clu Gulager

Lee

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Synopsis

A hit man (Lee Marvin) and his partner (Clu Gulager) try to find out why their latest victim, a former race-car driver (John Cassavetes), did not try to get away.

Director: Don Siegel
Producer: Don Siegel
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (DVD): Feb 18, 2003
Runtime: 1h 35m

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