The Square (2008)

85% of critics liked it
(82 reviews)
68% of users liked it
(2,643 ratings)

Temptation turns a man's life upside down in this noir-influenced thriller from Australia. Ray Yale (David Roberts) is a construction worker who is married to Martha (Lucy Bell) and is helping to build an upscale resort hotel just outside Sydney. Ray isn't entirely happy in his marriage, and his… More Temptation turns a man's life upside down in this noir-influenced thriller from Australia. Ray Yale (David Roberts) is a construction worker who is married to Martha (Lucy Bell) and is helping to build an upscale resort hotel just outside Sydney. Ray isn't entirely happy in his marriage, and his roving eye has become focused on Carla (Claire van der Boom), a hairdresser who lives next door. Carla is married to a low-level mobster, Greg (Anthony Hayes), but she craves excitement and is soon having a torrid affair with Ray. Carla knows that Greg has a large bundle of cash hidden in their home, and she hatches a scheme she shares with Ray -- they steal they money, set fire to the house, and run off together, with Greg imagining the cash was lost in the blaze. While Ray isn't interested in a life of crime, he can't say no to Carla, but when he develops cold feet at the last minute, his attempts to reach Billy (Joel Edgerton), who was hired to torch the house, are unsuccessful, and things take a turn for the worse when he learns that Greg's aged mother was in the house when it burned to the ground. Ray quickly realizes he's been implicated in a murder, and Billy doesn't hesitate to use this knowledge to his advantage. The Square was the first directorial project for Nash Edgerton, who previously was one of the leading stuntmen in the Aussie film industry. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 46 min.
Directed By: Nash Edgerton
Written By: Joel Edgerton, Matthew Dabner
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Action & Adventure

In Theaters: Apr 9, 2010 Limited
On DVD: Aug 24, 2010
Studio: Apparition

Critic Reviews

Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel
A taut, well-executed if somewhat predictable riff on the murderous caper-that-goes-wrong theme that has anchored sexy, blood-stained crime pictures from The Postman Always Rings Twice to Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.
Sheri Linden, Hollywood Reporter
A well-made and entertaining descent into a black-comic hell.
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
It's as if filmmaking brothers Joel and Nash Edgerton (Joel cowrote, produced and costars, Nash directed) sat down and said, "Let's watch these suckers wreck their lives, and the lives of everyone around them."
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic
A perverse delight, the rare film that makes you feel good about feeling bad (or at least watching others do so).
Tom Long, Detroit News
Things go from bad to worse to downright disastrous in the enthralling Australian import The Square.
Dan Kois, Washington Post
The Square suggests an exciting future for a pair of brothers with a dark view of pitiless fate.
Dan Lybarger, eFilmCritic.com
If you listen closely throughout this Australian thriller, you might hear the devil chuckling in the background as the characters continually dig themselves into more hopeless predicaments.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
This kind of crime film is not easy to make, and the Edgertons have done an admirable job with The Square.
Nick Davis, Nick's Flick Picks
The Square gets plenty of early elements in place to promise something more special than it ultimately becomes... Even a strong first impression can't survive such a flailing resolution.
Rob Thomas, Wisconsin State Journal
"The Square": It's Australian for noir, mate.
Justin Strout, Orlando Weekly
A debut feature that replaces the Coen brothers' humor in similarly labyrinthine comedies of errors with Arthur Penn's grit and Peckinpah's tense string tuning.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
Dire, frantic, and unfailingly engaging...introduces a major filmmaking talent to the scene who understands the utter joy that comes with detailing complete psychological devastation.
John Beifuss, Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
A tough, twisty tale of murder, adultery and purloined loot that stays true to author James Ellroy's succinct summation of the primary theme of film noir: 'We're all ----ed.'
Sean Burns, Philadelphia Weekly
The Edgertons are in complete command of their craft, without bringing anything new to the party.
Ron Wilkinson, Monsters and Critics
Slick compared to films noir of old, the stunts too cool and characters too swishy, but swaggering with a good old-fashioned edge and raw steaming action for each and every one of its 105 minutes.
Sean Gandert, Paste Magazine
The movie's protagonists (and all of its supporting characters) are reprehensible people, and Roberts' performance is fascinatingly uncharismatic, extinguishing any possibility of sympathy for his character even when the film gradually reveals his town to
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
In terms of a modern crime thriller, you're not going to do any better than this debut film.
Jeff Bayer, The Scorecard Review
While the performances are good, it felt like I had already seen this movie before. Also, if you are looking to root for anyone, you're going to have to look elsewhere.
Matt Brunson, Creative Loafing
The Square recalls one of cinema's all-time classic lines, that moment in 1981's Body Heat when Kathleen Turner's femme fatale Matty Walker studies William Hurt's gullible Ned Racine and declares, "You're not too smart, are you? I like that in a man."
Kimberly Gadette, Indie Movies Online
Rather than intrigue, the pile-up of confounding issues in The Square merely bores, hindered by pacing that is uniformly slow rather than suspenseful. A better title: The Blob.

Read all 21 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Bruce B

This is one of the best Australia film's I've ever seen. I am very surprised that some director here in the US has stole the idea, like is done with so many Japanese Films. The title the Square is misleading. it should be called the Tangled Web, or the Rousted Triangle,… More
This is one of the best Australia film's I've ever seen. I am very surprised that some director here in the US has stole the idea, like is done with so many Japanese Films. The title the Square is misleading. it should be called the Tangled Web, or the Rousted Triangle, cause that what you have. Claire van der Boom plays an excellent part as a young beautiful everyday women in an affair with a older man, wanting to get away from her abusive husband, who ha come up with a large sum of money hidden in his attic, which she finds, and now has the money to run away with her lover, So starts the web / square of involvement of people that all become linked together one way or another. This movie will keep you on the edge. The ending will blow you away, Very realistic. This is a Must see Today film. 4 1/2 stars.
Cynthia S

A very dark crime story without a happy ending. Lots of twists and turns. You get deeper, and deeper, into the movie as the characters lives unravel. Amazing how much can go wrong after one small REALLY bad idea. Great job...
Anthony L

The Square explores a fairly common concept but it does so with such a gritty realism it feels very original. Nash Edgerton has sadistic tendencies, The Square is often gut wrenching in its suspense but it never disappoints or goes too far. This is a very stylish thriller too,… More
The Square explores a fairly common concept but it does so with such a gritty realism it feels very original. Nash Edgerton has sadistic tendencies, The Square is often gut wrenching in its suspense but it never disappoints or goes too far. This is a very stylish thriller too, I'm sure Nash Edgerton is a good stunt man but I think it's fair to say this is his true calling. A very accomplished thriller, highly recommended.
Shawn E

The square is a realistic thriller that moves at a slow pace and peaks from time to time. This film was a little boring and did not have a big climax like most thrillers but it did have some good dramatic scenes.
Josh L

A dark and gloomy thriller with little hope for its characters and yet still gripping from start to finish thanks to strong performances and a tense screenplay. This is far from a happy movie, and the characters take beating after beating until succumbing to fate. Those who don't… More
A dark and gloomy thriller with little hope for its characters and yet still gripping from start to finish thanks to strong performances and a tense screenplay. This is far from a happy movie, and the characters take beating after beating until succumbing to fate. Those who don't like movies where nothing good comes of what they do will not take to it, but for those that like their thriller with affairs, betrayal, and blood will eat this up. A very fine Australian import worth some attention.
♥˩ƳИИ &

Cast: David Roberts, Claire van der Boom, Joel Edgerton, Anthony Hayes, Peter Phelps, Bill Hunter, Damon Herriman, Brendan Donoghue, Kieran Darcy-Smith, Lucy Bell, Hanna Mangan Lawrence Director: Nash Edgerton Summary: Bored with married life, middle-aged Ray (David Roberts)… More
Cast: David Roberts, Claire van der Boom, Joel Edgerton, Anthony Hayes, Peter Phelps, Bill Hunter, Damon Herriman, Brendan Donoghue, Kieran Darcy-Smith, Lucy Bell, Hanna Mangan Lawrence Director: Nash Edgerton Summary: Bored with married life, middle-aged Ray (David Roberts) devises a dangerous scheme to steal a large sum of money and run away with his beautiful young mistress, Carla (Claire van der Boom), in this neo-noir thriller from Australia. It looks as if the plot involving Carla's unscrupulous husband and a career arsonist is a success -- until an anonymous blackmailer threatens to expose the truth. My Thoughts: "This is a very slow thriller/suspense film. I am usually a fan of these types, but it was just too slow for me. The characters have no life in them. There's no connecting or empathizing with them. So it was hard to care which way the story went or what happened to the characters. Just way to long for the story being told. So in the end just a bit of a bore for me. The ending was perfect though. I liked that all the cheating couple was working toward ended the way it did.. Teach you to keep your goods in your pants when your married."
Mark H

A twist-filled thriller about an adulterous couple's scheme to steal a bag of cash. Infidelity and greed are the themes explored here. Naturally the cheating lovers' best laid plans go horribly awry, as is always the case in movies like this. The brilliance of this… More
A twist-filled thriller about an adulterous couple's scheme to steal a bag of cash. Infidelity and greed are the themes explored here. Naturally the cheating lovers' best laid plans go horribly awry, as is always the case in movies like this. The brilliance of this neo-noir from Australia is how the action gradually unfolds, drawing the viewer into a labyrinthine web of misfortune. As an eyewitness, we're complicit in the crimes which spin recklessly out of control. The Edgerton brothers (director Nash and screenwriter Joel) have fashioned an assured thriller in their feature film debut. Unfortunately, the plot ultimately lets the viewer down. It's a tribute to how strong the picture is, that the resolution doesn't quite equal the rest of the story in sophistication or complexity. Nevertheless, it should be interesting to see what this talented duo does next.
Dean M

In the tradition of Shadow Grave and A Simple Plan, this Aussie thriller is excellent classic everyman tale in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock, but with more of a Coen brothers outlook. The Edgerton brothers do genuinely jobs on their filmmaking in… More
In the tradition of Shadow Grave and A Simple Plan, this Aussie thriller is excellent classic everyman tale in the vein of Alfred Hitchcock, but with more of a Coen brothers outlook. The Edgerton brothers do genuinely jobs on their filmmaking in this film.
Jeff T

Down-'n-dirty twisty thriller from down under, this working class let's-take-the-money-and-ditch-our-spouses-plan-gone-wrong flick is lots of nasty fun. Though not shot particularly stylishly, the story is a good one, and goes places you don't expect. In fact, the… More
Down-'n-dirty twisty thriller from down under, this working class let's-take-the-money-and-ditch-our-spouses-plan-gone-wrong flick is lots of nasty fun. Though not shot particularly stylishly, the story is a good one, and goes places you don't expect. In fact, the what-the-heck-is-going-on revelations in the end are so unexpected, they almost take you out of the story. Almost. But the acting is quite good, and just when you think you're ahead of it, this story never falls back on cliche answers. This is a filmmaking team (writer brother and director brother) to watch.
Walter M

"The Square" starts with Ray(Dave Roberts) and Carla(Claire van der Boom) getting it in on in a car that is really kind of small for such frenetic activity. One day, Carla, a hairdresser, witnesses her husband Greg(Anthony Hayes), a tow truck driver, returning home bloodied… More
"The Square" starts with Ray(Dave Roberts) and Carla(Claire van der Boom) getting it in on in a car that is really kind of small for such frenetic activity. One day, Carla, a hairdresser, witnesses her husband Greg(Anthony Hayes), a tow truck driver, returning home bloodied with a bag full of loot. She wants Ray to help her steal the money, using this to leverage him to finally leave his wife(Lucy Bell) which he has been planning on doing for a while, even accepting kickbacks at his worksite. The idea is to burn the house down to the ground, leaving no evidence of the money after Carla takes it. So, Ray contracts with Billy(Joel Edgerton, who also co-wrote) to do the deed during a holiday celebration which everybody will be attending... With the short film "Spider," director Nash Edgerton displayed a talent for the sick joke. However, with his first feature "The Square," he tones the humor down to make a taut noir with its fair share of twists, some predictable, some not.(Only one bit of violence is unnecessary and it is a minor incident, so I'll look the other way.) A lot of this comes down to Ray who hates his job, being under pressure to constantly cut costs and is tempted at the freedom to walk away. Up and until now he has lived the life of the straight and narrow and is out of his depth in an otherwise corrupt corner of the world. And I am sure that his otherwise pleasant demeanor appealed to the younger Carla, to whom he must have seemed like a breath of fresh air. She is probably not the only woman in the movie to be dominated by her husband and the movie is populated by a surfeit of hirsute dudes who walk the line of legality. (Originally reviewed on May 2, 2010.)
Jeffrey M

The Square is a very good example of modern film noir, in the style of Fargo and Body Heat. It's atmospheric, tense, gritty, and well written. I especially enjoyed David Roberts, who has a sort of everyman appeal that made him compelling to watch.
Philip P

Never have I seen a movie where under the most serious of circumstances does everything that could possibly go wrong do so and in the most believable manner. In 'The Square' a man is simply pushed by the woman he is having an affair with to run off with him because of… More
Never have I seen a movie where under the most serious of circumstances does everything that could possibly go wrong do so and in the most believable manner. In 'The Square' a man is simply pushed by the woman he is having an affair with to run off with him because of financial circumstances she has recently stumbled upon. We all can see this is a bad idea from the get go and that there are layers upon layers of problems these two will face if they get caught. Funny thing is, no ever really gets caught-everything goes too horribly wrong before any of that could really culminate. David Roberts in the lead role of Ray possesses a somber tone that allows us to believe his character is never really sure what to do or how to handle the situations he is presented with so in turn he simply takes the quickest and easiest escape route he can find. His instinctive decision to take off with his young mistress sets up a series of disasters that are brutal and unforgiving. It would be pointless to even try and describe the ins and outs of the plot, one needs to experience the film for its high tension that honestly has you on the edge of your seat asking these characters not to do certain things or go in certain doors. Director Edgerton keeps the film dark and gloomy with a gray color palette.
Alec B

It owes too much to other modern noirs like 'Blood Simple' to be considered a truly original masterpiece, but its got one hell of a bleak ending thats up there with Double Indeminty and thats definately worth something.
James B

A solid Aussie crime drama. While the premise itself may seem typical of the adultery/crime genre, the layers of detail put into the characters (especially the supporting ones) flesh out this seedy world, elevating it above your average who-done-it!
Kyle S

A great twisted caper. The critics were right in comparing it to the Coen Brothers. A great debut for the Edgerton brothers. David Roberts is really great, hope to see him in more leading roles in the future. Claire van der Boom is a rising star in the making and a force to be… More
A great twisted caper. The critics were right in comparing it to the Coen Brothers. A great debut for the Edgerton brothers. David Roberts is really great, hope to see him in more leading roles in the future. Claire van der Boom is a rising star in the making and a force to be reckoned with. Joel Edgerton is the standout and is fantastic as usual. It is so nice that Bluetounge films is finally making feauture-length films, allthough I love their shorts. This is only the first in a very exciting long string of films to come from them in the future.
Robert F

An accomplished and genuinely gripping thriller, definitely worth some attention.