Capote

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2:06

Capote

R

Released Sep 30, 2005

1h 55m

Biography

History

Drama

Crime

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

89%

Tomatometer

195 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

100,000+ Ratings

Reading of the murder of a Kansas family, New York City novelist Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman) decides to cover the story himself, and travels to the small town with his childhood friend, aspiring novelist Harper Lee (Catherine Keener). When Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.) and Dick Hickock (Mark Pellegrino) are arrested and charged, Capote forms an emotional bond with Smith during his jailhouse interviews despite the young criminal's apparent guilt.

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Critics Consensus

Philip Seymour Hoffman's riveting central performance guides a well-constructed retelling of the most sensational and significant period in author Truman Capote's life.

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Tim Robey

Sight & Sound

As Capote, Philip Seymour Hoffman is in complete control of his effects... No other actor has the ability to laugh at his own jokes and be so appallingly funny.

Aug 1, 2018

Full Review

Zadie Smith

Daily Telegraph (UK)

It's the acting that sings, especially when Hoffman duets with luminous Catherine Keener, the lady with the loveliest laugh in film. Hoffman's writer is a self-serving egoist; Keener's a restrained, wise soul.

Jan 16, 2018

Full Review

Victoria Segal

New Statesman

Unfortunately, by the end of it, Capote isn't the only one who wants to turn to drink.

Sep 26, 2017

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Anyone checking out this drama expecting an exhaustive expose on the literary lion and social raconteur might be surprised to learn that the film focuses exclusively on the period when he researched and wrote his nonfiction masterpiece In Cold Blood.

Rated: 3/4

Aug 26, 2025

Full Review

Fico Cangiano

CineXpress Podcast

Hoffman's Oscar-winning performance is the main reason to watch this biographical drama. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 4/5

Mar 28, 2025

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

Hoffman goes beyond mimic to inhabit the contradictory soul under the fey, mannered skin of the social creature who is most at home holding court in New York cocktail parties.

Dec 17, 2022

Full Review

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Monty J

In Capote, Bennett Miller composes a cool, restrained ballad about obsession and creation. Philip Seymour Hoffman, in a performance as precise as a muted trumpet, embodies Truman Capote at the moment he discovers the story that will define him. Drawn to Kansas by a brutal murder, Capote begins researching what becomes In Cold Blood, aided by lifelong confidante Nelle Harper Lee (Catherine Keener). What starts as reportage deepens into a fraught duet with condemned killer Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.), their exchanges echoing with unresolved chords of empathy, manipulation, and need. Miller keeps the tempo measured, each scene a carefully placed note, refusing flourish in favor of lingering resonance. The film charts not only the birth of a landmark book but the unraveling of its author, who sacrifices innocence for art. Like the darkest blues, Capote leaves us with a melody that haunts long after the final cadence fades.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/22/25

Full Review

Matheus F

Philip Seymour Hoffman is irreplaceable. The best performance of his career.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

08/26/25

Full Review

Patrick G.

8.9/10 Good movie this mf is an insane actor fr

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

Full Review

Stephen C

Based on a true story in 1 hour and 55 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Violent Images and Brief Strong Language!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $28,700,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Happy 20th anniversary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

Full Review

Grant H

A story and less acting job for the ages, Capote is as tragic as it is forward. The systematic view of a deed gone wrong, incarceration, selfishness, and the everlasting effect all of it has on those involved. Hoffman is at the peak of his abilities, as was Truman during the controversial writing of this non-fiction novel.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/21/25

Full Review

Juan Felipe G

Definitivamente es mejor que Infamous. Se apega más a lo escrito en el libro. Está mejor dirigida, y la actuación de los actores principales es mucho mejor.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/20/25

Full Review

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Bennett Miller

Director

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Truman Capote

Catherine Keener

Nelle Harper Lee

Clifton Collins Jr.

Perry Smith

Chris Cooper

Alvin Dewey

Bruce Greenwood

Greenwood

Capote: Official Clip - This is My Work

1:51

Capote: Official Clip - I Want to Take Your Notebooks

1:59

Capote: Official Clip - Charming the Deweys

2:10

Capote: Official Clip - Paying for Compliments

1:39

Capote: Official Clip - Did You Fall in Love With Him?

1:55

Capote: Official Clip - The Way I Am

1:53

Capote: Official Clip - Remembering the Murder

1:58

Capote: Official Clip - What's the Name of Your Book?

2:06

Capote: Official Clip - They're Torturing Me

2:06

Capote: Official Clip - I Did Everything I Could

2:08

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Capote: Trailer 1

2:06

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Synopsis

Reading of the murder of a Kansas family, New York City novelist Truman Capote (Philip Seymour Hoffman) decides to cover the story himself, and travels to the small town with his childhood friend, aspiring novelist Harper Lee (Catherine Keener). When Perry Smith (Clifton Collins Jr.) and Dick Hickock (Mark Pellegrino) are arrested and charged, Capote forms an emotional bond with Smith during his jailhouse interviews despite the young criminal's apparent guilt.

Director: Bennett Miller
Producer: Caroline Baron, William Vince, Michael Ohoven
Screenwriter: Dan Futterman
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: United Artists
Rating: R (Violent Images|Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Biography, History, Drama, Crime
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 30, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $28.7M
Runtime: 1h 55m

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