Staten Island

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Staten Island

R

2009

1h 36m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

25%

Tomatometer

8 Reviews

28%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

After learning that his girlfriend is expecting their first child, blue-collar Sully (Ethan Hawke) decides to rob local mob boss Parmie Tarzo (Vincent D'Onofrio). Tarzo, whose campaign to save Staten Island Forest serves as a front for his illegal activities, relies on Jasper (Seymour Cassel) to make his enemies disappear. But Jasper, a deaf-mute deli worker, is growing old and wants out of his dangerous job. Sully's plan sets off a chain of events that quickly gets out of hand.

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Elizabeth Weitzman

New York Daily News

DeMonaco deserves credit for wanting to do something different. But what starts out as a witty tweak on tired mobster movies eventually collapses into those very same clichs.

Rated: 2/4

Nov 20, 2009

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

The tonal idiosyncrasies may grate early on but things coalesce nicely until the whole thing starts to resemble a diverting short story.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 20, 2009

Full Review

Andy Webster

New York Times

If Staten Island, New York is an ode to what it calls "the forgotten stepchild of Manhattan," it is a barbed and quirky one.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 20, 2009

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Avi Offer

NYC Movie Guru

An invigorating, lively and captivating crime drama boasting a terrific cast, sharp dialogue and just the right amount of dark comic relief.

Rated: 7.75/10

Nov 22, 2009

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Audience Member

This movie is touching emotionally, dryly and seriously ironic (a thinking person's movie), satire-filled, has incongruous ploys by the characters, is strangely symbolic, and is darkly humourous (laugh out loud)! It's a combination of Tarantino, and the Coen Brothers . . .

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/09/25

Full Review

Patricia K

I can’t believe Vincent D’onofrio & Ethan Hawke Decided to do this movie.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/01/25

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Billy L

All participants in this film should quit and find another career

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

10/16/24

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Audience Member

The lives of a septic tank cleaner, an ambitious mob boss, and a deaf-mute deli worker converge in tragedy in this seriocomic crime drama from director/screenwriter James DeMonaco. Blue collar by birth, Sully Halverson (Ethan Hawke) has never amounted to much in life. When Sully finds out he's about to become a father, he schemes to rob Parmie Tarzo (Vincent D'Onifrio), a small-time kingpin who's looking for a way to leave his mark on the world. By saving Staten Island Forest, Parmie surmises, he can mold an upstanding public persona for himself while quietly eliminating the competition behind closed doors. That's where Jasper Sabiano (Seymour Cassel) comes in. Seymour may not be able to hear or speak, but he's a hard worker who knows where his bread is buttered. When he's not serving up bagels and coffee, Jasper is dispatching bodies for Tarzo -- frequently in Staten Island Forest. But lately Jasper has been growing tired of the game, and he's desperate to find a way out. When Sully sets his plan into motion, all three men find themselves thrust into a volatile situation that threatens to destroy their plans for the future as it quickly spirals out of control.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I loved the non-linear story, kudos to the first-time director to making it work. Unfortunately the movie suffers from bad acting (despite some star power) and cringe-worthy dialog, but the unconventional story makes it worthwhile.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Ethan Hawk. Do I need to say more.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

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James DeMonaco

Director

Ethan Hawke

Sully Halverson

Vincent D'Onofrio

Parmie

Seymour Cassel

Jasper

Julianne Nicholson

Maria

Dennis Albanese

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Synopsis

After learning that his girlfriend is expecting their first child, blue-collar Sully (Ethan Hawke) decides to rob local mob boss Parmie Tarzo (Vincent D'Onofrio). Tarzo, whose campaign to save Staten Island Forest serves as a front for his illegal activities, relies on Jasper (Seymour Cassel) to make his enemies disappear. But Jasper, a deaf-mute deli worker, is growing old and wants out of his dangerous job. Sully's plan sets off a chain of events that quickly gets out of hand.

Director: James DeMonaco
Producer: Luc Besson, Pascal Caucheteux, Pierre-Ange Le Pogam, Sebastien K. Lemercier, John Merchant
Screenwriter: James DeMonaco
Production Co: EuropaCorp, Why Not Productions, Open City Films
Rating: R (Violent Content|Language)
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 7, 2013
Runtime: 1h 36m

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