Killer Joe
Metascore
62 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 38
  3. Negative: 4 out of 38
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  1. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    Jul 26, 2012
    20
    What's most notable about this aggressively cynical project is how much talent it wastes.
  2. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    Jul 27, 2012
    12
    A sleazy and pointless film about sleazy and pointless people, Killer Joe reminds us that what Quentin Tarantino does isn't easy.
  3. Wall Street Journal
    Reviewed by: Joe Morgenstern
    Jul 26, 2012
    0
    Killer Joe is, at bottom - and I mean bottom - ugly and vile, not to mention dumb and clumsy.
  4. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Mark Jenkins
    Aug 2, 2012
    38
    The action and dialogue find the same squalid level in time for the climactic scene, the cruel humiliation of a central character. That's when sensitive viewers should do what the bloody-minded Joe could never imagine: Walk away from the mess he has made.

User Reviews

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User Score
6.5 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 79 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 21
  3. Negative: 4 out of 21
  1. amboy
    9
    This is real film noir--not the private eye low key lighting kind but a real dip in the nasty stew of human greed and concupiscence. Hence, not for everyone. The actors are wonderful at revealing how naivete can turn amoral and good manners mask perversity and violence--and all regarded as part of the human comedy.. The cast is pitch perfect. A special cheer for McConaughey and for Gina Gershon and Emile Hirsch.… Full Review »
  2. JamesL
    4
    I do not see how any one saw this movie as an under rated gem. I saw it as a cheap gimmick that insulted my intelligence. Trashy humor is nothing new so if you are going to do it you had better do it well. They don't! Excessive violence is nothing new so if you are going to do it, you had better do it well. They don't. Thomas Hayden Church was funny but McConaughey looked liked a fool in his role. Morgernstern's review nailed this film. Read it and I agree entirely.… Full Review »
  3. MarcDoyle
    8
    It's by far the best B-movie, film noir, grindhouse-style film I've seen in a long time. It doesn't take itself too seriously, and it's funny as hell. McConaughey is terrific - it's almost an extension of his role on Magic Mike - an egotistical control freak. But Thomas Haden Church steals the show with his deadpan style of humor. Great fun.… Full Review »
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