2 Days in the Valley

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2 Days in the Valley

R

1996

1h 47m

Crime

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

60%

Tomatometer

58 Reviews

54%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Dosmo Pizzo (Danny Aiello), an ordinary guy, finds himself involved in a murder-for-hire scheme. He is betrayed by his partner, the strangely serene Lee Woods (James Spader), who leaves him for dead. Suspecting that Woods will come back to finish him, Dosmo takes an obnoxious art dealer (Greg Cruttwell) and his sweet-natured assistant (Glenne Headly) hostage. Meanwhile, a rookie policeman (Eric Stoltz) investigating the murder begins to suspect that some kind of conspiracy is behind it.

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Critics Consensus

A labyrinthine thriller with a host of memorable characters, 2 Days in the Valley is an uneven but intriguing thriller/black comedy.

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Owen Gleiberman

Entertainment Weekly

Writer-director John Herzfeld blends violence and top-heavy absurdism, creating a self-conscious muddle of indie-style hackery.

Rated: D-

Sep 7, 2011

Full Review

Todd McCarthy

Variety

To the director's credit, the actors all seem responsive to his touch, giving performances that are lively and flavorsome, if not deep or unlike anything each of them has done before.

Apr 16, 2008

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Herzfeld has a tolerable eye for filling a 'Scope frame but a tin ear when it comes to creating dialogue; these are all characters we've met before, and most even seem bored with themselves.

Apr 16, 2008

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Mike Massie

Gone With The Twins

By the time the parties meet up for a chaotic showdown, amusement has all but disappeared, leaving the conclusion, no matter how resolute, mostly devoid of satisfaction.

Rated: 3/10

Jan 2, 2022

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Steve Persall

Tampa Bay Times

2 Days in the Valley is a neatly folded piece of cinematic quirk.

Rated: B+

Aug 7, 2021

Full Review

Chris Hewitt

St. Paul Pioneer Press

The characters come together in surprising ways - by the end of the movie, each actor has played a scene with virtually everyone else.

Aug 7, 2021

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Topher S

ChatGPT, make me a movie with these keywords: 90s era 50s throwback noir LA charlize theron

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/25

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Sherry M

Well developed characters! I love it , takes a lot for me to give 5 stars so adjust accordingly! One of my all time favs.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/08/24

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KB B

It was pretty good with a decent cast but for a comedy I didn't really laugh much. Watch if there's nothing else on.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/16/24

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Shaun K

It was really good. I love these types of movies where they introduce all these characters and then somehow bring them together in the end. This wasn't the smoothest attempt at this I've ever seen, but the acting was great and the plot was good enough that it pulled it off in the end.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/08/23

Full Review

victor o

With a title like this, I didn't know what to expect, but with such a splendid cast of actors and actresses I wanted to see this, that, and the gorgeous Charlize Theron in what I learned was her first major film role. It's a crime story on the same level as anything Elmore Leonard has done, maybe even Quentin Tarantino but with fewer laughs. A hitman and his partner split in the aftermath of a job that sees numerous parties involved in insurance fraud, sex, revenge, suicide, homicide, etc. Some are an eclectic group that is ordinary and strange, rich and poor, smart and dumb. But all this comes to a head with an odd set of conclusions. Not too bad but not that great, still I enjoyed watching the fresh-faced Charlize Theron in a leotard and that alone was well worth my time.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It’s the type of story I like but something was just missing 2.7

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

07/08/22

Full Review

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John Herzfeld

Director

Danny Aiello

Dosmo Pizzo

Glenne Headly

Susan Parish

Jeff Daniels

Alvin Strayer

James Spader

Lee Woods

Greg Cruttwell

Allan Hopper

2 Days in the Valley: Official Clip - Motel Cat Fight

2:10

2 Days in the Valley: Official Clip - We Are the Police

2:13

2 Days in the Valley: Official Clip - That Won't Fit You

1:59

2 Days in the Valley: Official Clip - This is Where You Get Out

2:13

2 Days in the Valley: Official Clip - I Don't Need a Nose Job?

2:13

2 Days in the Valley: Official Clip - A Painful Flat Tire

2:12

2 Days in the Valley: Official Clip - It's Crooked

2:12

2 Days in the Valley: Official Clip - Come Out From Behind That Tree

2:13

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Synopsis

Dosmo Pizzo (Danny Aiello), an ordinary guy, finds himself involved in a murder-for-hire scheme. He is betrayed by his partner, the strangely serene Lee Woods (James Spader), who leaves him for dead. Suspecting that Woods will come back to finish him, Dosmo takes an obnoxious art dealer (Greg Cruttwell) and his sweet-natured assistant (Glenne Headly) hostage. Meanwhile, a rookie policeman (Eric Stoltz) investigating the murder begins to suspect that some kind of conspiracy is behind it.

Director: John Herzfeld
Producer: Jeff Wald, Herb Nanas
Screenwriter: John Herzfeld
Production Co: Rysher Entertainment, Redemption Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 4, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.1M
Runtime: 1h 47m
Sound Mix: Surround

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