A Kind of Murder

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2:22

A Kind of Murder

R

Released Dec 16, 2016

1h 38m

Mystery & Thriller

Crime

Drama

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Popcornmeter

35%

Tomatometer

17 Reviews

18%

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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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

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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

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Andy Goddard

Director

Patrick Wilson

Walter Stackhouse

Haley Bennett

Ellie

Jessica Biel

Clara Stackhouse

Eddie Marsan

Kimmel

Vincent Kartheiser

Detective Lawrence Corby

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A Kind of Murder: Trailer 1

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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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