Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 30 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

  • Starring: Benicio Del Toro, Ryan Phillippe
  • Summary: A twisting crime drama about two cold-blooded career criminals who kidnap a surrogate mother and find themselves in an escalating cycle of guns and mayhem. (Artisan Entertainment)
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 15 out of 30
  2. Negative: 6 out of 30
  1. 80
    If you're interested in heavy-lidded moodiness and lots of attitude, Phillippe and Del Toro can't be beat.
  2. Reviewed by: Gemma Files
    80
    A tiny slice of bleak, black near-perfection.
  3. Reviewed by: Emanuel Levy
    60
    Each of the talented thesps has some good moments, but, ultimately, none can rise above the limitations of the material and filmmaking.
  4. Rotten, pretentious movie full of minimalist dialogue and self-consciously arty cinematography.

See all 30 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
  1. KrisA.
    10
    Great action movie. Exciting all the way through, and it has my favourite opening scene of all time. Watch the first scene if nothing else.
  2. PhilN.
    8
    I love this film... it has its flaws, but I honestly can't see why it is so underrated. The principle characters are despicable and there's no justification for their actions... that's partly the point of the film, and is - to me - an honest and realistic way to depict violence (far preferable to action movies in which we're asked to forget, forgive or applaud the various deaths the protagonists cause), yet it seems to be a common criticism of this film. I just don't understand that way of thinking. It seems to me the intentional coldness and amorality seen in this movie is way out of fashion now - had it appeared in the 70s, would it have been a classic like Point Blank? The film has some truly excellent dialogue (and non-verbal communication), but it has to be said that McQuarrie got a bit carried away at times and some of the lines are just too oblique to be understood or too "clever" to be believable. And, while their motivation is clear, Parker & Longbaugh's tactics in the final action scene are questionable, their approach somewhat less intelligent than we should expect from them. But in my opinion these are negligible flaws next to the film's strengths - not least, some of the finest firefights ever filmed. All performances from biggest to smallest are absolutely spot-on, and the score is wonderful. I would say, if you're a fan of 70s films like The Getaway or Bullit that are appreciated for their bleak and unpleasant qualities, then you'll probably get a kick out of Way Of The Gun. I wish there were more crime/action movies like it. Expand
  3. This is very good film. The cast is awesome. The first scene hilarious, and plenty of other good ones. The middle does drag a bit, so, that keeps it down a notch. But Del Toro, Phillipe, and such, are all so good. Collapse
  4. It does seem a bit sloppy at times, The Way of the Gun is an entertaining thrill ride not to mention a perfect screen couple of Benicio del Toro and Ryan Phillippe. Expand

See all 16 User Reviews