The Killers

1964

1 hr. 35 min.

Crime

Drama

List

80%

25 Reviews

Tomatometer

71%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

A hit man (Lee Marvin) and his partner (Clu Gulager) try to find out why their latest victim, a former race-car driver (John Cassavetes), did not try to get away.

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Critics Consensus

Though it can't best Robert Siodmak's classic 1946 version, Don Siegel's take on the Ernest Hemingway story stakes out its own violent territory, and offers a terrifically tough turn from Lee Marvin.

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Alec B

More brutal than the first adaptation from the 40s which leads to some interesting new perspectives on the source material. Also Reagan ended his movie career as a villain here, make of that what you will.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/21/24

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keith w

Another typical tightly directed and written low budget Don Siegel film. Originally a TV movie it was deemed too violent for broadcast and released theatrically instead, though there is only one murder until the last few minutes. It's a film noir filmed in bright harsh light and it changes the point of view of the Lancaster/Gardner 1946 film by telling it from the point of view of the two hitmen - and I think this works brilliantly. The film really crackles when Marvin and Culager are on screen - less so with the unconvincing car driving shots. With Angie Dickinson as the most fatal of femmes fatales, wooden Ronald Reagan is out of his depth in this acting talent. Fortunately his part is less important than the other leads. Marvin and Gulager are violent in their pursuit of the money - and that includes with Dickinson. There's no gender bias with these two. But Marvin is also seeking understanding. The brilliance of the film is that as the clever plot unfolds you end up rooting for the hired killers and Marvin has a great closing line. Apparently John Cassavetes was seething with resentment being directed by another director.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

More brutal than the first adaptation from the 40s which leads to some interesting new perspectives on the source material. Also Reagan ended his movie career as a villain here, make of that what you will.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

matthew d

A visceral blast of action and intrigue. Don Siegel's crime drama mystery The Killers (1964) subverts your expectations from Robert Siodmak's 1946 film noir original adaptation of Ernest Hemingway's short story with a cunning twist. Siegel tells the story from the perspective of the two hired assassins learning about who the man they killed was and why he didn't try to flee death once they came for him. It's an interesting shift that lets you contemplate fate and fatalism while you watch Lee Marvin shoot people with a massive silencer pistol. Siegel's direction is moody and playful as he's well aware the audience has likely seen the original, and so he keeps it fresh by switching things around. The killers are now investigating the murder out of morbid curiosity and for their own greed, other character witnesses are more regretful, and the boxing gig is now a fast paced car race job. All the killing aside, The Killers is super entertaining with a dark sense of humor over having two professional hitmen make threats for Hemingway's compelling story. Lee Marvin steals the show as the older, sly killer Charlie Strom with his hypnotically deep, gravelly voice and fearsome in your face threats. His acting performance in The Killers rivals his Liberty Valance or Point Blank performance for lethality and menace. Clu Gulager is funny as the charming and vicious young contract killer Lee alongside Lee Marvin's ruthless Charlie. They have amiable chemistry as like minded murderers. John Williams' eerie score blasts you like Lee Marvin's fearless bullets. Angie Dickinson is excellent as the femme fatale Sheila Farr with her hurt eyes full of longing and self preservation. She plays the role even colder than Ava Gardner's original Kittie. She looks gorgeous in Helen Colvig's classy mod costumes. Bud Westmore's make-up look both raw for the men and stunning on Angie Dickinson. John Cassavetes is passionate and proud as The Swede instead of Burt Lancaster's dour leading man. Cassavetes is natural and sympathetic as the foolish Johnny North. Claude Akins is moving as Cassavetes' old friend Earl Sylvester. Norman Fell is strange and fun as Mickey Farmer. Notably, Ronald Reagan gives his greatest dramatic performance in The Killers as criminal mastermind and sinister heavy Jack Browning. I found it cute to have Virginia Christine cameo as Miss Watson as she played Lilly in the original film. Richard Belding's editing is swift with quick cuts from car chases to gunfire or distant memories. Belding's job as editor keeps you guessing for a briskly paced 93 minutes of carnage and lovelessness. Richard L. Rawlings' cinematography is fascinating with odd angles and low perspectives that ground this story in a suspenseful wonder. You never know when a gun will fire off killing yet another victim.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Pulp Fiction fans will love this ancestor to Tarentino's hitman classic. Lee Marvin and Clu Gulager are terrifically tough as sinister slayers. Angie Dickinson is WOW and Ronald Reagan as the brains behind the crime is MAN-O-MAN. The direction by Don Siegel is fascinating. Originally slated to be a TV movie Of The Week (changed because of the film's violence) Siegel shot the film with TV-type lighting and extreme close-ups. It all works for me! POST SCRIPT: I'd love to see more filmmakers take the original Hemmingway premise - two hit men kill their target who submits without resistance, why? - and add their own second and third acts, like Siegel did here.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

Tom M

A remake as good as the original. Marvin's (almost) sympathy for Cassavetes makes the film very personal to him. Dickinson's femme fatale rates in the top ten all time.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/26/21

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Don Siegel

Director

Lee Marvin

Charlie Strom

Angie Dickinson

Sheila Farr

John Cassavetes

Johnny North

Ronald Reagan

Jack Browning

Clu Gulager

Lee

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Richard Brody

New Yorker

Siegel's terse, seething, and stylish direction glows with the blank radiance of sheet metal in sunlight; the movie's bright primary colors and glossy luxuries are imbued with menace, and its luminous delights convey a terrifyingly cold world view.

Aug 28, 2017

Full Review

TIME Magazine

Perhaps the sole justification for turning a fine old movie into a just passable new one can be summed up as Angie Dickinson.

May 23, 2011

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Variety Staff

Variety

Ronald Reagan fails to crash convincingly through his goodguy image in his portrayal of a ruthless crook.

Mar 26, 2009

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a mostly satisfying adaptation that fares better than one might've initially anticipated.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 9, 2021

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A.S. Hamrah

n+1

Marvin is the un-McQueen. Not handsome, unconcerned with the audience and therefore compelling, he is distant and takes things personally. He's too smart to be monumental like other movie stars, but when he falls it's like a world got killed.

Nov 29, 2018

Full Review

Eric Melin

Scene-Stealers.com

This low-budget neo-noir is really a different kind of riff on the Hemingway story's themes and the genre. It also serves as a bit of foreshadowing for Seigel's violent 1971 hit Dirty Harry.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 7, 2015

Full Review

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Synopsis

A hit man (Lee Marvin) and his partner (Clu Gulager) try to find out why their latest victim, a former race-car driver (John Cassavetes), did not try to get away.

Director: Don Siegel
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (DVD): Feb 18, 2003