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A Kind of Murder

Play trailer 2:22 Poster for A Kind of Murder R Released Dec 16, 2016 1h 38m Mystery & Thriller Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
35% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 17% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
Walter Stackhouse is rich, successful and unhappily married to the beautiful but damaged Clara. His desire to be free of her feeds his obsession with Kimmel, a man suspected of brutally murdering his own wife. When Walter and Kimmel's lives become dangerously intertwined, a ruthless police detective becomes convinced he has found the murderer. But as the lines blur between innocence and intent, who, in fact, is the real killer?
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A Kind of Murder

Critics Reviews

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Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online [Director Andy Goddard] just doesn't develop a level of intrigue or tension that you'd expect from a narrative that is built on double identities, perceptions, classism, and homicide. Rated: D Mar 21, 2017 Full Review John DeFore The Hollywood Reporter A handsome period piece that plays more like a scant-clues mystery than like the psychological thriller it intends to be. Dec 15, 2016 Full Review Alissa Wilkinson Vox Good source material does not guarantee a good movie, and A Kind of Murder, a new Highsmith adaptation directed by Andy Goddard from a screenplay by Susan Boyd, is not a good movie. Rated: 2/5 Dec 15, 2016 Full Review Jason Adams The Film Experience There were moments of such monumental airlessness, as if a plastic sofa cover was wrapped over every scene Jul 2, 2021 Full Review Matt Pais MattPais.com Less cat-and-mouse than cat-and-mirror. The movie just sits there, proud to look pretty, not really doing anything. Rated: C- Jun 10, 2020 Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens Where A Kind of Murder excels is with one of the key themes found in Patricia Highsmith's novel - ambiguity - the success of which comes primarily thanks to Patrick Wilson in his performance as Walter Stackhouse. Rated: 3/5 Oct 30, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Stephen C Success in 1 hour and 38 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $2,000.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/31/25 Full Review Alain E Visually, this movie is very successful with deep saturated colors and also has a nice music accompaniment. The story based on a Highsmith book depends on psychological study. Jessica Biel’s character in the movie is underdeveloped. She is a wife, who for unexplained reasons withdraws from sex and then mysteriously dies providing the police detective with another potential murder to solve. The story evolves with the three male main characters. The confused husband, whose easily revealed lies make him a suspect, the creepy bookseller who became again a bachelor in an unlawful way and the persistent policeman. The end, filmed in low light, is quite confusing but overall the movie is entertaining. Stylistically the milieu is 1950s which is also when the book was published and not 60s as misidentified by some reviewers (just notice all the men with hats, if you are not familiar with Detroit car models). Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/20/25 Full Review Joe W Story is a little to weird, incomprehensible, to be good. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/20/25 Full Review Horror fan 4 A slow build up to what leads to a lazy ending. Tim Treakle Rated 3 out of 5 stars 04/26/25 Full Review Green C This is a beautiful film. I don't understand the hate. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/19/24 Full Review Rob A This one's a miss. Lame title; a script with plenty of holes in it and a confused, anticlimactic ending. Patrick Wilson's schtick has also worn thin. (Haley Bennett was a bright spot.) Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 06/01/24 Full Review Read all reviews
A Kind of Murder

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Movie Info

Synopsis Walter Stackhouse is rich, successful and unhappily married to the beautiful but damaged Clara. His desire to be free of her feeds his obsession with Kimmel, a man suspected of brutally murdering his own wife. When Walter and Kimmel's lives become dangerously intertwined, a ruthless police detective becomes convinced he has found the murderer. But as the lines blur between innocence and intent, who, in fact, is the real killer?
Director
Andy Goddard
Producer
Susan Boyd, Ted Hope, Kelly McCormick, Christine Vachon
Screenwriter
Susan Boyd
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Production Co
Blue PM, Killer Films
Rating
R (Some Violence|Language)
Genre
Mystery & Thriller, Crime, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 16, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 21, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$2.0K
Runtime
1h 38m
Sound Mix
SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS
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