Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 28 Critics What's this?

User Score

Universal acclaim- based on 22 Ratings

  • Starring: Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton
  • Summary: Captivated by the lure of sudden wealth, the quiet rural lives of two brothers (Paxton, Thornton) erupt into conflicts of greed, paranoia and distrust when over four million dollars in cash is discovered at the remote site of a downed small airplane. (Paramount Pictures)
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 28
  2. Negative: 1 out of 28
  1. 100
    One of the year's best films for a lot of reasons, including its ability to involve the audience almost breathlessly in a story of mounting tragedy.
  2. Reviewed by: Ron Wells
    80
    Thornton's Jacob initially comes across as the love child of Elmer Fudd and Butthead, but ends up as the best role he's ever had.
  3. Reviewed by: David Ansen
    60
    There's something decidedly mechanical about this intermittently gripping movie's bleak view of human nature.
  4. Reviewed by: Richard Schickel
    30
    There's neither intricacy nor surprise in the narrative, and these dopes are tedious, witless company. Mostly you find yourself thinking, "How long until dinner?"

See all 28 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8
  1. This absolutely fantastic film is one of my all time favorites, with the added benefit of being watchable a seemingly endless number of times. From the opening words of wisdom from the main character,and the subsequent disintegration of the fabric of normal life for everyone involved, it plays out, in a quiet, understated fashion, a sordid tale that bombards your senses with its seriousness, believability and stunning awfulness. Expand
  2. PatrickDunne
    10
    This is vertainly not a "feel good" film, but it certainlly is Raimi's best. His goal for Spiderman 2 was drama, but he already achieved it here. Expand
  3. All the performances are very good but I thought Billy Bob Thornton was truly excellent in this. He really nailed his performance of this slightly dim-witted man who is, at heart, quite lonely. Also worthy of note were Bill Paxton and Bridget Fonda. Aside from the performances I did find this one didn Collapse

See all 8 User Reviews

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