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Chrystal

EMAILPRINTFirst Look Media

Chrystal reviews
65
7.3 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 8 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 11 votes
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Drama

Written by: Ray McKinnon

Directed by: Ray McKinnon

Release Date:
Theatrical: June 10, 2005
DVD: August 30, 2005

Running Time: 106 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: R for sexuality, nudity, drug content, violence and language

Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Lisa Blount, Ray McKinnon, Harry J. Lennix, Walton Goggins, Grace Zabriskie, Johnny Galecki, and Colin Fickes

Set in the Ozark mountains, Chrystak combines red-dirt realism with the fabulist Southern literary tradition – part Flannery O'Connor, part Johnny Cash – to tell a wild and haunting tale of the power of true love. (First Look)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90

The Hollywood Reporter Duane Byrge

A grand story of redemption, laced with barbecued wit and slopped with intrigue, Chrystal is a high heaping of brilliant storytelling.

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75

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

One of those movies that sticks to your mind like a briar to wool slacks. It has no revelations, no high drama, no heartbreaking tragedy. What it does have is bone-deep honesty, and that's enough for once.

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70

Los Angeles Times Kevin Crust

Chrystal unravels a bit toward the end as it becomes more fable-like, but the performances make it worthwhile.

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70

Variety Todd McCarthy

Respectable piece of work is reasonably involving if not compelling.

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67

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

Even at its most contrived, the filmmakers believe in this project so passionately that its atmosphere seems absolutely real.

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60

Film Threat Brad Slager

Dark and quiet is the tone from start to finish.

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60

LA Weekly Scott Foundas

McKinnon's direction is nothing if not atmospheric -- his best scenes unfold with a pungent languor that suggests the power of the backwoods to turn hours into days and days into years. If only the sum total were a movie more "In the Bedroom" than it is everything-but-the-kitchen-sink.

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60

The Onion (A.V. Club) Noel Murray

If the people in Chrystal are intended to be authentic, why do none of them look like they've ever seen the inside of a Wal-Mart?

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 7.3 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Greg T. gave it a5:
Intense but dour. The sets alone could lead you to suicide. Everyone is redeemed but with a load of effort.

Jim M. gave it a3:
Painful to sit through. Some scenes over-theatrical with much scenery chewing. Dialogue a hoot. Plot contrived with stock characters. Faulkner meets Al Capp.

Kitten gave it a3:
Although beautifully pkotographed, I was very disappointed. The potential to make this a GREAT film was there, but it fell far shot. I would have liked to have seen this movie with a little less implied sex and stereotypical characters, and a lot more time spent giving us a real look into the hearts and minds of the characters. BRAVO to Grace Z...the best actor in the entire piece.

Albert I. gave it a10:
Great acting and beautiful music. A must see.

Haden gave it a9:
I thought this movie was great - havent been this pulled into to a story, setting, and culture thing in some time - not perfect but unique and captious and raw.

Sebastian L. gave it a2:
Unfortunately this movie suffers from a schizofrenic story line. The main plot line has enough tragic drama to support the film and if you were to fast-fwd all of the insipid sub-plots you would have a pretty good film. My Question for Ray McKinnon who wrote and directed this movie is this... Will you guys ever stop with the idiotic redneck bad guys named 'Snake?' Thornton and Blount give good performances but it's not enough.

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