Shotgun Stories

Shotgun Stories (2007)

  • 91% of critics liked it
    (43 reviews)

  • 79% of users liked it
    (2,953 ratings)

Two families linked by the same father explode into a violent rivalry in this independent Southern gothic drama, the first feature from director Jeff Nichols. Cleaman Hayes lived and died in Little Rock, AR, where he had seven sons by two different women. After wedding Nicole (Natalie Canerday),… More

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R, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By
Jeff Nichols
Genres
Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense
In Theaters
Oct 12, 2007 Wide
On DVD
Jul 1, 2008
International Film Circuit

Critic Reviews

  • Eddie Cockrell, Variety

    A precisely modulated yet cumulatively forceful story of a rural family feud turned deadly.

  • Maureen M. Hart, Chicago Tribune

    Director Jeff Nichols lets the action unfold slowly following an impromptu insult, but the escalation of hatred and pain feels natural.

  • Joshua Katzman, Chicago Reader

    ... here there's also an undercurrent of biblical revenge that lends the narrative a sense of violent menace and an almost continuous tension.

  • Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

    Few films are so observant about how we relate with one another. Few are as sympathetic.

  • Michael Ordoņa, Los Angeles Times

    Shotgun Stories is a cautionary tale about revenge, but more than that, it is a beautiful, authentic-feeling portrait of a family and a place.

Read all 19 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Matthew S


    A masterpiece of the rural southern U.S. and the nearly uncontrollable, circular nature of violence and prejudice.

  • paul o


    You can tell that Jeff Nichols loves Days of Heaven! This film bleeds complexity in its simple characters and shows off its cinematography. The downside is that Nichols cuts out any trace of action that may entertain a mainstream audience. For film makers and lovers of a deep… More

  • paul s


    an interesting story that slowly developes amidst the cotton fields of rural Arkansas, Shotgun Stories is a tale of deepseated hatred and its eventual effects on the lives of two intertwined families. The drama and tension escalate with each encounter following the death of the man… More

  • Luke B


    Shotgun Stories is a sadly ignored film. Though it treads similar paths as many revenge films, Shotgun Stories is the quiet one nobody notices. Like all good revenge films it shows the tragic escalation of violence and the terrifying cyclical nature of it. Unlike other revenge films… More

  • Tim S


    What a pussy of a revenge film! Look, I support idependent film as much as the next guy. Guy makes a movie for $500 on his cell phone, hoorah, go get 'em, I appreciate what you are doing. But from the looks of the cast (I don't get this Micheal Shannon fetish people have)… More

Read all 10 featured audience ratings

Cast

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