Kill the Messenger

Name: Kill the Messenger
Genre: Biography, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Released: October 10, 2014
Duration: 112 min
Rating: 60

2014

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 93 Ratings

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7.1	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 93 Ratings

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Kill The Messenger

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Movie Details & Credits

Focus Features | Release Date: October 10, 2014 | R

Summary: Journalist Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner) stumbles onto a story which leads to the shady origins of the men who started the crack epidemic on the nation’s streets and further alleges that the CIA was aware of major dealers who were smuggling cocaine into the U.S., and using the profits to arm rebels fighting in Nicaragua. Despite warnings fromJournalist Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner) stumbles onto a story which leads to the shady origins of the men who started the crack epidemic on the nation’s streets and further alleges that the CIA was aware of major dealers who were smuggling cocaine into the U.S., and using the profits to arm rebels fighting in Nicaragua. Despite warnings from drug kingpins and CIA operatives to stop his investigation, Webb keeps digging to uncover a conspiracy with explosive implications. His journey takes him from the prisons of California to the villages of Nicaragua to the highest corridors of power in Washington, D.C. – and draws the kind of attention that threatens not just his career, but his family and his life.… Expand

Director: Michael Cuesta

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 112 min

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Critic Reviews

Andrew Barker

Sep 26, 2014

The film taps into far deeper, richer veins of material than it has the time to properly mine. It’s nonetheless a flinty, brainy, continually engrossing work that straddles the lines between biopic, political thriller and journalistic cautionary tale, driven by Jeremy Renner’s most complete performance since The Hurt Locker. Read full review

McClatchy-Tribune News Service Roger Moore

Oct 7, 2014

Renner’s performance — beginning with bluster and descending into twitchy paranoia — sells it and makes us fret for every “messenger” suddenly the target of the spotlight himself. Read full review

Richard Roeper

Oct 9, 2014

Jeremy Renner doesn’t put much movie-star mustard on his performance as a newspaper reporter in Kill the Messenger, and that’s one of the reasons the work is so strong. Read full review

Tom Russo

Oct 9, 2014

It’s an engrossing portrait not only of government intrigue and crusading after the truth, but of media and their tangled motivations. Engrossing enough, in fact, that Cuesta needn’t try as hard as he occasionally does to heighten the drama and give it added flash. Read full review

John Anderson

Oct 9, 2014

If the screenplay to Kill the Messenger were a news story, any capable copydesk would have kicked it back to the reporter — not for a shortage of facts, but a lack of dramatic soul. Read full review

The Guardian Jordan Hoffman

Sep 26, 2014

It’s a great story that lends itself to some striking scenes. Yet the film in total – if I may paraphrase Webb’s critics – has a number of holes. Read full review

Kyle Smith

Oct 8, 2014

Kill the Messenger tries to be the “JFK” of crack, but offers only shrill self-righteousness to answer the crazed energy of Oliver Stone’s masterpiece of deceit. Read full review

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User Reviews

hrhkenneth

Nov 5, 2014

if you like a real life, documentary type of movie that entertains you...Kill The Messenger is for you. based on true life facts of how the government looked away, and in a covert way, condoned the flow of crack and other drugs into our inner cities at the expense of a generation of kids,if you like a real life, documentary type of movie that entertains you...Kill The Messenger is for you. based on true life facts of how the government looked away, and in a covert way, condoned the flow of crack and other drugs into our inner cities at the expense of a generation of kids, and ruined lives filled with heartache, only to fund the contras... this was a movie you that will have you come away, further enlightened, and somewhat in awe the way the government and media work. Directed by Michael Cuesta, Kill The Messenger will provide a great evening out... Not to be missed ! Well done.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

LizLemon44

Oct 10, 2014

A very good movie elevated into something great thanks to a phenomenal performance from Jeremy Renner. It is painfully realistic, incredibly important. Highly recommended.

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

raybies

Jan 14, 2015

Excellent movie about a subject every American and for that matter ally of the USA should know. Acting was good and I found the movie engaging throughout its length.
If you like political thrillers you'll like this movie.
Just as an FYI poor Gary Webb ended up dead with 2 gunshot in aExcellent movie about a subject every American and for that matter ally of the USA should know. Acting was good and I found the movie engaging throughout its length.
If you like political thrillers you'll like this movie.
Just as an FYI poor Gary Webb ended up dead with 2 gunshot in a "suicide". Wikipedia it.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

quincytheodore

Mar 4, 2015

Kill The Messenger is a harrowing biography of a journalist who goes dangerously far to uncover secrets. It brings emotional struggles as Jeremy Renner aptly portrays the protagonist. However, for the near two hours playtime, the pace occasionally stutters and even though it has someKill The Messenger is a harrowing biography of a journalist who goes dangerously far to uncover secrets. It brings emotional struggles as Jeremy Renner aptly portrays the protagonist. However, for the near two hours playtime, the pace occasionally stutters and even though it has some particularly exceptional sequences, the film might lose momentum before reaching those moments.

A story of far reaching consequence lands on Gary Webb (Jeremy Renner), as a man with integrity he decides to follow this lead. It takes him to many different places and people, ultimately he begins to realize a connection between drug epidemic and CIA. After he publishes the story, he must face rifts on his career as well as personal life.

This is a very touchy subject, thankfully for the film Jeremy Renner plays the part admirably. He proves that he can deliver solid performance without guns or arrows. Much of the movie relies on his acting, Renner captures the intense trial his character must go through. From his doubt to keep his conviction, the external threat and also problems within his family.

There are a few kinks in the screenplay. For a movie that needs to keep the tension going, the scenes are sometimes fragmented. It switches a bit too quickly when a scene just gains momentum, or there's not enough continuity to keep its excitement in consistent flow. That being said, there's also a few great moments, especially towards the latter half, but they feel detached.

While problem in pacing persists, the sensitive material and good delivery by Jeremy Renner will keep the audience invested on trial and tribulation of the character.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

geewah

Jan 24, 2021

An interesting story here but the way in which it is told a lot of the dramatic and emotional pull in should have on it's viewers is lost.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Sep 6, 2017

A regular job which fulfills but in the most basic points, the story is entertaining, somewhat tragic towards its end but it is an interesting option especially for its subject, the most outstanding thing in this film is the interpretation of its protagonist Jeremy Renner who proves onceA regular job which fulfills but in the most basic points, the story is entertaining, somewhat tragic towards its end but it is an interesting option especially for its subject, the most outstanding thing in this film is the interpretation of its protagonist Jeremy Renner who proves once more that he can act, although most of his work centers him as an action hero.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

kinoralph

Jan 23, 2015

The plot is already dense enough. why stretch the beginning of the story about irrelevant elements. The result is an unbalanced film. When arriving at the important parts the public is already disinterested.

1 of 5 users found this helpful14

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