The Killing Reviews and Ratings


  • May 31, 2009
    A well planned Robbery that is timed accurately and precise, with many characters involved.

    Enjoyable watch, worthy if you catch it on TV, not quite as impressive as I thought it would be, but an ok film.
  • March 11, 2009
    Kubrick just getting started - fun to compare this to his later work.

    A solid heist movie baby babay.
  • March 1, 2009
    Good early Kubrick. Nice touchs throughout with a satisfying ending. Recommended.
  • January 28, 2009
    As someone who has more interest in character than spectacle or plot and ideas than visuals as a general rule (but of course not an exclusive one), Stanley Kubrick is an unusual director for me. Obviously many people love the man's work dearly, and I certainly put in my hands and... ...( read more )
  • November 21, 2008
    Great noir caper from Kubrick. You can see how this effected Michael Mann.
  • November 4, 2008
    a phenomenal crime story. woven tightly and interesting the entire way through, one of kubricks best films.
  • September 23, 2008
    Stanley Kubrick has made very emotionally bland movies (Because of his perfectionistic focus in every other area of a film). This is one of them. But if you're able to look past that - and the omniscient narrator - then what you have is a very enjoyable heist film which can be ex... ...( read more )
  • September 9, 2008
    Stanley Kubrick plunges once again into noir, and reaches, with an almost millimetrical precision as co-writer and director, an essential heist film, led by the always brilliant Sterling Hayden and soaked in feelings of tragedy and powerlessness against fate.
    Kubrick's best, behi... ...( read more )
  • September 8, 2008
    My favorite Kubrick. One of the best hiest films of all time. Sterling Hayden is a god.
  • September 8, 2008
    Nicely wound story with lovely little characters. Kubrick got game.
  • June 11, 2009
    Perfect in every way. Stanley Kubrick's The Killing is one of the most well made and compelling films I have ever seen. It tells the story of five crooks who plan and execute a daring racetrack robbery. It was a $2,000,000 secret until one of them told a woman who changed everyth... ...( read more )
  • May 8, 2009
    What is incredible about this classic is that is is a precursor to the likes of Scorsese, Tarantino (esp.), et al. It is a masterclass in writing and directing!
  • April 19, 2009
    I know that it's Stanley, so I should give it more of a break and I'm sure that seeing this a lot earlier in my life would have given me a better appreciation of it, but I was a little disappointed after watching the film. It's still a well crafted heist film with a terrific perf... ...( read more )
  • March 31, 2009
    this was a great movie even though the acting was not that great but still okay and stalney kubrick did a great job directing this film and is a reallu great black and white film by him except for Dr. Strange love but a really good black and white film and a Ex-convict Johnny Cla... ...( read more )
  • March 23, 2009
    this was a great movie even though the acting was not that great but still okay and stalney kubrick did a great job directing this film and is a reallu great black and white film by him except for Dr. Strange love but a really good black and white film and a Ex-convict Johnny C... ...( read more )
  • January 31, 2009
    'The Killing' has been overshadowed by Stanley Kubrick's subsequent better known and better made movie masterpieces. Films like 'Dr. Strangelove', '2001' and 'A Clockwork Orange' are much more flamboyant and intellectually exciting than this early hard boiled crime thriller

    on... ...( read more )
  • January 10, 2009
    Kubrick's breakout picture is the tightest little crime thriller you will ever see. 82 minutes of tough-talking noir brilliance with endless momentum and not an inch of fat! Its non-linear structure and barely-seen heist were a major influence on RESERVOIR DOGS. The ending is sub... ...( read more )
  • December 25, 2008
    At first, I was like "not another noir movie". But once this movie got started, it didn't stop. Until the end. They blew it with the typical 1950s "crime doesn't pay" ending. Overall, a great heist movie like Rififi or Ocean's 11.
  • November 22, 2008
    A really excellent film. One of Kubrick's earliest directorial projects, this movie is probably one of the best "heist" movies ever made. Quentin Tarantino notes that this movie was a big influence on him (especially for "Reservoir Dogs"), and it definitely shows. This film used ... ...( read more )
  • October 7, 2008
    Stanley Kubrick's film noir The Killing tells the story of a racetrack robbery. A group of men plan what they think is the perfect robbery of a horse racing track which should net them over 2 million dollars. Overall, this 80-something minute film really tells a great story. The ... ...( read more )
  • September 26, 2008
    Well crafted heist film is really impressive and innovative for being made in the 50s. Kubrick's first mainstream film is really a work of genius. I'm glad they havn't remade it. I'm sure they will eventually though.
  • September 16, 2008
    Very fascinating crime film. Sterling Hayden is fantastic to watch in this film, & the structure is wonderful. One of my favourite Kubrick films.
  • September 8, 2008
    Great heist flick directed by the great Stanley Kubrick and written by the great Jim Thompson. Very meticulous in showing every aspect of the heist by each of the participants. A must see!
  • September 8, 2008
    Sterling Hayden plays Johnny Clay, and sets up a brilliant plan - to rob a racetrack. That's all you need to know. Watch this and feel your jaw drop....ending could have been better.
  • September 8, 2008
    if you think kubrick can only make "artsy fartsy" movies, then you need to see the killing. a great heist movie, i can easily see this being the summer hit of 2008 with george clooney and brad pitt.

Summary


The Killing Summary