Shotgun Stories

Shotgun Stories (2007)

  • 91% of critics liked it
    (44 reviews)

  • 79% of users liked it
    (3,379 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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PG-13,
Directed By
Genres
Drama, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense
In Theaters
Oct 12, 2007 Wide
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

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

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

Featured Audience Ratings

  • Emil K


    Shotgun Stories is a fresh and atmospheric debut feature from talented Jeff Nichols whose second film Take Shelter has made him into a one of the most original voices of modern cinema. While his debut may lack those great virtues which Take Shelter has, there is still no denying that… More

  • c0up  


    'Shotgun Stories'. As far as revenge tales go, this small scale, deeply personal affair is up there with the best of them. Jeff Nichols manages to pack in an insane amount of character development, unease and rich dialogue in 90 tight minutes that a lot of films would have… More

  • Mark W


    In 2011, relatively unknown writer/director Jeff Nichols took a lot of people by surprise when he delivered one of the best films of the year in "Take Shelter". However, four years prior to that he had already made his debut with Shotgun Stories which was a film that shared… More

  • 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

Read all 15 featured audience ratings

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Cast

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