Taking Lives

Name: Taking Lives
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Released: March 19, 2004
Duration: 103 min
Rating: 38
Cast: Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland

2004

METASCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally unfavorable reviews based on 149 Ratings

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2.4

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2.4	User Score Generally unfavorable reviews based on 149 Ratings

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Taking Lives

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Movie Details & Credits

Warner Bros. Pictures | Release Date: March 19, 2004 | Unrated

Starring: Angelina Jolie, Ethan Hawke, Kiefer Sutherland

Summary: FBI profiler Special Agent Illeana Scott (Jolie) suddenly finds herself on a twisted and terrifying journey, surrounded by suspects in a case that has become chillingly personal. (Warner Bros.)

Director: D.J. Caruso

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller

Rating: Unrated

Runtime: 103 min

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Critic Reviews

Todd McCarthy

A somber, absorbing thriller that treads familiar psycho serial killer terrain with style. Elegantly made and comparatively restrained in cramming sick and grisly stuff down the audience's throat. Read full review

Megan Lehmann

Smarter than your average serial-killer movie, thanks to unusually fleshed-out characters inhabited by a high- pedigree cast. Read full review

William Arnold

By the time we get to the unsurprising surprise ending, what seemed innovative and challenging in Taking Lives has lost its juice and reverted to formula form, and we leave the theater with that same old let-down feeling of having endured a ritual one more time. Read full review

Empire Jo Berry

It's not hard to figure it out, but Caruso manages to throw in some tense moments that almost -- but sadly not quite -- make up for the film's daft ending. Read full review

Keith Phipps

Sadly, Taking Lives, adapted from a novel by Michael Pye, proves to be one long wallow in elements that have long since had their effectiveness dulled flat. Read full review

Michael O'Sullivan

Nosedive it does, abandoning all pretense of style and eccentricity for at-times laughable predictability and a parade of unconvincing red herrings straight out of Murder Mystery 101. Read full review

Shawn Levy

Pretty much the worst recent example of a genre. Read full review

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User Reviews

Dan

Dec 31, 2008

Definitely underrated. I thought the characters were amazing. The back and forth between Hawke and Jolie was very well done. I thought Jolie's character was well developed for this type of film. Her quirks and oddities are intriguing at the very least. She is not portrayed as a weak Definitely underrated. I thought the characters were amazing. The back and forth between Hawke and Jolie was very well done. I thought Jolie's character was well developed for this type of film. Her quirks and oddities are intriguing at the very least. She is not portrayed as a weak willed woman who can't defend herself. But on the other hand she isn't some unrealistic beauty who can handle everything herself in a really tight dress and finish the scene with a witty line. Bottom line: Jolie plays her character with flaws, oddities, and REALISM! It works! Sutherland's important, yet brief, role helped tie the two parts of the story very well. I thought the plot was well thought out.... It made sense, and was not corny. Not going to talk much about it because I do not want to spoil anything. And the filmwork was probably the best I've seen recently. The focus on the eyes was really interesting because it highlighted everything. It allowed the audience to get in the head of the characters, particularly Jolie. The angles were interesting and beautiful. It gave off the feal of a dark, brooding noir, yet having some extra character. The colors were brought out in interesting ways, particularly in driving sequences, like when Hawke is being escorted back to his apartment by Jolie. Overall an impressive film.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

SolInvicta

May 24, 2015

Aside from a horrifically miscast Ethan Hawke, Taking Lives provides more than a modicum of thrills and twists held together by a convincing lead performance by Jolie.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Meth-dude

Aug 10, 2018

While not being particularly original, Taking Lives is still a fun thriller. Even though the twists were predictable and most of the characters were pretty clichés, it's still a fairly entertaining movie. The acting is good, the cinematography is gorgeous and some scenes were actually quiteWhile not being particularly original, Taking Lives is still a fun thriller. Even though the twists were predictable and most of the characters were pretty clichés, it's still a fairly entertaining movie. The acting is good, the cinematography is gorgeous and some scenes were actually quite intense. It's not a great movie by any stretch, but it's not nearly as bad as what most people make it out to be.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DawdlingPoet

Nov 28, 2021

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This movie features quite a bit of violence and is a fair bit gruesome in parts, with decomposed bodies being shown and some scenes involving cameras panning through the crime scenes, showing eery dilapidated rooms that hide sinister secrets, so its quite creepy as well, think along the lines of movies such as Fallen with Denzel Washington, only without the supernatural element. The movie starts off with the killer as a teenager having ran away from home, hitching a lift with another boy his age who of course is unaware of his sinister intents at first, though he starts to open up about his personal life and its not long before the The story, to me, while intriguing was ultimately a bit disappointing, in that by the time everything is clear, I felt that it wasn't as original as I'd hoped. Having thought about it, I've seen similar movies with similar plots that didn't even get a theatrical/cinema release but as this movie stars some a and b list names (Angeline Jolie and Ethan Hawke for example) it was an exception. There are some good special effects and its pretty effective at, well, creeping you out in parts but something about it put me off - perhaps its that I'm becoming less keen on Jolie the more I see her in movies, there's just something so fake (um her face? ahem I didn't say that :)) about her, her characters tend to be very arrogant its almost as if her as an actress just breezes through her roles, which I really don't like... plus during the scenes that built up towards the last plot twist, by the time it all becomes clear, your left thinking is that it? at least I was anyway. I found it a little hard to believe that this serial killer who had been 'on the prowl' committing many prolific murders over many years, would be conned by what happened - I shant say any more to give the plot away but suffice to say that by the time the movie ended, I wasn't convinced it was a particularly good movie, from the plot point of view. There was one character which I felt was more memorable, that being Mrs. Asher, the mother who contacts the Canadian authorities adamant that she'd just made eye contact with her previously-thought-to-be-dead-son - her explanation of what happened, why she was sure it was him, was a bit chilling. It was a bit sad to see how she was treated at one point by the authorities, even if she was wrong about her hunch...

One thing that was a bit of a let down I suppose was the fact that I thought Kiefer Sutherland was one of the main characters, given that his name is one of the three or four listed on the DVD cover but he only has probably under five minutes worth of time on screen, which was a shame as I've enjoyed some of the movies he's appeared in, which is why I thought this may be worth a watch.

I felt that this movie is ok in terms of there being some decent car chases and action scenes and it is rather chilling in parts but personally, it didn't reall 'grab me' like I'd hoped it might. Perhaps I'm a bit biased as I've learnt im really not much keen on Mrs./Ms(?) Jolie but I think ultimately the story was perhaps a bit under par and thats what really let it down - don't get me wrong, its watchable, its just not a movie I feel I'm going to want to watch again, its not likely to stay in my mind for long.

Personally, I thought this was an 'ok' movie that relied on the visuals and the cast to 'make it', with a story that started out with a fair bit of potential but ultimately, I felt that it was a bit of a let down. There must be countless movies about the authorities/specialists chasing after serial killers, this one I don't feel is one of the best, personally.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

cameronmorewood

Nov 12, 2012

It's punctuated by a beautiful, passionate sex scene that's both wild and graceful. The thing is, it's supposed to be a thriller, and it lacks both plot and characters of any interest.

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

NickA.

Nov 7, 2007

D.J. Caruso

0 of 0 users found this helpful

mmaa_han

Feb 24, 2021

****
Cinema Is Fuxked up
Just **** Money Bazigaraye khoob mese ethan hawke
ro miaran vq kharabeshoon mikonan

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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