Rotten Tomatoes
Suggestions will appear as you start typing. Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App New News Showtimes

Killing Zoe

Play trailer Poster for Killing Zoe R,  1994,  1h 36m,  Crime/ Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 36% 28 Reviews Tomatometer 64% 10,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
36% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 64% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
An adept safe-cracker, Zed (Eric Stoltz) arrives in Paris for his latest gig: a bank robbery organized by his old friend Eric (Jean-Hugues Anglade). On his first night in town, he spends time with a call girl, Zoe (Julie Delpy), only to be interrupted by Eric, who informs him that the heist is happening the next day. Zed is surprised but goes along, and is soon sorry he did. The job spirals into a bloody fiasco, the police surround the bank, and Zoe turns out to be one of the tellers.
Killing Zoe

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Senselessly violent and mean-spirited, Killing Zoe fails to deliver a much needed cleverness to back up its hyper-stylized flourishes.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Bernard Zuel Sydney Morning Herald Apr 29, 2026
The final shootout almost recovers it for Avary. Its excess and deliberate stupidity -- in slow-mo would you believe? -- make for an almost Peckinpah moment. Almost. Go to Full Review
Jamie Dunn The Skinny Jul 30, 2015
5/5
It sweeps you up in Eric's Dionysian revelry and, like Zed, you'll be clambering for a shower afterwards. Go to Full Review
Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault Aug 4, 2007
C-
I am not slamming this Roger Avary film for not being a Quentin Tarantino film. I am slamming it for not being a good Roger Avary film. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Dec 19, 2006
B-
An ultra-violent but vapid crime caper that owes as much to Tarantino as to film noir, both American and French. Go to Full Review
Cole Smithey ColeSmithey.com Oct 5, 2006
3/5
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Theodore G Aug 11, 2018 incredible movie. Apparently many people have terrible taste in films.
Poe S Aug 1, 2017 A true cult movie. This broke out in the early Quinton Tarantino era. I remember renting this on VHS from a local movie store and was probably one of the first independent movies I loved. Hard to separate nostalgia but I still like it. See more
Albus R Feb 24, 2017 Killing Zoe: B+ Sure it's Roger Avary's 1st film, and yes Tarantino was involved in the production, but this film prejudicially gets a bum rap. Critics slam the film as ugly, predicable, flat, and average in most aspects however, one great quality does prevail. The art of putting you into the film is as much of an art as you let it, and Avary did a fantastic job of drawing the viewer in... that is of course if you let him. I first watched this film without any expectations and obviously before I unfairly had Avary's or Tarantino's recent portfolios to compare. I was captivated from the start through Eric Stotlz's unassuming character Zed and led vicariously along the way. I fell in love with a prostitute, meandered through Paris's conspicuous underground nightlife, got obliterated on heroin, oh and by the way had a bank heist go worse than my hangover. Also, there is Julie Duply, Zoe, equally as alluring as Arura seducing Flash Gordon...less the bore worms. How can you not be smitten with a 19yr old strawberry French hooker who just "fits"? There has been a love it or hate it sentiment out there and either you are drawn in from the start to simply enjoy the ride or you are arms-folded waiting for the Vega brothers to save the day. Killing Zoe earned a balcony seat on my shelf somewhere near True Romance, Run Lola Run, Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, Boondock Saints, Dog Day Afternoon, and Mean Streets. I'm sure there is a "better on weed" following here too, the very same that finds Donnie Darko as real as it gets and Big Lebowski funnier than Blazing Saddles. But, as I noted, Avary did a fine job of giving you that high with dark tones, panicked drama, grungy soundtrack and some unique camera work. Le Mange! See more
Theodore S Dec 22, 2013 1972's The Godfather Is My Fourth Favorite Film Of All Time And 1994's Pulp Fiction Is My Seventh Favorite Film Of All Time As Well. See more
Read all reviews
Killing Zoe

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING
Bangkok Dangerous 47% 62% Bangkok Dangerous Watchlist Beautiful Creatures 38% 33% Beautiful Creatures Watchlist The Keeper 27% The Keeper Watchlist The Horseman 62% 58% The Horseman Watchlist Liebestraum 36% 48% Liebestraum Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Movie Info

Synopsis An adept safe-cracker, Zed (Eric Stoltz) arrives in Paris for his latest gig: a bank robbery organized by his old friend Eric (Jean-Hugues Anglade). On his first night in town, he spends time with a call girl, Zoe (Julie Delpy), only to be interrupted by Eric, who informs him that the heist is happening the next day. Zed is surprised but goes along, and is soon sorry he did. The job spirals into a bloody fiasco, the police surround the bank, and Zoe turns out to be one of the tellers.
Director
Roger Avary
Producer
Samuel Hadida
Screenwriter
Roger Avary
Distributor
October Films, Live Entertainment
Production Co
Davis Films, Live Entertainment
Rating
R
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 19, 1994, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA)
$30.6K
Runtime
1h 36m
Sound Mix
Dolby, Surround, Stereo
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings