In a Valley of Violence

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In a Valley of Violence

R

Released Oct 21, 2016

1h 44m

Western

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Popcornmeter

78%

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73 Reviews

51%

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2,500+ Ratings

A mysterious drifter (Ethan Hawke) and his dog journey toward Mexico through the barren desert of the Old West. Hoping to shorten their trip, they cut through a large valley, landing in the forgotten town of Denton -- a place now known as a valley of violence. The once-popular mining town is nearly abandoned and controlled by a group of misfits and nitwits, including the seemingly untouchable Gilly (James Ransone), the troublemaking son of the town's difficult marshal.

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Critics Consensus

In a Valley of Violence offers a smartly conceived homage to classic Westerns that transcends pastiche with absurdist humor and a terrific cast.

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Stephanie Zacharek

TIME Magazine

West, making his first foray into westerns, doesn't control the tone. Its somber, bone-dry gruffness crumbles to dust, only to be replaced by adolescent jokiness.

Oct 27, 2016

Full Review

Joe McGovern

Entertainment Weekly

Announces itself as an unabashed B-movie from its pre-credits scene ... and never worries itself about being anything deeper than that.

Rated: B

Oct 24, 2016

Full Review

Sheila O'Malley

RogerEbert.com

In a Valley of Violence does not take itself too seriously (a great asset), but it also takes itself just seriously enough that it's not empty snarky parody.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 21, 2016

Full Review

Don Shanahan

Every Movie Has a Lesson

All you need is the right catalyst of motivated vengeance and a good filmmaker guides the tumbleweeds, spurs, bullets, and trigger-happy tempers to take it from there.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 4, 2023

Full Review

Patrick Cavanaugh

The Wolfman Cometh

Thanks to its cast, In a Valley of Violence gives audiences an entertaining revenge thriller set in the Old West, which showcases Ti West's restraint and subtlety.

Rated: 3/5

May 12, 2023

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

West and company (wisely) never take their movie too seriously. Even when it’s moving by the numbers, it remains quirky enough to feel slightly off-center.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 22, 2022

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Mark C

How did this get made? D Grade Cowboy John Wick with absurd acting and plot. Ethan Hawke and John Travolta must be broke. It truly is terrible

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/11/24

Full Review

Nathaniel S

I rented it for $4 on Prime Video. It was worth the $4. Was it a great movie? Hell no, but it was worth the $4. I love Ethan Hawke. He was fabulous in “Training Day” and I just saw him in “Adopt A Highway” which I bought because I really liked the movie. There is absolutely nothing in this movie that is unique or hasn’t been done before. I wasn’t ever really bored or anything, it’s just that I knew what was going to happen before it ever happened. I’m also a sap for any movie with a dog as a friend in it. See “Fallout”, “John Wick”, and especially Don Johnson in “A Boy And His Dog”. The movie felt like it was written by someone in high school from another country, who saw a few Westerns, and thought they could write a great story. “Unforgiven” and “High Plains Drifter” it ain’t. The dialogue was really amateurish and unbelievable, as was the story. I really liked the musical theme in the beginning and ending. The movie was kinda like an In And Out burger. Good deal for the price but not as good as an expensive 5 Guys burger.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

08/27/24

Full Review

Shane K

Is the plot good, no. Is the acting good, absolutely not. Is the cinematography good, not really. Is the musical score good, standard for a low quality western. I liked Ethan Hawke in The Purge and he's ok in this, Travolta is ok to but that can't help this terrible film.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

07/18/24

Full Review

Haydon F

A western take on the basic Jhon wick, someone killed my dog plot. The plot is mediocre. The story is poorly paced which resulted in there being no cut through edge which left the entire movie feeling empty. There were moments of enjoyment for me; however, they were short lived, juxtaposed with gratuitous dialogue befitting of a slapstick comedy.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/21/24

Full Review

Dee S

This feels more like an ensemble show at the "Western" themed part of an amusement park than an actual movie. The dialog is bufoonish, the script a series of spaghetti western clichés and not in a good way, and some of the performances were execrable. In particular, James Ransone's acting is barely fit for community theater. His character constantly insults another for being fat, but the irony is that Ransone doesn't just chew the scenery he swallows it whole. I enjoyed the musical score and the dog was cute.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

06/15/24

Full Review

Kandy A

Classic western, I really liked it. Ethan Hawke and John Travolta were fantastic in the roles of bad guying trying to be good vs. bad guy pretending to be good. The supporting cast were great as well. Original story line.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

05/18/24

Full Review

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Ti West

Director

Ethan Hawke

Paul

John Travolta

Marshal

Taissa Farmiga

Mary-Anne

James Ransone

Gilly

Karen Gillan

Ellen

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In a Valley of Violence: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A mysterious drifter (Ethan Hawke) and his dog journey toward Mexico through the barren desert of the Old West. Hoping to shorten their trip, they cut through a large valley, landing in the forgotten town of Denton -- a place now known as a valley of violence. The once-popular mining town is nearly abandoned and controlled by a group of misfits and nitwits, including the seemingly untouchable Gilly (James Ransone), the troublemaking son of the town's difficult marshal.

Director: Ti West
Producer: Jason Blum, Jacob Jaffke, Peter Phok
Screenwriter: Ti West
Distributor: Focus World
Production Co: Focus Features, Glass Eye Pix, Blumhouse Productions
Rating: R (Violence and Language)
Genre: Western
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 21, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 27, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $50.4K
Runtime: 1h 44m

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