The Killers

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The Killers

1946,

1h 45m,

Crime/

Drama

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Watchlist

97%

35 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

2,500+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

35 Reviews

89%

Popcornmeter

2,500+ Ratings

Two hit men walk into a diner asking for a man called "the Swede" (Burt Lancaster). When the killers find the Swede, he's expecting them and doesn't put up a fight. Since the Swede had a life insurance policy, an investigator (Edmond O'Brien), on a hunch, decides to look into the murder. As the Swede's past is laid bare, it comes to light that he was in love with a beautiful woman (Ava Gardner) who may have lured him into pulling off a bank robbery overseen by another man (Albert Dekker).

Wendy Ide

The Times (UK)

Dec 4, 2014

4/5

It's [got] a blistering opening sequence.

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Variety Staff

Variety

Apr 8, 2008

Taken from Ernest Hemingway's story of the same title, picture is a hard-hitting example of forthright melodrama in the best Hemingway style. Performances without exception are top quality.

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Xan Brooks

Guardian

Apr 8, 2008

4/5

A near-classic of 40s film noir.

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Noah Berlatsky

Splice Today

Aug 17, 2026

There’s a great movie fighting to get out here. But like the star dumb lug, it’s KO’ed early and never recovers.

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Tony Sloman

Radio Times

Aug 8, 2024

5/5

This is one of the most powerful and influential thrillers ever made, with director Robert Siodmak's lovingly bleak and pessimistic tone virtually defining the term film noir.

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Mar 4, 2023

[T]he web of deceit and double crosses of the story and expertly-constructed screenplay by Anthony Veiller works thanks to the atmosphere of doom and duplicity created by Siodmak and his crew, and to the defining presence of Lancaster and Gardner.

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George W

Apr 21, 2019

I saw this back to back with Phantom Lady on a Robert Siodmak double bill (thank you Mubi!). This is even more suspenseful as the dramatization takes things to another level. I liked the concept of getting the pieces of the story through flashbacks, almost like a puzzle. Great performances all across the board, both Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner look gorgeous.

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Finn S

Apr 8, 2019

I'm usually not a fan of classic noir films as I tend to find them either boring or overly complicated. This however was pretty good. Granted, like other noirs, it still suffers from stretches throughout its runtime that are dull. I'd say the dialogue, performances(namely from O'Brien and Gardner) and characters are what kept me hooked until the end. Burt Lancaster, playing what in my opinion is a false protagonist, also gave a good debut performance. That excellent opening sequence really helped set the mood for the rest of the picture.

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Rey G

Feb 23, 2019

ï¿ 1/2Â?ï¿ 1/2 1/4ï¿ 1/2,"

Abraham L

Jan 26, 2019

Noir's hyper-realism hits a beautiful high here, stark imagery and stylish dialogue easily cover up a story almost beautiful in its lack of stakes.

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Finn P

Oct 9, 2018

Lancaster should have had a larger role. His screen time was relatively minimal. And I found the choppy flashback format to be lethal as far as pacing and sustained momentum. I'm sure it was a great early noir but not so much by later standards.

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Draco R

Sep 22, 2018

One of them perfect noirs from the memorable and prolific period of heyday of this creative and beautiful style of cinema. The opening sequence is a pure masterpiece, owning, of course, much to the source material which contains just it, this opening sequence. It sets the tone for the rest of the movie, and the creators did a good job to hold that bar that high. It also notably introduces two great actors, Burt Lancaster and Ava Gardner. As is usual with great film noirs its plot is rich on twists and its cinematography is a delight.

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Robert Siodmak

Director

Burt Lancaster

Ole "The Swede" Andersen

Ava Gardner

Kitty Collins

Edmond O'Brien

Jim Reardon (investigator)

Albert Dekker

Big Jim Colfax

Sam Levene

Lt. Sam Lubinsky

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Synopsis

Two hit men walk into a diner asking for a man called "the Swede" (Burt Lancaster). When the killers find the Swede, he's expecting them and doesn't put up a fight. Since the Swede had a life insurance policy, an investigator (Edmond O'Brien), on a hunch, decides to look into the murder. As the Swede's past is laid bare, it comes to light that he was in love with a beautiful woman (Ava Gardner) who may have lured him into pulling off a bank robbery overseen by another man (Albert Dekker).

Director: Robert Siodmak
Producer: Mark Hellinger
Screenwriter: Ernest Hemingway, Anthony Veiller, Richard Brooks, John Huston
Distributor: Universal Pictures, Universal International Pictures
Production Co: Mark Hellinger Productions
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 28, 1946, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 30, 2016
Runtime: 1h 45m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm

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