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Killer Joe
2012 102 min United States of America NC-17 18+
★6.7
Crime, Thriller, Drama
Director: William Friedkin
Trailers
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Teaser
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Description
A cop who moonlights as a hit man agrees to kill the hated mother of a desperate drug dealer in exchange for a tumble with the young man's virginal sister.
Budget:
$10M
US Gross:
$1.99M
Worldwide:
$4.63M
Starring
Matthew McConaughey
Actor
Emile Hirsch
Actor
Juno Temple
Actor
Awards
Saturn Awards 2013
— Best Actor
Saturn Awards 2013
— Best Independent Film
Saturn Awards 2013
— Best Screenplay
Venice Film Festival 2011
— Golden Lion
Saturn Awards 2013
— Best Director
Saturn Awards 2013
— Best Supporting Actress
Key opinion
Killer Joe is a polarizing neo-noir that blends dark satire, extreme violence, and bleak Southern Gothic themes into a visceral, unsettling experience. While critics and audiences widely praise Matthew McConaughey’s transformative performance, the film's reliance on graphic, transgressive content and its nihilistic tone leave viewers divided between admiring its bold originality and rejecting its exploitative nature.
| Acting | Matthew McConaughey’s cold, methodical performance as a hitman marks a career-defining transformation that anchors the film's tension. | |
| Acting | The film features strong, committed performances across the supporting cast, particularly from Juno Temple and Thomas Haden Church. | |
| Direction | William Friedkin’s direction creates a gritty, oppressive atmosphere that successfully captures the toxic environment of a dysfunctional family. | |
| Screenplay | The script's reliance on graphic nudity and extreme, transgressive violence is viewed by many as gratuitous exploitation that undermines the film's thematic depth. | |
| Pacing | The film's pacing is often described as deliberate and slow, which some find immersive and building toward an intense finale, while others find it exhausting or unpolished. |