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A History of Violence

A History of Violence

Drama · Thriller · Crime · 2005

An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.

Movie details

A History of Violence

“Tom Stall had the perfect life...until he became a hero.”

2005 Drama · Thriller · Crime 1h 36m

Critical arithmetic

The consensus, allegedly.

IMDb

7.4 / 10

271.3K votes

Rotten Tomatoes

88 %

Tomatometer

Metacritic

82 / 100

Metascore

TMDB

7.2 / 10

Community rating

External scores via OMDb · CC BY-NC 4.0. Values normalized for display; availability varies by title.

An average family is thrust into the spotlight after the father commits a seemingly self-defense murder at his diner.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over A History of Violence?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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State of Grace

State of Grace

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Hell's Kitchen, New York. Terry Noonan returns home after a ten-year absence. He soon reconnects with Jackie, a childhood friend and member of the Irish mob, and rekindles his love affair with Jackie's sister Kathleen.

Blindfire

Blindfire

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A police officer who while responding to a violent hostage call, kills the African American suspect only to later learn of his innocence. Sensing this was a set-up, and facing repercussions, he must track down the person responsible while examining his own accountability and the ingrained racism which brought him to this point.

Small Engine Repair

Small Engine Repair

Crime · 2021

The seemingly casual reunion of three old friends at an out-of-the-way repair shop masks a hidden agenda fuelled by the arrival of a privileged young yuppie.

The Departed

The Departed

Drama · 2006

To take down South Boston's Irish Mafia, the police send in one of their own to infiltrate the underworld, not realizing the syndicate has done likewise. While an undercover cop curries favor with the mob kingpin, a career criminal rises through the police ranks. But both sides soon discover there's a mole among them.

The Salton Sea

The Salton Sea

Crime · 2002

After the murder of his beloved wife, a man in search of redemption is set adrift in a world where nothing is as it seems. On his journey, he befriends slacker Jimmy "The Finn", becomes involved in rescuing his neighbor Colette from her own demons, and gets entangled in a web of deceit full of unexpected twists and turns.

Harry Brown

Harry Brown

Thriller · 2009

An elderly ex-serviceman and widower looks to avenge his best friend's murder by doling out his own form of justice.

Kill the Irishman

Kill the Irishman

Action · 2011

Over the summer of 1976, thirty-six bombs detonate in the heart of Cleveland while a turf war raged between Irish mobster Danny Greene and the Italian mafia. Based on a true story, Kill the Irishman chronicles Greene's heroic rise from a tough Cleveland neighborhood to become an enforcer in the local mob.

State Property

State Property

Crime · 2002

A Philadelphia gang member becomes a drug kingpin and starts a feud with vicious rivals in his quest for the American Dream.

The Boondock Saints

The Boondock Saints

Action · 1999

Tired of the crime overrunning the streets of Boston, Irish Catholic twin brothers Conner and Murphy are inspired by their faith to cleanse their hometown of evil with their own brand of zealous vigilante justice. As they hunt down and kill one notorious gangster after another, they become controversial folk heroes in the community. But Paul Smecker, an eccentric FBI agent, is fast closing in on their blood-soaked trail.

Where it lives

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Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

David Cronenberg

Written by

Josh Olson

Viggo Mortensen

Viggo Mortensen

Tom Stall / Joey Cusack

Maria Bello

Maria Bello

Edie Stall

Ed Harris

Ed Harris

Carl Fogarty

William Hurt

William Hurt

Richie Cusack

Ashton Holmes

Ashton Holmes

Jack Stall

Peter MacNeill

Peter MacNeill

Sheriff Sam Carney

Stephen McHattie

Stephen McHattie

Leland

Court is in session

Put A History of Violence on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Big-Idea Head

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.