In Cold Blood

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In Cold Blood

R

Released Dec 14, 1967

2h 14m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

75%

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44 Reviews

88%

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5,000+ Ratings

In this adaptation of Truman Capote's seminal true-crime novel, ex-convicts Perry Smith (Robert Blake) and Richard Dick Hickock (Scott Wilson) hatch a plan to rob a wealthy Kansas family, the Clutters. The men enter the Clutter home expecting to find a safe filled with cash, but in fact find no money at all. Enraged, they kill the entire family and flee. While on the run, they face not only the realities of their terrible crime but also their own earthly impermanence.

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Critics Consensus

In Cold Blood is a classic docudrama with a fictional thriller's grip -- and a pair of terrific lead performances from Robert Blake and Scott Wilson.

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John Russell Taylor

The Times (UK)

The book was cool, long and absorbing; the film is overheated, not so long as films go these days, and decidedly dull.

May 1, 2024

Full Review

Geoffrey Macnab

Independent (UK)

It's both a "true crime" movie and a poetic account of two young men who, by committing an act of unspeakable brutality, unleash the furies against themselves.

Rated: 5/5

Sep 11, 2015

Full Review

Sophie Monks Kaufman

Little White Lies

Blake and Wilson give wonderfully natural performances: eerie in their casual attitude to murder but endearing in their open natures. In Cold Blood doesn't judge them but doesn't excuse them.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 11, 2015

Full Review

Penelope Mortimer

Observer (UK)

I consider this piece of glamourised violence to be one of the most appalling degradations of human ingenuity I have seen either in or out of the cinema.

May 1, 2024

Full Review

Madeleine Harmsworth

Sunday Mirror (UK)

I fear director Brooks has tried too hard for authentic effect. His film is too low-key. Too black to look at, with no relieving sharpness.

May 1, 2024

Full Review

Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Brooks, with a close look at documentary and the common elements of police drama, processes the meticulous reconstruction of a homicide. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 7/10

Nov 28, 2023

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revolver.0 8

Outstanding cinematography

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/22/25

Full Review

Alec B

If the filmmakers kept the focus on Blake and Wilson (both perfectly cast), instead of forcing a number of unnecessary supporting players into the narrative, this might have been a masterpiece, As it stands, the movie has stretches of utter genius that are brought to a grinding halt whenever the cops and reporters start blabbering to one another.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/14/23

Full Review

Leaburn O

It's unclear if the title relates to the murders or the capital punishment charges hen meted out. Nowhere near as good as the book and that's why it's hard to rate higher. Not bad though. Bought this one on DVD a long time back but wanted to make sure I read the book before watching and pleased that I did so.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/11/23

Full Review

Shioka O

I don't know about the original novel. The style, cinematography is impressive and I think ahead for the time.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

09/18/22

Full Review

Audience Member

When they talk about perfectly edited movies, this should be one of the prime examples of editing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

dave s

Based on Truman Capote's book, In Cold Blood tells the story of Perry Smith (Robert Blake) and Dick Hickock (Scott Wilson), two career criminals who murder a Kansas family while committing a horribly botched home robbery. Despite a distracting and cloying jazz score that mars the first half of the film, In Cold Blood is a powerful indictment of America's barbaric crime and punishment issue. The movie features strong performances from Wilson and Blake, both of whom give their heinous characters a sense of humanity. Bolstered by stark black and white cinematography, In Cold Blood will no doubt spark debate regarding both the root cause of crime and the perceived value of capital punishment.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Richard Brooks

Director

Robert Blake

Perry Smith

Scott Wilson

Dick Hickock

John Forsythe

Alvin Dewey

Paul Stewart

Jenson

Gerald S. O'Loughlin

Harold Nye

In Cold Blood: Official Clip - Plotting the Score

1:40

In Cold Blood: Official Clip - Buried Treasure

2:12

In Cold Blood: Official Clip - The Valley of the Shadow of Death

2:12

In Cold Blood: Official Clip - Hopeless Dreams

2:02

In Cold Blood: Official Clip - Silver Dollar

2:06

In Cold Blood: Official Clip - The Last Living Thing You're Ever Gonna See

2:03

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In Cold Blood: Official Clip - The Prosecutor's Statement

2:10

In Cold Blood: Official Clip - A Sharp Con

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Synopsis

In this adaptation of Truman Capote's seminal true-crime novel, ex-convicts Perry Smith (Robert Blake) and Richard Dick Hickock (Scott Wilson) hatch a plan to rob a wealthy Kansas family, the Clutters. The men enter the Clutter home expecting to find a safe filled with cash, but in fact find no money at all. Enraged, they kill the entire family and flee. While on the run, they face not only the realities of their terrible crime but also their own earthly impermanence.

Director: Richard Brooks
Producer: Richard Brooks
Screenwriter: Richard Brooks, Truman Capote
Distributor: Columbia TriStar Home Video, Columbia Home Video, Columbia Pictures
Production Co: Columbia Pictures Corporation
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 1967, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 1, 2009
Runtime: 2h 14m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: 35mm, Scope (2.35:1)

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