Artel Kayaru, Bruce Dern, Christina Cabot

Harlan (Oscar nominee Edward Norton), a swaggering stranger who's convinced he's a cowboy, looks like a knight in shining armor to a rebellious teen named Tobe (Evan Rachel Wood), a girl who's growing...( read more  read more... ) up fast on the edge of the San Fernando Valley. But are Harlan's delusions strong enough to overpower the grim realities of her life? Rory Culkin, David Morse and Bruce Dern co-star in this modern-day Western with a twist.

Flixster Users

47% liked it

5,875 ratings

Critics

52% liked it

98 critics

R, 1 hr. 54 min.

Directed by: David Jacobson

Release Date: December 31, 2005

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DVD Release Date: September 26, 2006

Stats: 1,308 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,308)


  • October 31, 2007
    A cerebral romance with wonderful performances from Ed Norton, Evan Rachel Wood, Rory Culkin, & David Morse.
  • October 29, 2009
    Down in The Valley What a great film...very layered and subtle. It is beautifully shot and the four main characters are original and yet painfully familiar in their alienation, anger, and despair. The Cowboy character played by Edward Norton (who is amazing) seems so simple at fi...( read more)rst but as he is drawn into the family his character and the truth unravels in ways that left me at a stand still near the end of the film. The character played by Rory Culkin, "Twig", says very little throughout the film and yet he conveys a sense of yearning and loneliness almost too painful to bare. But even he undergoes an unexpected transformation by the end of the film. The lead is a beautiful creature on the screen. Her relationship with the Cowboy seemed unlikely at first and then became completely believable, especially in the bathtub scene. This is a film for lovers of independent film and psychological kinds of cinema. There are also several scenes that border on surrealism. This film will leave you thinking and wondering about your life
  • October 1, 2009
    Destined to be a classic, this is my kind of film! Norton is brilliant in this modern day western. Highly Recommended!
  • March 19, 2009
    It's all over the place. The filmmaking is unfocused and too in love with itself to care about the real story behind it all. The acting isn't all that convincing either.
  • July 6, 2008
    I was dissapointed in this film. It was too extreme in some point to be realistic.
  • October 22, 2009
    A great movie but REALLY stupid ending.A guy does all this crap to you & your family but you still want to spread his ashes?! If I had em theyd be flushed right down the toilet.WTFE!!!!
  • October 11, 2009
    A primera vista parece simple pero tiene su lado oscuro. Muy buenas las actuaciones.
  • October 11, 2009
    The first time I watched this it started skipping and I was going to give up cuz it was slow, the next day I got one that didnt skip and watched it while me wife was at work. Im very glad to have gave it another try, it turn out to be a great movie. The way nortons carector start...( read more)s out normal then get crazyer as the movie goes on. If anyone watches it they should give it some time it turn out to have a good ending!
  • September 25, 2009
    Brilliant. My favourite Norton movie. Who ever said cowboys aint hot. Both great performances by Norton & Wood. 5stars +
  • September 22, 2009
    Norton is good. Wood sucks.

Critic Reviews


June 1, 2006
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Thirty minutes shorter, this would be a swell romantic chiller. As it stands, the film collapses under the weight of cowboy mythologies drawn out to unsustainable lengths. full review

May 19, 2006
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

In the end, it's really just a thriller, slower than most, with pockets of dead time but with a few extra flourishes, too, thanks to Norton. full review

May 19, 2006
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

A movie the actors and director take as far as they can until the story bogs down in questions too big to forgive. full review

May 9, 2006
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

The purity of Norton's madness is a wonder. full review

May 5, 2006
Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com

The last third of the picture drags along listlessly -- by the end, we feel dusty and worn out, a little too tired to see Harlan for the romantic, tragic figure that he is. full review

May 5, 2006
Kyle Smith, New York Post

Only a disastrous lurch by the script can make us stop caring, but that's what happens: Drama is replaced by melodrama. full review

April 27, 2006
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

... a wild thing that sticks with you long after it's over. full review

April 14, 2006
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

An entrancingly mournful film that reveals the detrimentally hamfisted influence of the Sundance Institute. full review

View more Down in the Valley reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • marcusH
    April 26, 2007
    Just watched it..Was'nt as great as i'd been led to believe but was still very good, not sure about the ending tho..Evan's on top form as usual;D

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Down in the Valley Trivia


  • what actor chased after a red dragon, spent some time down in the valley and joined a fight club?  Answer »
  • In "Down in the Valley" Who was the father of Lonnie and Tobe?  Answer »
  • Who starred in :: Death to Smoochy Down in the Valley American History X Primal Fear  Answer »
  • Who was Edward Norton's female costar in Down in the Valley?  Answer »

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